The decision in brief
- A useful quote begins with the work you actually ship.
- Receiving, storage, picking, materials, postage, returns, and software may appear under different names.
- Use an illustrative stress test: orders double for a launch while the number of SKUs stays constant.
- Order and SKU sample
- Recurring fees and minimums
- One-time transition costs
- Normal and peak scenarios
Start with the order file
A useful quote begins with the work you actually ship. Prepare a representative month of order lines, packed weights, dimensions, destinations, and sales channels. Separate normal demand from a promotion or seasonal peak. For consumer packaged goods, add the packaging, batch, shelf-life, and storage instructions relevant to your products. Ask each provider to identify assumptions rather than fill gaps silently. This gives you a way to explain why two proposals differ.
Separate recurring work from projects
Receiving, storage, picking, materials, postage, returns, and software may appear under different names. Map each proposal into a common worksheet before comparing totals. Keep onboarding, integration changes, relabeling, and initial kit assembly separate from a normal operating month. Ask how minimums work and which charges count toward them. A bundled fee needs the same scrutiny: understand its included work, limits, and treatment of exceptions.
Run a second scenario
Use an illustrative stress test: orders double for a launch while the number of SKUs stays constant. Then test the opposite condition—a quiet month with inventory still occupying space. These are planning scenarios, not forecasts. Ask the providers to explain which charges and staffing assumptions change. If your mix includes both retail cases and consumer parcels, model the channels separately before rolling them into a total.
Make the comparison reviewable
Keep the quote date, facility scope, assumptions, and unresolved items beside every total. Ask each shortlisted provider to reconcile a sample invoice to its proposal. Avoid reducing a decision to cost per order when the service scopes differ. Your final comparison should let another person trace a number to a fee, a quantity, and a written assumption. Use the cost worksheet after those inputs are clear.
Put the guide to work
Use the downloadable worksheet to record your requirements, the evidence you receive, and the next action. The rows below are prompts for your own evaluation; they contain no provider scores or claimed results.
| Discussion item | Record before deciding |
|---|---|
| Order and SKU sample | Your requirement and the proposed approach |
| Recurring fees and minimums | Supporting document, example, or calculation |
| One-time transition costs | Remaining question and the person responsible |
| Normal and peak scenarios | Decision, review date, and next step |
Download the editable worksheet (CSV)
Opens in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets. Fill in your own information; downloading does not submit a request.
Continue your research
Use these profiles to prepare provider-specific questions: Tondo Fulfillment · Shipfusion · AMS Fulfillment. Inclusion here is a reading suggestion, not a scored recommendation. Category selections are explained on the relevant category pages.
Research scope and provider sources
This is original buying guidance, not an account of a facility visit or a customer interview. Examples are hypothetical. Provider sources support their published service descriptions; confirm the proposed account scope directly.
NETWORK DECISIONS
CHANNEL STRATEGY