The Customer:

Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) depend on speed, accuracy, and operational visibility to compete.

Despite increasing pressure for faster fulfillment and real-time information, many 3PL operations still rely on manual or paper-based processes for receiving, inventory management, order verification, and labor tracking. In a high-velocity logistics environment, these dependencies can slow operations, introduce delays, and limit scalability.

One 3PL specializing in hazardous materials management experienced recurring delays in confirming Advance Ship Notices (ASNs). Depending on the day of the week, ASN confirmations could lag by as much as three days. As the billing cycle approached month-end, the backlog frequently grew to approximately 30 ASNs awaiting confirmation, creating operational bottlenecks and delaying billing activities.

A separate 3PL managing a high-volume e-commerce account processed approximately 750 orders per day. Each order required multiple manual updates across systems, with staff handling orders individually. The process introduced delays in order processing and required additional labor resources to maintain daily throughput.

The Challenge: Paper creates friction at every stage

Paper introduces friction throughout the warehouse lifecycle. Under the manual receiving process this customer was using, operators:

• Handwritten item numbers, lot codes, quantities and locations
• Placing inbounds to the side for later entry
• Waiting until the end of the day for warehouse management system, or WMS, updates
• Sending paperwork back to the floor if discrepancies arise

Dock-to-stock timelines were starting to stretch upwards of three days.

ṬThe downstream effects included: :

• Delayed inventory visibility
• Increased risk of handwritten error
• No real-time validation
• No timestamp tracking for key performance indicators, or KPIs
• Limited audit history

These manual processes also burdened the office teams. In a single location processing roughly 750 orders per day, for example, customer service representatives who manually committed each order line had to engage thousands of daily keystrokes and four touch points per order.

The result was consistent overtime and physical strain from the type of repetitive motion that could give rise to employee injury and even disability.

On the warehouse floor, operators completed assignments and walked back to the office for the next task, losing up to 15 minutes per shift in travel time alone.

The SC Codeworks Solution: RF-enabled, real-time workflow

SC Codeworks eliminates paper-based inefficiencies by integrating technology-enabled workflows into its proprietary WMS, Codeworks Enterprise.

With the new RF technology:

• Operators scan product directly into the system
• Incorrect items or quantities are flagged immediately
• Lot and location validation occur in real time
• Transactions are automatically timestamped
• Historical data is captured at the source

The results were immediate.

Dock-to-stock performance that once required multiple days was reduced to same-day posting. Managers and the customer each gained real-time visibility into receipts, inventory movement, and order status.

Conducting physical inventory became faster and more accurate. In facilities counting approximately 10,000 pallet positions, for example, rack count times dropped from 90 seconds per location to 30 to 45 seconds. Manual keying was eliminated. Recounts were assigned instantly.

Order verification throughput increased from 2 to 3 orders per minute to 6 to 10 orders per minute, and staffing needs declined accordingly. Verification ceased to be a bottleneck.

Codeworks Enterprise automation extends beyond scanning. The system can streamline:

• Line-level order commits
• Carrier selection logic
• Label generation
• Dock appointment scheduling
• Labor assignment

In one implementation, targeted automation reduced approximately 250 labor hours per month within days.

The Benefit: Operational clarity

Automated labor assignment alone recaptured up to 15 minutes per operator per shift, or the equivalent of nearly one employee in a 30-person operation by eliminating the indirect time needed for travel to see the supervisor or waiting for the next assignment.

Administrative efficiencies compound the gains. Dock scheduling that once required 90 minutes daily was reduced to 30 minutes or less. The most powerful advantage, however, lies in the data. Codeworks Enterprise provides:

• Timestamped transactions
• User-level accountability
• Detailed KPI reporting
• Real-time progress tracking
• Auditable historical records

Instead of reacting to discrepancies days later, managers gain the ability to identify and correct bottlenecks as they emerge.

Performance becomes more measurable. Improvement becomes continuous.

The ROI:

When inefficiencies surface, 3PLs face a strategic decision: add labor, or improve the system.

Boosting headcount to manual workflows compresses margins and postpones structural improvement. Investing in RF-enabled, paperless processes produces sustained returns through:

• Faster dock-to-stock performance
• Higher inventory accuracy
• Reduced labor hours and overtime
• Elimination of redundant data entry
• Increased order throughput
• Real-time operational visibility
• Stronger customer confidence
• Greater scalability for growth

The transformation isn’t incremental. It’s systemic. Moving from paper to digital shifts the warehouse from reactive to real-time, from manual to measurable and from labor-intensive to performance-driven.

For 3PLs seeking sustainable competitive advantage, the return on investment speaks for itself.