Third Party Logistics

3PL Warehouse Management Software Built for Complex Operations

Every client brings different billing, workflows, and SLAs. Footprint® WMS adapts to all of it. No workarounds, no compromises.

Recognized by Gartner® as a Notable Vendor in the Midmarket Context: Magic Quadrant™ for Warehouse Management Systems for the second year in a row.

When Your WMS Becomes the Bottleneck

The challenge

Most warehouse management systems work well—until growth introduces real complexity.

One customer becomes ten. Services expand. New facilities come online. Clients start demanding faster onboarding, real-time visibility, and billing that reflects exactly what was done. And the system that once supported your operation starts working against it.

3PLs running on the wrong WMS typically see the same patterns:

What 3PL Warehouse Management Software Should Actually Do

Our solution

The right WMS for a 3PL isn't just a warehouse system. It's the platform that enables complex operations to run efficiently, adapt to changing customer requirements, and scale without workarounds.

Configure Each Client Without the Development Delays

Every client has unique billing, labeling, receiving, and reporting requirements.

Powered by Datex Studio, our low-code toolset, Footprint WMS lets your team configure workflows, labels, and billing logic without development. New customers launch from a configurable framework instead of from scratch, accelerating implementations.

Never Miss Billable Activity

Accessorial charges, pallet handling, value-added services, and special project labor, Footprint WMS records activity as it happens, tied to the client and the contract.

By the time invoicing runs, the work is already documented. Less reconciliation. Stronger billing support. Less revenue left on the floor.

Give Every Client Real-Time Visibility

Footprint WMS’s branded customer portals give clients self-service access to inventory positions, order status, receiving activity, and reporting without routing every question through your team.

Clients stay informed, and your staff stays focused on running the operation.

Optimize Labor Management Across Every Client and Shift

Footprint WMS assigns and tracks labor across receiving, picking, value-added services, and cross-docking by task, client, shift, and priority.

Task interleaving automatically optimizes productivity, while real-time dashboards help managers identify issues before they become SLA failures, reallocate resources quickly, and keep warehouse operations on schedule even during volume spikes.

One Platform to Support Growth Across Your 3PL Network

New locations, new service lines, new customer requirements, Footprint WMS helps you grow without adding unnecessary complexity.

The same platform that supports one facility can support many, with visibility across your operation. Native integrations with ERPs, TMS platforms, EDI systems, and automation providers keep your business connected without custom development for every relationship.

Case Studies

One client thought something was wrong when invoices jumped 30–40% after go-live. They had been underbilling for years and saw ROI in the first month with Footprint® WMS.

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See How Others Succeed with Datex

What 3PL Leaders Are Saying

  • Kevin Niemeier

    VP of Technology / Nor-Am Cold Storage

    Client Self-Service

    A benefit has been the use of the ePortal that allows our customers to have the flexibility to pull down their own reports and see live inventory. This is extremely helpful and cuts down on a lot of back-and-forth phone calls and emails.

  • Karen Reece

    VP & Co-Founder / Eskimo Cold Storage

    Implementation Speed

    We had the 3PL WMS up and running in approximately 45 days. Our priority was to provide our customers with the service that they deserve as soon as possible, so we were pretty happy with the speed of the implementation and how robust the system was. It can handle everything that we need.

  • Justin Marr

    VP of Business Solutions / Watco

    Multi-Facility Scale

    All of our facilities — 65-plus — are on one common application, and that was not the case before. Some terminals used one application; other terminals used a different application. So it was very difficult to look at things holistically from an enterprise-wide perspective.

    • Integrations

    Seamless third-party integrations to keep your entire business connected.

    More on our integrations

    Dive Deeper Into Your 3PL Vertical

    3PL Industries

    No two 3PLs look exactly alike. Footprint WMS supports organizations operating across a range of specialized and regulated environments.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    About 3PL Warehouse Management Software 

    3PL warehouse management software is designed specifically for third-party logistics providers managing inventory, orders, workflows, and billing across multiple clients within shared warehouse environments. Unlike general warehouse systems, a 3PL WMS supports multi-client operations, configurable billing, customer visibility, and the flexibility required to serve diverse customer requirements.

    Traditional warehouse management systems are often designed for single-tenant operations with consistent workflows. A 3PL WMS is built to support multiple clients simultaneously, each with unique billing agreements, workflows, reporting requirements, and service-level expectations. It gives 3PLs the flexibility to adapt without relying on spreadsheets, workarounds, or heavy custom development.

    Feature Generic WMS Footprint® WMS for 3PLs
    Client management Basic customer management Multi-client architecture with client-specific configuration
    Billing Basic order or shipment billing Automated contract, storage, accessorial, and recurring billing
    Customer portal Often limited or unavailable Branded self-service customer portals
    Compliance Basic inventory traceability LOT & serial tracking, DSCSA, 21 CFR Part 11, and audit trails
    Configurability Often requires development or vendor services Low-code configuration with Datex Studio
    Warehouse operations Single warehouse or simple networks Multi-site, multi-client, and multi-service operations
    Customer-specific processes Shared operational processes Client-specific workflows, labels, billing rules, and reporting through configuration
    Value-added services Limited support Configurable value-added service processing with automated activity capture and billing

    A 3PL WMS should support multi-client inventory management, configurable workflows, automated billing and accessorial charge capture, customer portals, integrations with external systems, reporting, and the ability to scale across multiple facilities and service offerings. The right platform should help 3PLs adapt to changing customer requirements while maintaining operational control.

    Many 3PLs outgrow systems that can no longer support the complexity of their operations. Common reasons for switching include missed billing opportunities, slow customer onboarding, limited customer visibility, inflexible workflows, and difficulty scaling across new clients, facilities, or services. As businesses evolve, the systems that once supported growth can become barriers to it.

    A 3PL WMS improves profitability by helping operators capture billable activity accurately, reduce manual work, improve inventory accuracy, accelerate invoicing, and support growth without adding unnecessary administrative overhead. When execution and billing work together, 3PLs gain stronger operational visibility and reduce the revenue leakage that often occurs in complex environments.

    Footprint WMS is a flexible, cloud-native warehouse management platform built specifically for 3PLs and warehouse operators managing complex, multi-client operations. It delivers real-time inventory visibility, a configurable billing engine, configurable workflows, and a 3PL customer portal: all on a single SaaS platform hosted on Microsoft Azure. Footprint WMS is developed and supported by Datex, a company with 45+ years of 3PL industry experience.

    Footprint WMS is built for warehouse operations that have outgrown basic, rigid, or disconnected systems. It’s a strong fit for mid-market and enterprise organizations managing complex workflows, multi-client operations, advanced billing requirements, integrations, compliance demands, or rapid operational change.

    Footprint is particularly well suited for:

    • 3PLs managing multi-client operations and complex contract billing
    • Cold chain, food and beverage, and temperature-controlled environments
    • Life sciences, pharmaceutical, and other regulated operations
    • Organizations operating across multiple warehouses or facilities
    • Teams supporting customer-specific workflows, value-added services, or compliance requirements
    • Businesses frustrated by rigid legacy systems or entry-level WMS platforms that can’t adapt as requirements evolve

    If your operation depends on flexibility, visibility, scalability, and operational control, Footprint WMS was designed with you in mind.

    Footprint WMS includes built-in compliance tools for regulated environments: no bolt-ons, no patchwork integrations.

    For life sciences, it supports DSCSA, 21 CFR Part 11, digital batch release, and role-based access controls.

    For cold storage, it provides lot-level traceability, catch weight management, temperature capture, and rapid hold/recall identification.

    These are native platform capabilities built for the industries that can’t afford compliance gaps.

    Yes. Footprint WMS connects natively with 200+ EDI trading partners, major ERP and TMS platforms, and eCommerce systems via pre-built connectors. Open API architecture supports custom integrations with automation systems, robotics partners, and proprietary customer platforms, so you can expand your network without a costly overhaul for every new relationship.

    Implementation timelines vary depending on the number of facilities, integrations, customer requirements, and overall operational complexity. Datex follows a structured implementation methodology with defined phases and sprint-based delivery, guiding teams from planning and configuration through testing, go-live, and transition to support.

    The goal is to minimize disruption while helping your operation realize value as quickly as possible.

    Check Out our Single Hub for All Things Warehouse Management

    Industry insights

    Discover simple strategies and tested tips for mastering warehouse management.

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  • Zebra Hardware

    Need hardware for your operation? Datex partners with Zebra to deliver hardware that actually holds up, on the floor, in the aisle, and when operations are under pressure.

    Ready to see it in action?