Identify included activities
Map receiving, storage, order processing, packing, dispatch, and returns against the proposal. Record any product restrictions, subcontracted activities, or dependencies on information supplied by your team.
Verify the controls
Ask what records support stock balances, completed orders, and exception resolution. For products with special requirements, request confirmation of the relevant handling process. Do not infer capabilities from a general fulfillment description.
Follow one unit through the operation
Start with an incoming product and trace receipt, stock availability, order allocation, picking, packing, dispatch, and a possible return. Name the system record and human owner at each handoff. List the decisions your brand retains, such as replenishment, customer promises, and product instructions. This exercise helps turn a broad fulfillment service description into a division of work both teams can discuss.
Record what is established
Keep the date and scope of the evidence beside the conclusion. Identify whether an answer applies to your products, the proposed facility, and the activities you intend to buy. List exclusions and unresolved points with the same care as confirmed capabilities. The record should show the limits of the research rather than imply an audit that has not taken place.
Use this question in your next meeting:
Which event changes the stock or order status, and who can resolve an exception?
Go deeper: How to verify a warehouse’s fit for your CPG products. The companion article includes an editable worksheet and links to provider profiles.
Further reading
Shopify: fulfilling orders. Background on fulfillment workflows and working with fulfillment services.