Prioritize carrier access, transit time analysis to your customer base, and warehouse proximity to major routes. Review automation level, slotting flexibility, returns handling, and IT integrations (WMS, EDI/API). Also assess labor stability and real estate scalability to support peak season volumes.

Key factors: highway and intermodal links, proximity to regional ports and airports, dock capacity, and local carrier density. Strong connectivity reduces detention and transit variability and enables predictable lead times for both parcel and pallet shipments.

Tasman locations often lower facility and labor costs but consider longer carrier line-haul or additional transits. Model cost-to-serve including storage, pick/pack, drayage, and outbound freight to quantify trade-offs between lower occupancy costs and transport spend.

Require: accurate WMS with real-time inventory, omnichannel order routing, returns processing, kitting and light assembly, and integrated carrier rating/labeling. Consider value-added services and SLAs for peak scaling.

Optional checklist:

Establish KPIs (OTIF, inventory accuracy, picks per hour), scheduled operational reviews, SLA financials, and audit rights. Conduct a site visit to validate racking, security, and workflows; test integrations and run pilot volumes before full transition.