FDA Approved warehouses are required to handle the storage, Cross Docking and distribution  of all food products and supplements.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates food, beverage, and dietary supplements intended for consumption in the United States by Humans or Animals. FDA Registration is required for all facilities that manufacture, process, pack or store food, beverage and Dietary Supplements

Prior notice is required before food shipments may enter the United States. A Bar code prior notice confirmation number issued by the FDA must accompany most shipments. All foreign companies must have a designated U.S. agent.

As an importer of food products or supplements, you need to have an FDA number. The manufacturer may either apply for an FDA number or assign an U.S. Agent.

Your International Freight Forwarder must be aware of the nature of the product being imported. If it is a food product, they will ask for the FDA number.

FDA Approved Warehouses

If you are importing products such as meat, poultry, vegetables or fruits that will require the approval of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Many warehouses in Miami are not aware that they need to get the certification authorizing them to handle the storage and distribution of food products. Even if you are only doing the fulfillment for coffee beans or tea, you still need to have the warehouse approved by the FDA

International 3PL, possesses the necessary certifications from the FDA to store, pack and repack, and distribute food and beverages. This makes us one of the few 3PL Companies that can handle the fulfillment of food products.

We also can help you get all the necessary certifications and permits to import food products.

For a quote, please call us at 305-800-ship or Contact us

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Food Storage facilities in Miami

Outsourcing Fulfillment Solutions is a good option for many companies especially startups who might be strapped for cash o lack the experience. It is also a fast and efficient way to introduce their products to the market without having to wait to build the infrastructure needed for fulfillment.

There are so many new products being introduced to the market mostly by small businesses who have launched their new website, promoted it and are looking forward to a bunch of orders coming in. They depend on e-fulfillment to success.

A large portion of these companies outsource their fulfillment solutions to Amazon because they get the exposure they need, achieve a better ranking for their website and get access to cheap shipping rates. Due to the rising cost of Fulfillment by Amazon, the numerous mistakes made by Amazon fulfillment centers ranging from double shipment to inaccurate counts and of course unfair practices by Amazon where they can take away your brand because it is successful, many companies are looking for other  Fulfillment centers to handle their business.  Most of these companies still do business with Amazon just for the exposure but sell the majority of their items using other channels.

Why Outsource Fulfillment Solutions

1. Cost Reduction:  If you have to have your own operation, warehouse, employees and equipment, you are looking at a large investment that you might not be able to afford.  It might be a good idea to use the services of a Fulfillment Company.
2. Lack of Experience: Leave it to the pros. Learn from them and if it is economically feasible, you can do your own fulfillment.
3. Tap into cheaper shipping rates: most 3pl companies  have access to multiple shipping companies and the huge discounts that come with it.

Over the last 15 years many companies, even with huge capital behind them, used third party logistics companies to handle their fulfillment needs.

International 3PL has been handling fulfillment for small and large companies.  It is what we do.

For a rate request please contact us at: 305-800-7447 or click on our Fulfillment Questionnaire.

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3Pl Companies in Miami

Contract Logistics Companies

Shipping Companies in Miami

Last mile delivery is the movement of goods from a transportation hub such as a common carrier’s warehouse to the final delivery destination which is most cases a residence.

Last Mile Delivery has become an integral part of fulfillment. As retailers compete for same or next day delivery, they are always looking for companies that handle the last portion of the delivery to the customer.

Some of those last mile delivery companies also offer white glove service in order to offer a complete customer experience.

White Glove services refers to the inside delivery and sometime installation of a product that a consumer has purchased such as furniture that weighs too much and needs a few people to carry and place inside a residence. Many online retailers offer these services to their clients which creates a good customer experience and therefo re customer loyalty.

As an example of last mile delivery, let us assume you live in Miami and have purchased a refrigerator from an online retailer, the refrigerator shipped from another state. You are expecting delivery to your home which happens to be in a gated community where large commercial trucks are not allowed. The Retailer will ship the fridge to a distribution hub in your city and then hire the services of a last mile delivery company in Miami to deliver to your home and install the refrigerator.

Some of the common carriers are now offering last mile delivery as part of their logistics Services.

Last Mile Delivery and Omni channel fulfillment

With Evolving ominichannel fulfillment, Last Mile Logistics has become an area of interest for a retailer and has been integrated into their fulfillment channels.

Due to the surge in online orders traditional delivery methods are just not enough. Faster delivery is demanded by customers who would like to be presented with many delivery options to choose from.

The anticipated increase in online sales is expected to span across a variety of product types which might dictate the delivery option used.

Logistics Companies

It is almost impossible for most common carriers to handle the last delivery in all areas of the USA, it is like creating a whole new business with its own infra structure. Common carriers have opted to outsource that part of the delivery process to: 3PL Companies

To request a quote, please Contact us.

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Artificial Intelligence has made it into our lives a while back and continues to make an impact. From playing chess against a computer to Siri, Alexa and detecting cancer cells, A.I. is here to stay.

The logistics industry is beginning to invest in A.I. heavily starting with the shipping companies such as Maersk and CMA. Soon we will be able to see more efficient shipments at a lesser cost.

To those of you who watch futuristic movies, rest assured the Artificial Intelligence will not take over the world, we will not be ruled by robots.

Artificial Intelligence is about machine learning and learning (input) requires processing power. There just isn’t enough processing power in the world to match the power of the human brain. To clarify further it took 90,000 processers 1 hour to process what 1/100 of the brain to process in 1 second. You do that math.

When it comes to logistics, Artificial Intelligence is lagging behind other fields. Ocean Shipping Companies, are developing software to better track Ocean Freight shipments minute by minute.

In the next 5-10 years, we might be able to see driverless trucks making deliveries, robots in the warehouse will be able to determine which box to use for a specific item. The shipping software will automatically decide on the best shipping method at the least cost depending on the variables presented.

Tech giants, like Amazon, have been using Artificial Intelligence to determine which location an item should be shipped from to minimize the cost and expedite the shipment, Omnichannel Fulfillment.

Efficiency of the supply chain will continue to improve with the implementation of A.I.

Will Artificial Intelligence Replace us?

You need to understand that as long as A.I. lacks consciousness, human interventions will always be needed.  Our input will guide A.I.  so, for you dreamers out there, please come back to reality and for those of you afraid of technology, do not worry, robots will not make us obsolete simply because there is no power more dominating than the human brain. Just ask Microsoft about the failed Tay experiment. A.I. has to be able to perceive and act.

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A.I. and 3PL

A.I. and freight Forwarding

Warehousing and warehouse management are part logistics management , which is itself a component in supply chain management. Although viewed by some as simply a place to store finished goods, inbound functions that prepare items for storage and outbound functions that consolidate, pack and ship orders provide important economic and service benefits to both the business and its customers
Warehouses provide a economies of scale through efficient operations, storage capacity and a central location. Economic benefits are realized, for example, through consolidation and accumulation operations. Consolidation operations cut outbound delivery costs for both the business and its customers. Instead of shipping items individually from multiple sources, items are delivered to a central warehouse, packaged together and shipped back out as a complete order.

Warehousing can also be defined as assumption of responsibility for the storage of goods. By storing the goods throughout the year and releasing them as and when they are needed, warehousing creates time utility.

Functions of Warehousing

1. Storage

2. Price Stabilization

3. Risk bearing

4. Financing

5. Grading and Packing

Our Value added warehousing services are those which complement and enhance warehousing, transportation, and logistics offerings. Using our services enables companies to lower inventory footprints of finished goods by delaying the labeling and final assembly of products until customer orders are received. This is a cost effective supply chain strategy that gives companies more flexibility over their inventory.

International 3pl Value Added services provide solutions that go beyond the basic warehousing and transportation servi ces that come to mind when companies look to outsource logistics.

What is value Added warehousing:

Receiving, inspection and stocking
Full pick, pack and ship
Compliance labeling
Kitting and light assembly
Outbound and returns processing
Quality assurance
Lot control, serialization
Expedited shipment processing

Our value added services including packaging, product customization, and assembly. Get your products to market knowing you are getting the safest, most cost-effective, and highest quality system to help you achieve your goals.