Evaluate location relative to port and airport, bonded storage availability, pick-and-pack and kitting capabilities, WMS integration and EDI/API connectivity, order cycle times, inventory accuracy targets, and the 3PL’s carrier network and last-mile partners. Review SLAs for order lead time, chargeback policies, and scalability to support promotional peaks.

Bonded or free-zone facilities defer duties until goods are released for local sale, improving cashflow and enabling quicker re-export. They often streamline inspections and customs documentation, reducing clearance delays; however, evaluate administrative fees, documentation requirements, and the 3PL’s customs brokerage capabilities to quantify net landed-cost benefits.

Confirm regular liner schedules and feeder connections, reliable air freight frequencies, and established contracts with regional couriers and last-mile carriers. Also verify local trucking capacity, cold chain options if needed, cross-dock capabilities, and the 3PL’s experience managing multimodal transfers and carrier performance SLAs across channels.

Negotiate KPIs for inventory accuracy percentage, order pick accuracy, dock-to-stock time, order cycle time (order to ship), on-time-in-full (OTIF), and returns processing time. Include clear chargeback and remediation terms for SLA misses, regular reporting cadence, and audit rights for inventory and process verification.