Prioritize dock and staging capacity, available racking and cold-chain infrastructure, IT integration (WMS and EDI/APIs), SLA-backed lead times, and demonstrated last-mile carrier relationships. Also evaluate peak-season scalability, reverse logistics capabilities, and on-site value-added services such as kitting and QC.

Lower land and labor costs in Tainan often translate to reduced monthly storage and pick/pack rates versus northern hubs. Key cost drivers remain SKU velocity, average picks per order, cube utilization, and required value-added operations; confirm billing granularity and minimums with prospective 3PLs.

Tainan offers proximity to major southern ports and direct freeway access that shorten drayage and highway transit times. This improves export consolidation windows and regional distribution across Taiwan. When evaluating 3PLs, verify partnerships with parcel carriers, NVOCCs, and freight forwarders to ensure route coverage and transit predictability.

Request historical throughput data, references for peak-period performance, and SLA uptime metrics. Assess WMS capabilities for cycle counting, batch tracking, and exception workflows. Consider a pilot program or short-term contract with defined KPIs to test surge handling, returns processing, and inventory reconciliation.