Prioritise proven carrier integrations, order management and inventory visibility (API/EDI), SLA-backed pick-and-pack throughput, returns handling, temperature control if required, and flexible pricing for seasonal volume. Also validate physical infrastructure (racking, security, dock access) and near-term scalability.

Ceduna's location on the Eyre Highway provides direct road links for national carriers; scheduled regional air services support time-sensitive shipments and nearby coastal freight nodes enable consolidated sea options. Plan for longer last-mile legs to remote areas but benefit from fewer urban congestion delays and predictable carrier schedules.

Key levers include lower regional land and labour costs, reduced local property taxes and planning complexity, lower congestion-related handling costs, and potential supplier consolidation savings. Model total landed cost including incremental transport to evaluate whether regional savings offset longer haul distances to major metros.

Track on-time dispatch, order accuracy, inventory days on hand, pick-and-pack throughput, returns resolution time and carrier performance by lane. Monitor cost-per-order, lead-time variance and SLA breaches; ensure the 3PL provides regular reporting and API access for live monitoring.