Verify dock capacity, racking and clear height, temperature-controlled storage if needed, warehouse management system compatibility (WMS) and real-time inventory visibility. Confirm road and rail access, carrier consolidation windows, labor availability and contingency plans for peak seasons.

Choosing Katanning reduces last-mile distance to southern WA customers and can lower warehousing costs, but evaluate carrier lanes and weekly departure windows to ports or metro hubs. A regional 3PL can consolidate shipments and negotiate better LTL/parcel rates, improving cost-to-serve while maintaining predictable transit times.

Include SLA metrics for order accuracy, on-time shipments, average pick-and-pack times, inventory accuracy, returns processing timelines and chargeback terms. Specify carrier integration requirements, reporting cadence, audit rights and capacity commitments for peak seasons to align operations with sales forecasts.

Assess fixed vs variable storage charges (per pallet/CBM), pick-and-pack pricing, inbound receiving and handling fees, outbound packaging and freight uplift, minimum monthly commitments, and any charges for reporting, EDI/API integration or seasonal labor surcharges.