Assess carrier connectivity and transit windows to your customer base, warehouse layout and tooling for pick/pack efficiency, tech compatibility (WMS/APIs), labor availability and turnover, pricing model (storage, throughput, pick fees), and SLA metrics like order accuracy and on-time fulfillment to model landed-cost impacts.

Look for facilities with direct access to primary highways and nearby carrier terminals, scalable dock and staging capacity, secure cross-dock options, and links to regional parcel and LTL networks. These traits reduce dwell time, simplify multi-stop routing, and improve windowed deliveries for B2B customers.

Require clear KPIs such as order accuracy, OTIF (on-time in-full), average pick-to-ship cycle, dock-to-stock times, inventory accuracy, and chargeback resolution timelines. Include reporting cadence, exception workflows, and escalation paths in the SLA to ensure visibility and continuous improvement.

Base the decision on customer delivery promises, SKU velocity and density, freight vs. inventory carrying cost tradeoffs, and risk tolerance. A single location can reduce inventory complexity and fixed operating cost, while a multi-node network shortens transit to more zip codes and supports 1–2 day delivery expectations.