The Growing Pressure on 3PLs

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers sit at the center of the modern supply chain, managing fulfillment for retailers, manufacturers and e-commerce brands that expect both speed and precision. But today, those expectations are growing faster than most 3PL networks can evolve.

E-commerce surges, volatile seasonal peaks and constant SKU turnover have stretched manual operations and legacy automation systems to their limits. For 3PLs, the challenge isn’t whether to automate – it’s how to scale automation without losing flexibility, control or profitability.

Some of the challenges 3PLs face today are:

Labor Shortages and Turnover

Warehouses remain some of the hardest environments to staff. Many 3PLs report turnover rates above 40%, with seasonal hiring becoming nearly impossible during peak demand periods. Even when labor is available, training and retention drain both time and cost leading to inconsistent performance and lost productivity.

Demand Volatility and Seasonal Peaks

The rise of direct-to-consumer fulfillment has made demand less predictable and more intense. 3PLs must flex between steady-state operations and massive seasonal spikes like the Thanksgiving to Christmas surge without sacrificing service levels.

Increasing SKU Complexity

A decade ago, most distribution centers handled hundreds of SKUs. Today, 3PLs routinely manage tens of thousands each with unique handling rules, packaging types and order combinations. Traditional automation systems, designed for repetitive single-SKU flows, struggle with this complexity.

Pressure to Deliver Speed and Accuracy

End customers expect same-day or next-day delivery, leaving 3PLs little margin for error. Manual palletizing or picking can’t keep pace with omnichannel fulfillment timelines, while minor errors cascade into chargebacks and contract penalties.

Capital Constraints and Long ROI Cycles

Unlike captive retailers or manufacturers, most 3PLs operate on short contract cycles, typically 3 -5 years. That means large, fixed-capex automation investments are hard to justify unless they can be deployed quickly, deliver ROI fast and remain flexible for the next customer.

The Result: Automation Paralysis

Many 3PLs recognize that automation is essential, but conventional solutions often demand months of integration, heavy infrastructure changes and vendor lock-in. In an industry built on flexibility, these systems simply can’t move fast enough.

That’s where Mujin’s approach to intelligent robotics changes the equation.

MujinOS: The Universal Robotics Platform

At the heart of every Mujin solution is MujinOS, a robot control platform that unifies motion, vision and intelligence across any robot brand. Instead of programming each robot manually, MujinOS enables task-level automation. It decides how to move, pick, or place in real time without requiring reprogramming when SKUs or packaging change.

For 3PLs, this means new customer accounts, new product lines or layout changes no longer trigger weeks of downtime. MujinOS adapts automatically, minimizing commissioning time and maximizing uptime.

RCP: Robotic Case Picking for Dynamic Fulfillment

Mujin’s Robotic Case Picking (RCP) solution was purpose-built for high-volume, mixed-SKU environments – exactly what most 3PLs face daily.

RCP combines intelligent perception with motion planning to automatically pick, sequence and build store or order ready pallets from multiple SKUs. It does this dynamically with no need for static recipes or manual intervention.

Why this matters for 3PLs:

· Handles complex multi-SKU palletizing with ease

· Reduces dependence on seasonal labor

· Works seamlessly with existing conveyor or AS/RS infrastructure

· Scales modularly – deploy zone by zone or site by site

· Delivers measurable ROI in months, not years

During peak seasons like Thanksgiving and Christmas, RCP enables around-the-clock fulfillment without bottlenecks ensuring retailers stay stocked and customers stay satisfied.

Fast, Phased Deployment

Unlike traditional automation requiring full-system redesigns, Mujin’s solutions are modular and incremental. 3PLs can start with one or two robotic cells, prove value, and then scale across facilities as contracts grow without disrupting ongoing operations.

This phased approach helps 3PLs overcome the “all-or-nothing” barrier that often stops automation projects before they start.

Data-Driven Optimization

MujinOS aggregates real-time performance data from every connected robot, enabling 3PLs to monitor utilization, throughput and efficiency across multiple sites. This unified visibility helps operations leaders quickly pinpoint underperforming zones, balance workloads and improve SLAs from a single interface.

Flexibility for the Next Contract

Every 3PL knows today’s fulfillment profile won’t be tomorrow’s. Mujin’s software-defined architecture gives 3PLs the freedom to reconfigure automation for new clients and product mixes without replacing hardware or rewriting code. That agility keeps assets productive and margins protected across contract cycles.

A Smarter Path Forward for 3PLs

In an industry defined by constant change, 3PLs cannot afford automation that only works in ideal conditions. They need intelligent, adaptive systems that grow and flex with their customers’ needs.

With MujinOS and RCP, 3PLs gain:

· Consistent, 24/7 throughput

· Rapid deployment with minimal disruption

· Multi-SKU agility for omnichannel customers

· The flexibility to reconfigure at any time

· Measurable ROI aligned with contract timelines

From high-speed palletizing to dynamic mixed-case picking, Mujin is helping leading logistics providers turn automation from a cost center into a competitive advantage.

Mujin develops intelligent robotics solutions that make warehouse automation accessible, adaptable, and scalable. Powered by MujinOS, our platform enables robots to handle complex logistics tasks autonomously from robotic case picking to palletizing and mixed-SKU handling helping 3PLs and retailers achieve unmatched performance and resilience across their networks