Define the evidence
For each criterion, identify the source: proposal, reference call, test order, or operating report. Mark missing evidence separately from a poor result. The distinction matters when one provider has supplied more documentation.
Weight business impact
Set priorities before scoring providers. A retailer-heavy operation may emphasize routing compliance; a DTC brand may emphasize dispatch and parcel cost. Discuss where a weak result is disqualifying even when the overall assessment looks strong.
Keep an evidence trail
For each assessment, record the requirement, the supporting example or document, the date, and the unresolved questions. Distinguish a published capability from an account-specific demonstration. Mark missing information as unknown. Where you use a numerical score, explain the meaning of the scale and the reason for the weight. Your notes should make it possible to revisit a conclusion when the proposal or operating conditions change.
Review the operating tradeoff
Compare the effect on cost, inventory, and service scope together. Record the assumptions that would change the decision, not just the option that currently looks attractive. Ask for a baseline and one alternative so the consequences of the choice remain visible. A useful business case can be revisited when demand, product mix, or warehouse requirements change.
Use this question in your next meeting:
What would someone need to see to reach the same conclusion?
Go deeper: How to compare 3PL quotes for a growing CPG brand. The companion article includes an editable worksheet and links to provider profiles.
Further reading
Shopify: inventory states. Reference for the distinction between available, committed, and other inventory states.