Prioritize measurable capabilities: dock and racking density, clear height, handling equipment, IT connectivity (WMS/APIs), SLA for picking/packing, inbound/outbound flow design, and value-added services such as kitting or returns processing. Ensure the provider has documented KPIs and references for similar volume profiles.

Expect modular pricing: storage per pallet/m2, per-order pick-and-pack, receiving and putaway fees, and optional value-added charges. Analyze volume breakpoints, minimums, and seasonality clauses to model cost-to-serve at 3, 6, and 12 months so you can predict when a tier change will improve unit economics.

Assess transit lanes, carrier density, and customs handling expertise. Confirm the 3PL’s experience with cross-border paperwork, transit times to major ports and hubs, and relationships with national carriers and regional couriers to optimize routing and reduce dwell at borders.

Scalability depends on available footprint, temporary labor pools, and flexible SLA terms. Ask providers about surge capacity plans, contract flexibility, additional pick modules, and whether they can deploy short-term mezzanine or temp racking to increase throughput without long lease commitments.

Typical onboarding includes WMS integration (EDI/API), SKU mapping, process mapping for returns and exceptions, sample shipments, and SLA/KPI agreement. Expect a phased go-live: receiving test shipments, pilot order batches, then full cutover with post-launch performance reviews to tune processes.