Assess air cargo frequency at Leh Airport, reliability of Srinagar‑Leh and Manali‑Leh trucking corridors, warehousing climate control and power resilience, on‑site handling equipment, and the 3PL’s carrier contracts for consolidation and scheduled lift. Also review contingency plans for seasonal road closures and cold‑chain monitoring capabilities.

Seasonal closures create lead‑time variability and require elevated safety stock or forward‑positioned inventory. Strategies include timed consolidation to open windows, increased use of air freight for critical SKUs, cross‑docking to minimize storage time, and collaboration with 3PLs on rolling forecasts to avoid stockouts during inaccessible months.

Use inventory segmentation to place fast movers closer to demand, consolidate shipments to reduce per‑unit transport costs, negotiate seasonal carrier rates and multi‑year contracts, adopt zone‑skipping where feasible, and partner with a 3PL that offers regional consolidation hubs to lower last‑mile premiums.

Track OTIF (on‑time in‑full), transit time variance across seasonal windows, inventory accuracy, dwell time, temperature compliance for cold‑chain SKUs, damage rates, and contingency responsiveness. Include SLA clauses for seasonal access periods and clear remedies for missed windows to align incentives.