Managed iPaaS for 3PLs:  APICAL Connects Your Warehouse, Couriers, and Commerce Systems Automatically

Since the beginning of 2015, Beyond Expectations have been offering our APICAL integration platform as a solution for moving data from one point to another.

Little did we know that eventually there would be a new term coined to describe software in this category:  iPaaS – Integration Platform as a Service. Who would have thought that we’d be significant players in such a space? Well, we are. 

For our 3PL clients, we form a critical link between them and their customers. Our 3PL client can call / email us to set up a new customer link and we can have them receiving transactions within a short time frame.  We touch on many aspects of their business with the software we connect to, including: 

• Extensiv 3PL Manager
• Cargowise logistics software
• Cin7 Omni & Core
• Unleashed
• Xero
• Shopify
• BigCommerce
• Freight and Courier systems 

Not only do we get Sales Orders flowing into the 3PL, but we also pass the order data out to their courier system for ticket creation and receive back tracking data used in the completion advice passed back to their customer. This automation saves considerable manual data entry. 

Of course there are other transaction types that may be considered: 

• Purchase Orders (aka ASN’s)
• Receipts of PO’s  
• Stock transfer requests
• Stock adjustments
• Stock on hand variance reporting 

We also automate internal processes for our 3PL’s such as the determination of charges on each order based on transaction fees, product handling fees, courier charges, and consumption of consumables. We’ve also got some great ideas on how to optimise pick location replenishments and pick routing efficiency. 

Our offer also includes: 

• Proactive monitoring and alerts — issues are often detected and addressed before the client notices
• Configuration changes — minor field mapping, filters, and settings adjustments included
• Error investigation and resolution
• Minor bug fixes
• Portal access
• All hosting, infrastructure, and platform maintenance 

There are other iPaaS solutions in the marketplace, but they come without most of the connections needed to operate a 3PL – that means having to build all the connections from scratch. We’ve got over a decade of experience with running our well tested connections. 

APICAL provides everything an off-the-shelf iPaaS provides — and more, because it's managed: 

• Pre-built connectors for 3PL related systems 
• Proactive monitoring — issues caught before the client notices
• Expert configuration — no need for the 3PL to have in-house technical staff
• Error handling tailored to our client’s specific data flows and business rules
• Ongoing maintenance included in the subscription
• A single point of contact for all integration questions
• An expert team with considerable knowledge of the 3PL workflows 

How do you get started? Drop us a line below (or book a meeting to discuss)