Evaluate primary highway connections (Route 8 and feeder roads), transit time to Montevideo port and major urban centers, local carrier density for parcel and LTL services, frequency of linehaul departures, and drayage options. Confirm the 3PL’s carrier contracts and lead-time commitments to model freight cost and on-time delivery performance.

Lower land and occupancy costs can reduce storage spend but assess total cost-to-serve: labor availability, wage expectations, shift flexibility, and seasonal labor pools. Factor these into decisions on automation, slotting density, and whether to centralize inventory or adopt distributed nodes to balance transport and handling expenses.

Require robust WMS with API connectivity, real-time inventory visibility, multi-client segregation, pick-and-pack accuracy metrics, returns processing workflows, cross-dock capability, and scalable onboarding processes. Confirm experience integrating with marketplaces and major parcel carriers.

Include OTIF (on-time in-full), order accuracy, inventory accuracy, dock-to-ship cycle time, claims rate, and average dwell time. Define reporting cadence, audit rights, dispute resolution, and financial penalties or service credits tied to KPI breaches to align incentives and operational transparency.