Evaluate proximity to major trade corridors and urban demand centers, warehouse capability (racking, cold-chain, cross-dock), WMS and API integration, labor availability and productivity, transparent cost models (storage, handling, transport), and references for similar SKU profiles and peak season handling.

Cost-to-serve hinges on fixed vs variable fees: monthly storage, per-pick and handling, inbound/outbound freight, and inventory holding days. Lower local land and labor costs can reduce base rates, but factor in transport lanes, return processing, and seasonal surcharges when modeling per-order economics.

Confirm dock compatibility for palletized freight, yard capacity, secure staging, forklift and pallet-racking capabilities, availability of cross-dock lanes, reliable national trucking partners, and container handling if cross-border movement is expected.

Require real-time inventory synchronization (API or EDI), order acknowledgement and shipping notifications, ASN and receiving updates, defined reconciliation cadence, test environment for cutover, and documented SLAs for inventory accuracy, pick accuracy, and shipment confirmations.

Track order accuracy, on-time shipment rate, dock-to-dispatch lead time, inventory accuracy, returns processing time, damage/shrinkage rates, average handling cost per order, and weekly/monthly performance reports with agreed penalties or remediation steps for SLA breaches.