Contract Logistics Services For UK Businesses
Contract Logistics Services For UK Businesses
Full-suite contract logistics services including warehousing, inventory management, fulfilment, distribution, delivery and reverse logistics.
When managing your logistics starts taking more time, space and resources than it should, handing individual jobs to different suppliers rarely solves the problem.
You need everything to work together.
At SFI, we provide contract logistics services for businesses across the UK, taking responsibility for multiple parts of your logistics operation through one experienced partner.
From receiving and storing stock through to inventory management, order fulfilment, distribution, delivery and returns, we can build a logistics solution around the way your business actually works.
That might mean managing your logistics for you, taking responsibility for one part of your supply chain or just giving you the extra warehousing, people and transport capacity you need as your business grows.
With over 30 years of logistics experience and 45,000 sq ft of warehouse space, we give businesses the infrastructure and expertise to run their logistics without having to build it all themselves.
What do contract logistics services with SFI typically include?
Contract logistics is when a business outsources some or all of its logistics operation to a specialist logistics company.
Depending on your business, contract logistics can include everything from:
- Warehousing and storage
- Goods receiving
- Inventory and stock management
- Order fulfilment
- Picking, packing and dispatch
- B2B and B2C distribution
- Transport
- White glove delivery
- Delivery and installation
- Reverse logistics
- Project logistics
- Stock reporting
The exact combination depends on what you need.
Some clients need SFI to act as an extension of their own logistics team, others outsource a specific part of their operation because they need extra capacity.
Whatever your business needs, SFI can help.
How does contract logistics work with SFI?
Understanding your business
We start by understanding what you need to store, where goods need to go, volumes, delivery needs and any challenges you are currently facing.
Building your logistics solution
We put together the right combination of warehousing, stock management, fulfilment, distribution, delivery and other services rather than forcing you into a standard package.
Receiving and storing your goods
Stock, furniture, equipment or other products can be delivered directly into our warehouse, where items are received, recorded and stored securely.
Managing inventory
We keep track of goods throughout their time with us, giving you greater visibility over what has arrived, what is in storage and what has left the warehouse.
Fulfilment and distribution
When products are needed, our team can pick, prepare and dispatch them. Whether that means individual orders, bulk B2B deliveries, scheduled project releases or more.
Delivery, returns and ongoing support
We can manage the next stage of the journey too, including nationwide transport, specialist delivery, installation, collections and reverse logistics. As your needs change, the service can change with them.
Why working with a specialist contract logistics company matters
As a business grows, logistics can quickly become more complicated.
Stock may be arriving from multiple suppliers, stored across different locations and moving out to customers, project sites or branches on different schedules.
Without the right systems and coordination in place, businesses can experience:
- Poor stock visibility
- Delayed orders and deliveries
- Rising storage and transport costs
- Fulfilment errors
- Difficulty managing seasonal peaks
- Too much internal time spent managing logistics
By bringing warehousing, inventory management, fulfilment, distribution and delivery together through one logistics partner, businesses can make their operation easier and gain greater visibility and control over the movement of their goods.
Businesses we work with for Contract Logistics
We work with businesses that need reliable logistics without necessarily wanting to set up their own warehouses, transport networks and delivery teams.
Manufacturers and distributors
Furniture businesses
Retail and ecommerce companies
Office and workplace suppliers
Technology and equipment providers
Construction and fit-out businesses
Facilities management companies
Businesses with multi-site operations
Why choose SFI as your contract logistics company?
A contract logistics company becomes closely connected to the day-to-day running of your business.
SFI has been working with UK businesses since 1992, helping clients manage warehousing, distribution, furniture logistics, commercial deliveries and complicated projects.
Clients choose us because they get:
- More than 30 years of logistics experience
- 45,000 sq ft of warehouse space
- Warehousing, transport and delivery managed together
- Inventory and stock management
- Fulfilment and distribution support
- Nationwide UK coverage
- Specialist handling for bulky and high-value goods
- White glove delivery and installation
- Reverse logistics and collections
- Flexibility as requirements change
Most importantly, we do not expect your business to fit around our logistics operation.
We take the time to understand how your stock moves, where the pressure points are and what you need from us, then build the service around it.
FAQs
Contract logistics can include warehousing, inventory management, order fulfilment, picking and packing, transportation, distribution, specialist delivery, installation, collections and reverse logistics. The services included should be tailored to the individual business.
The terms contract logistics and third-party logistics, or 3PL, are often used interchangeably. Both involve outsourcing logistics to another company.
Contract logistics usually describes an ongoing relationship involving several connected logistics activities, while 3PL can also refer to outsourcing an individual service such as storage or fulfilment.
Contract logistics can give businesses access to warehouse capacity, experienced logistics teams, transport and specialist expertise without building the entire operation themselves. It can also give them greater flexibility when volumes change and make it easier to manage several parts of the supply chain through one provider.
Yes. We can receive and store goods in our warehouse before managing their onward distribution when needed.
Yes. You do not need to outsource everything. We can manage a specific area such as warehousing, fulfilment or distribution, or combine several services into a wider contract logistics solution.
Contract logistics costs depend on the services you need, the amount of stock being handled, storage, order or delivery volumes and any specialist handling involved.
At SFI, we build each contract logistics solution around the individual business, so you only pay for the support and capacity you actually need.
A business may consider contract logistics when managing warehousing, stock, fulfilment or distribution internally is becoming too time-consuming or expensive. It can also be useful when you are growing, experiencing fluctuating demand, running out of warehouse space or need logistics expertise that you do not have in-house.
Yes. Contract logistics does not necessarily mean replacing your existing suppliers or changing your entire operation. We can work alongside your manufacturers, suppliers, carriers and internal teams, taking responsibility for the parts of the supply chain you want to outsource.
Talk to us about your contract logistics needs
Tell us what you need to store, move and manage and we'll build a contract logistics proposal around your business.