Prioritize WMS integration/API readiness, receiving and putaway throughput, pick/pack productivity, inventory accuracy, SLA definitions (OTIF, lead time), peak‑season scalability, security, and ability to support returns and reverse logistics in your service contract.

Islamabad often offers lower base rents and favorable labor rates versus Karachi and Lahore. Evaluate total landed cost including long‑haul road rates, frequency of LTL vs FTL moves, airfreight needs, and last‑mile rates to get an apples‑to‑apples comparison.

• National parcel networks for domestic reach;
• Regional last‑mile partners for dense urban coverage;
• Road freight carriers for bulk B2B lanes and cross‑dock options.

Look for robust receiving docks, racking systems for high‑density SKUs, dedicated staging and cross‑dock areas, temperature control if needed, real‑time inventory visibility, defined dispute resolution SLAs, and clear chargeback rules.

Use consistent KPIs: order cycle time, pick accuracy, inventory accuracy, OTIF rate, returns processing time, and cost per order. Compare true landed cost models that include storage, handling, inbound/outbound freight and exception charges.