The Deconstructed Supply Chain
Most executives still view outsourcing as a binary switch. You either run the warehouse yourself, or you hand the keys to a 3PL.
After sitting down with Scott Weiss (Maersk), Joe Dunlap (BlueJay Advisors), and Jonathan Briggs (ShipMonk), it became clear that this binary view is at the heart of why so many 3PL relationships struggle.
The modern supply chain is not a single block. It is a stack of distinct layers, each with different risk, capital, and time horizons. The more effective operators heading into 2026 deconstruct the stack and decide, deliberately, which parts belong in-house and which do not.
Here is how that deconstruction is playing out in practice.
-- Real Estate (The Asset) - The old way: The 3PL leases the building and marks it up. The smarter way: You control the lease. This preserves flexibility and prevents being locked into an operator that no longer fits. As Scott Weiss noted, it allows the footprint to remain stable even if labor or management changes.
-- Labor (The Variable) - The old way: Hire, train, and carry the liability internally. The smarter way: Outsource labor to the 3PL. Recruiting, retention, safety, and compliance are core competencies for platforms like Maersk and ShipMonk, especially in tight labor markets.
-- WMS & Automation (The Brains) - The old way: Use the 3PL’s systems and robots. The smarter way: Own the tech stack where it matters. Joe Dunlap highlighted a common misalignment. A 3PL will not underwrite ten-year automation on a three-year contract. When you own the systems, you capture the ROI and retain optionality.
-- Transportation (The Reach) - The old way: Rely on a single carrier strategy. The smarter way: Leverage network scale. Jonathan Briggs emphasized the power of aggregated volume through virtual carrier networks, while keeping data visibility and control on your side.
-- Management (The Oversight) - The old way: Set it and forget it. The smarter way: Pay for performance. When real estate and technology are separated, the 3PL’s role becomes execution and continuous improvement, not capital recovery. Fees become clearer and incentives align.
The So What? Which parts of your supply chain are truly a competitive advantage, and which are better candidates for outsourcing? Lease rollovers force decisions. The difference is whether those decisions are made intentionally or bundled together out of habit.
If helpful, we can walk through both approaches, compare the trade-offs, and help structure the right operating model. That may include selecting partners, running bids, or simply pressure-testing the assumptions before anything is signed.
I’ve linked the three conversations below for anyone who wants to go deeper. Each comes from a different angle, but the pattern is consistent.
Justin
Justin Smith, SIOR 949.400.4786 jbsmith@lee-associates.com (mailto:jbsmith@lee-associates.com)
Watch the "Masterclass" Series:
The Operator: Scott Weiss on Labor Retention & The "Fourth Option" [Link to Video ]
The Innovator: Jonathan Briggs on Tech Stacks & Peak Season [Link to Video ]
The Strategist: Joe Dunlap on Deconstructing the Contract [Link to Video ]
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