3PLmetriq · Digital Maturity for Logistics Operators

Know where
your margin
actually goes.

3PLmetriq is a diagnostic and advisory platform that shows logistics operators exactly where digital gaps are costing them money — and the fastest path to closing them.

Start free pulse check → See how it works

Free · 9 questions · Results in 8 minutes

40–60%
of 3PL cost is labour — mostly unplanned
1–3%
of revenue lost to billing disputes monthly
15–25%
of clients are typically margin-negative
L1.8
average maturity score across SME 3PLs
Data layer· Process maturity· AI readiness· Organisational capability· Billing accuracy· Client profitability· Labour planning· Route optimisation· Demand forecasting· WMS integration· Carrier management· Exception handling· Data layer· Process maturity· AI readiness· Organisational capability· Billing accuracy· Client profitability· Labour planning· Route optimisation· Demand forecasting· WMS integration· Carrier management· Exception handling·
The problem

Most 3PLs are flying blind.

The logistics sector is under more margin pressure than at any point in the last decade. Yet most SME 3PLs still make critical decisions — pricing, staffing, client retention — based on instinct rather than data.

Not because they don't want to change. Because they don't know where to start, and the usual answers — "hire a consultant", "buy more software" — are too slow, too expensive, and too generic.

01 Invisible cost-to-serve. You can't tell which clients make you money and which are quietly draining margin. Most 3PLs discover 15–25% of clients are loss-making when they first measure properly.
02 Billing leakage every month. Unbilled activities, disputed invoices, manual reconciliation. A 5% dispute rate translates to €50–150k in recoverable revenue for a mid-size operation.
03 Labour planned by gut feel. Labour is your largest cost. Gut-feel planning means chronic over- or understaffing — especially at peak, where the cost of getting it wrong compounds fast.
04 No clear path to AI. Everyone talks about AI. Almost no SME 3PL has it in production in a way that actually changes decisions. The gap between interest and implementation is where margin disappears.
The 3PLmetriq Framework

Four layers. One clear picture.

Every 3PL diagnostic we run is built on the same four-layer model — the same sequence digital maturity always follows in this sector.

Layer 01
Data
Clean, connected data from core systems. The foundation everything else depends on.
WMS · TMS · ERP integration
Multi-client data segregation
Real-time client visibility
Master data quality
Layer 02
Process
Standardised workflows that run without heroics. Repeatability before automation.
Client onboarding speed
Billing accuracy
Exception handling
KPI dashboards
Layer 03
AI & Analytics
Two or three well-targeted use cases in production — not a pilot graveyard.
Demand forecasting
Labour planning
Route optimisation
Billing intelligence
Layer 04
Organisation
Digital ownership, transparent KPIs, and a culture that acts on data.
Digital ownership
Upskilling pathways
Experimentation culture
Board-level KPIs
Maturity levels

Where do
you sit?

We score every sub-dimension L1 to L5. Most SME 3PLs sit between L1 and L2. The realistic 2026 target is L4 on data and process — not L5 across everything.

L1
Reactive
Ad hoc, spreadsheet-driven, person-dependent. Decisions made by instinct and fire-fighting.
L2
Aware
Pockets of digitisation. Some data captured, but systems don't talk and insights don't flow.
L3
Defined
Standardised processes, integrated core systems. A working foundation for the next steps.
← most achievable in 12 months
L4
Data-driven
Real-time visibility, KPI-managed, 2–3 AI use cases in production. The 2026 SME target.
← 2026 realistic target
L5
AI-native
Autonomous decisioning in key loops, continuous learning, fully ecosystem-integrated.
How it works

Two ways to get
your diagnosis.

01
Free · Tier 1
Digital Pulse Check
Nine targeted questions. Instant results. An honest snapshot of where you stand across all four layers — and the three gaps most likely costing you margin right now.
9 questions, 8 minutes
L1–L4 score per layer
Top 3 gaps in plain language
90-day quick-win preview
No account required
02
Paid · Tier 2
Full Maturity Assessment
The deep-dive. Evidence-backed scoring across 30+ sub-dimensions, peer benchmarking against 3PLs of your size, and a sequenced 12/24-month roadmap with investment estimates and use case shortlist.
90+ questions across all layers
Evidence-backed L1–L5 scoring
Peer benchmarks from your cohort
€-impact per identified gap
12/24-month costed roadmap
AI use case shortlist, prioritised
2–3 week delivery
Pricing

Simple,
transparent pricing.

Tier 1
Pulse Check
Free
The fastest way to know where you stand. No credit card, no account, no commitment.
  • L1–L4 score across 4 layers
  • Top 3 margin gaps identified
  • 90-day quick-win preview
  • Results PDF by email
  • Peer benchmarking
  • € impact estimates
  • Full roadmap
Start free →
Tier 2
Full Assessment
€4,500 one-time
For 3PLs serious about closing the gap. Everything in Tier 1, plus the evidence-backed deep dive.
  • Everything in Pulse Check
  • 30+ sub-dimensions scored
  • Peer benchmarks
  • € impact per gap
  • 12/24-month costed roadmap
  • AI use case shortlist
  • 2 × expert sessions included
Book discovery call →
Tier 3
Advisory Retainer
€2,400/mo
For 3PLs executing the roadmap. Ongoing strategic support, quarterly re-assessment, and access to the implementation network.
  • Quarterly re-assessment
  • Monthly advisory sessions
  • Progress tracking dashboard
  • Implementation partner network
  • Benchmark updates
  • Minimum 6-month term
Enquire →
Why it matters

The numbers
speak for themselves.

What we typically find — billing
"We discovered we'd been under-billing for 14 months on a single client. The data was all there. Nobody had connected it."
COO, mid-size 3PL · 80 warehouse staff
Impact — billing accuracy
€120k
Typical annual billing leakage recovery for a €4–6M 3PL after a 3PLmetriq assessment. Most recovered within the first 6 months of implementation.
What we typically find — profitability
"We were treating all clients as roughly equal. The assessment showed three of our top-ten clients were actually loss-making at contribution level."
MD, regional fulfilment operator · 45 staff
Impact — labour planning
11%
Average reduction in labour cost for 3PLs that move from gut-feel to demand-driven planning — without reducing headcount or service levels.
About 3PLmetriq

Built by
operators,
for operators.

3PLmetriq was built out of a single frustration: the gap between what technology can do for a logistics operation and what most SME 3PLs have actually managed to implement is enormous — and closing slowly.

Large consultancies are too expensive and too slow. Software vendors have an incentive to sell software, not give honest advice. Generic digital maturity frameworks don't understand how a 3PL actually works.

3PLmetriq is different because it starts with the specific economics of a 3PL business — multi-client cost-to-serve, labour as the dominant cost driver, billing as the hidden margin leak — and works backwards to where data and process need to go.

Our principles

Evidence before recommendation
Every gap we identify is backed by data from the assessment. We don't guess, and we don't generalise from sector averages.
Sequence matters
You can't automate a broken process. You can't build AI on dirty data. The framework respects the dependency chain.
Business language, not tech jargon
Every finding is translated into € impact. The person running the 3PL shouldn't need a technology background to read our reports.
Realistic targets, not aspirational ones
L4 by 2026, not L5. Two AI use cases in production, not a digital transformation. We're honest about what an SME can actually achieve.
Start now
Eight minutes.
Real answers.

Take the free Pulse Check and find out exactly where your 3PL stands — and which gaps are costing you the most margin right now.

Start free pulse check → Talk to us instead

Free · No account · Results in 8 minutes