Prioritize metrics that tie to customer experience and cost: order accuracy, on-time-in-full (OTIF), lead times, inventory accuracy, pick/pack throughput, and cost-to-serve. Require clear SLAs for returns handling, peak-season capacity commitments, reporting cadence, audit rights, and penalties or remediation for missed service levels.

Location near highways, intermodal yards, and regional carriers reduces drayage, enables shorter TL/LTL lanes, and improves route density — lowering per-unit transportation cost and transit variability. Better carrier access also shortens lead times, allows more reliable cutoffs, and supports same-state or next-day delivery strategies.

Require WMS with real-time inventory visibility and API integrations, scalable labor plans, flexible slotting, cross-dock and sortation capability, and temperature control when needed. Confirm contingency plans for capacity spikes, documented onboarding timelines, KPI dashboards, and clear procedures for chargebacks and forecast variances.