Prioritize location relative to your customer base and carrier hubs, measurable carrier access (parcel, LTL, TL), WMS/API integration capabilities, guaranteed SLAs for accuracy and OTIF, transparent rate structure and onboarding timelines. Also evaluate labor availability, peak capacity options, and reverse logistics capabilities to match your channel mix.

Siting determines transit distance, parcel zone counts and access to regional carriers; closer proximity to dense demand corridors reduces last‑mile mileage and parcel surcharges, enabling lower delivery costs and tighter ETA windows. Evaluate drive times to major population centers and carrier hubs to understand true landed cost impacts.

Require a WMS with real‑time inventory, reliable API/EDI integrations to your OMS and marketplaces, SKU‑level cycle counting, barcode scanning and event-driven alerts. Standardized dashboards for fill rate, lead‑time, and order accuracy help you identify issues and optimize replenishment cadence.

Ask about flexible footprint and temporary capacity options, labor surge strategies, cross‑dock and overflow plans, historical peak performance metrics, penalty clauses tied to SLAs, and documented contingency procedures for carrier delays, power outages or port disruptions. Verify references for recent peak seasons.