UK consumer goods logistics outsourcing
PTL Co assessed a complex in-house fulfilment operation and created a structured route to a confident logistics outsourcing decision.
THE CHALLENGE
Testing the case for logistics outsourcing
Client
UK consumer goods business
Sector
Consumer goods
Scale
1,300 SKUs, 1.8m items despatched annually
Engagement
Logistics outsourcing
PTL Co helped a UK consumer goods business test whether logistics outsourcing could provide a stronger long-term operating model and created an evidence-based route to provider selection. The client operated a large warehouse in north-west England with significant excess capacity and a mixed B2B and B2C fulfilment profile. The operation managed around 1,300 live SKUs, approximately 240 inbound shipments each year and about 1.8 million despatched items annually.
The business needed to establish whether a third-party logistics model could maintain service across major retail and online channels while improving the fit between capacity and demand. The decision also had to account for commercial structure, implementation practicality and the risks of moving from an established in-house operation.
1,300
live SKUs
1.8m
items despatched annually
240
inbound shipments
140,000 sq ft
existing warehouse
WHAT WE DID
Delivery framework
PTL Co built a structured outsourcing approach from the operational evidence, converting volumes, service needs, warehouse capacity, channel requirements and transition considerations into a provider-ready specification. The work clarified what the future logistics model needed to deliver, gave providers a consistent basis for response, and helped the client test whether outsourcing could realistically improve capacity fit, service resilience and commercial control.
1. COLLECT DATA
Collate SKU, inbound, outbound, service and operating information to establish the true scale and profile of the fulfilment operation.
2. DEFINE REQUIREMENTS
Translate the client’s channel, service, capacity and commercial needs into a clear specification that providers could respond to consistently.
3. PREPARE TENDER
Create tender documents that set out the operating brief, required service levels, data assumptions and information needed for comparable responses.
4. ENGAGE PROVIDERS
Brief suitable logistics providers so they understood the current operation, future requirements, transition expectations and evaluation process.
5. ASSESS OPTIONS
Compare proposals against service capability, operational fit, transition risk and commercial structure before supporting the route to selection.
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
Outcomes delivered
The client gained a clearer, market-tested basis for comparing outsourcing options, with provider responses assessed against operational fit, transition risk, cost structure and service capability rather than headline price alone. This gave the leadership team a more balanced view of whether outsourcing could improve capacity alignment and service resilience, while also exposing the operational risks, implementation demands and commercial commitments associated with moving away from an established in-house operation.
Market-ready tender.
Clear requirements were converted into a structured tender pack, giving providers enough operational detail to respond meaningfully on service, capacity, process design and implementation risk.
Comparable proposals.
Providers responded against a consistent operating brief, reducing the risk that solutions were being judged on different assumptions, service interpretations or cost structures.
Stronger decision framework.
Options could be assessed beyond headline price, including operational fit, capacity utilisation, transition practicality and the provider’s ability to support mixed B2B and B2C demand.
Reduced transition uncertainty.
Key outsourcing risks and practicalities were clarified before selection, helping the client understand how a move from an established in-house operation could be managed without undermining service.
PTL CO EXPERTISE
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