Verify dock door counts, clear height, racking density, temperature zones, and cross-dock capability. Confirm direct carrier lanes, number of local carriers, and frequency of service. Evaluate on‑site equipment, yard capacity, and intermodal connections, plus SLAs for cutoffs, transit times, and exception handling.

Consider rent, labor rates, inventory carrying, and handling fees. Higher fulfillment density near demand reduces last-mile spend but increases fixed costs; centralized nodes lower inventory carrying but raise transit times. Model zone-skipping, cross-dock, and safety stock tradeoffs to align network design with margin and service goals.

Require order accuracy, OTIF, pick-to-ship windows, and return processing SLAs. Insist on WMS with API/EDI for inventory and order flows, real-time shipment status, carrier-rate shopping, and KPI dashboards. Confirm support for surge volumes, seasonal labor plans, and defined penalties or remediation for missed SLAs.