Assess proximity to major autoroutes, rail terminals, and drive time to nearest Mediterranean ports. Verify carrier density for parcel and pallet networks, frequency of regional LTL routes, and access to international freight lanes to estimate transit times and backhaul opportunities.

Review pick-and-pack throughput, warehouse management system (WMS) features, slotting flexibility, peak-season labor plans, and integrations with your storefront and OMS. Confirm options for kitting, returns processing, and temporary capacity increases.

Key drivers include rent per pallet position, labor rates and availability, average order lines, inbound receiving complexity, required value-added services, and transportation distances to primary customer clusters. Model cost-to-serve by SKU to compare offers.

Require KPIs for order accuracy, on-time shipping, pick-and-pack cycle time, inventory accuracy, return processing time, and carrier handoff performance. Ask for historical data, SLA remedies, and real-time reporting access to monitor performance.