Prioritize transit-time reductions via highway and intermodal access, facility type (span-sheet, cold chain, automation), WMS and systems integration, carrier density for parcel and LTL, and scalable footprint options tied to seasonal demand. Model cost-to-serve by SKU velocity and order profile before contracting.

Factor lower real estate rents and often more stable regional labor rates against transport miles to major customer clusters. Include pick/pack labor productivity, turnover, equipment and utility costs, plus inbound freight and last-mile differentials to produce accurate total landed and cost-to-serve models.

Require robust WMS with real-time inventory visibility, API/EDI connectivity to your OMS and carrier networks, automated rate-shopping, support for barcode/RFID and reporting APIs. Confirm SLA monitoring, batch/real-time order feeds, and integration testing timelines in the contract.

Track OTIF, inventory accuracy, order cycle time, pick/pack error rates, dock-to-out time and cost-per-order. Establish monthly business reviews, scorecards, root-cause analysis for failures, joint continuous improvement programs and contractual service credits tied to key SLA thresholds.