A quick operational snapshot

• Tell me in one sentence why you are exploring external temperature-controlled storage now.
• Which of these best describes your role in the decision Options: Supply chain director, Warehouse manager, Quality assurance, Procurement, Operations manager, Logistics coordinator, Other
• How many pallet positions do you currently manage across all sites Options: Under 100, 100–499, 500–1,999, 2,000–4,999, 5,000 or more
• List the temperature profiles your products require, select all that apply Options: Frozen (-18°C or lower), Deep frozen (<-25°C), Refrigerated (2–8°C), Chill (0–2°C), Controlled atmosphere, Ambient/dry
• Describe a recent cold-chain event that cost you time, product, or customer confidence, and what changed afterward

Where temperature risk actually bites

• If a single temperature excursion hit your most valuable SKU today, what would it cost you in scrap, recalls, and lost sales
• Name the SKUs or product families you consider most sensitive to excursions and how you flag them in your systems Options: Proteins, Dairy, Frozen prepared foods, Ice cream/frozen desserts, Produce, Bakery/frozen dough, Other
• How often do you review temperature logs for compliance and who signs off when there is an excursion Options: Daily review with named approver, Weekly summary review, Event-driven review only, Monthly or by-audit review, Not currently documented
• When was the last time a customer required traceability paperwork because of a temperature question, and what happened
• How many documented temperature excursions has your network experienced in the past 12 months Options: None, 1–2, 3–5, 6–10, More than 10
• What single temperature reliability metric, if unmeetable, would make you walk away from a provider

Capacity rhythms and peak pressure

• How often have you lost sales or required emergency transfers because you ran out of temperature-controlled space during peak season Options: Every peak season, Often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Select the months you call peak and estimate the percent of annual volume that moves in that window Options: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
• Estimate inbound pallet movements and outbound case picks per day in a typical peak week Options: Inbound <50 / Picks <100, Inbound 50–200 / Picks 100–500, Inbound 200–500 / Picks 500–1,000, Inbound >500 / Picks >1,000
• Where do you currently stage overflow inventory when your own sites are full Options: Own overflow site, Third-party cold storage, Cross-dock partner, Retail or distribution center, Other
• Should seasonal capacity not be guaranteed, what operational cost or service failure would force you to change providers

Inventory accuracy, the quiet cost center

• Facing inventory discrepancies, how often do those discrepancies turn into shipment errors or customer complaints Options: Almost always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• Describe your cycle count or reconciliation cadence for shared storage locations and who owns variance investigations
• Which target inventory accuracy do you aim for on case-pickable SKUs Options: 99.9% or higher, 99.0–99.8%, 98.0–98.9%, Below 98%
• Identify the systems that must integrate to verify inventory and fulfill orders, pick all that apply Options: Primary ERP, Primary WMS, EDI order feed, API inventory endpoint, Middleware/EDI gateway, OMS or order manager, Other
• Walk me through a recent exception that required a joint investigation with a partner and how it was resolved
• If the pilot shows inventory accuracy below your acceptance threshold, what remediation would you require to continue evaluation

The humans who will move this forward

• Who on your team will be held accountable if on-site temperature discipline fails, and who approves major operational exceptions
• Estimate the number of full-time equivalents your team can dedicate to onboarding and integration during a 30 to 60 day pilot Options: None available, 1 FTE, 2–3 FTEs, 4–6 FTEs, 7 or more FTEs
• Select the security or regulatory approvals required before inventory can be accepted on site Options: Proof of SQF or BRC certification, USDA inspection scheduling, Allergen declarations, Customs or import paperwork, Local health department signoff, Other
• Tell me about a recent operational exception with a partner, how it affected service, and what fixed it
• Would your team pause or delay the pilot if named owners and time cannot be committed Options: Pause the pilot, Delay start date, Proceed with reduced scope, Proceed but escalate risks

Operational constraints and technical readiness

• Pick the one integration failure that would stop the project cold: order transmission, SKU mapping, or incompatible alarm formats Options: No order feed or EDI, Missing SKU/pack/UOM mappings, Incompatible temperature alarm formats, No inventory API, Other
• Identify the systems that must connect for go-live, select all that apply Options: Primary ERP, Primary WMS, EDI provider, API inventory endpoint, Temperature monitoring system, Labeling/GS1 system, Other
• Are API keys, endpoints, and integration owners controlled by your internal team or managed by a third party Options: Owned and controlled by your team, Managed by a third-party integrator, Shared responsibility, Unknown
• Rate the cleanliness of your product master data for SKU dimensions, units of measure, and storage temperature Options: Mostly clean and consistent, Needs moderate cleanup, Fragmented across systems, No usable central master
• List any regulatory or facility access constraints that could delay an inspection or physical handoff beyond 4 weeks
• Is there any contractual, regulatory, or cross-border restriction that would prevent you starting a 30 day pilot within the next 8 weeks Options: Yes, No, Unsure

Competitive landscape, the alternatives on the table

• What alternatives are you actively evaluating right now, including incumbents and internal options Options: Incumbent cold storage provider, Other third-party providers, Internal expansion or self-build, Short-term rentals or spot market, Carrier-managed storage, Other
• Has anyone proposed solving this internally instead of using an outside provider, and what would that plan require Options: Yes, internal ramp up proposed, Yes, build vs buy analysis in progress, No internal proposal, Unsure
• Name the criteria the current approach would need to meet for you to stay with it instead of switching Options: Temperature reliability record, Guaranteed seasonal capacity, Total cost per pallet position, Integration readiness and EDI, Inventory accuracy targets, Faster lead times
• Assuming an incumbent matched all commercial terms, which single operational gap would still make you switch
• Who internally has advocated for a self-build or internal warehousing option Options: Supply chain, Operations, Finance, Procurement, No internal advocate, Other

Acceptance criteria and decision triggers

• On pilot success, what exact approval or legal step will trigger signing within one week
• Choose the measurable metrics you will use to pass the pilot, pick all that apply Options: Temperature compliance rate, Inventory accuracy by SKU, Order fulfillment SLA on case picks, Integration uptime and error rate, Audit pass for SQF/BRC items, Total landed cost per pallet position
• Provide the numeric thresholds you will require for temperature compliance and inventory accuracy
• Provide the procurement or legal roles that must sign the final SOW and the standard review timeline they need
• Assuming the pilot proves the numbers but commercial terms are still open, what would make you walk away

Practical next steps and signals of commitment

• Explain what would make you confident enough to hand over the first pallets next month
• Please list the documents or lab results that must arrive before you will schedule shipment to a new site Options: SQF or BRC certificate, Certificate of analysis for product, Temperature mapping report for storage rooms, Insurance certificate, Pallet specifications and labeling guide, Other
• Provide the names and roles to include in the kickoff and the date windows that work best in the next 4 weeks
• Choose the communication cadence you prefer during a pilot Options: Daily operational check-ins, Weekly status reviews, Biweekly executive summary, Event-driven notifications only
• Explain any internal objection that would stop you from agreeing to a pilot within 48 hours, or write 'None' if no blocker exists

• Solution Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the demonstrated workflow eliminates the inventory rework and audit gaps you described.
• Provide the SKU list, pallet profiles, and a recent order scenario to be used in the simulation.
• You agree that the compliance evidence shown meets your audit and traceability expectations for a pilot.
• Run your real scenario end-to-end
• Deliver a tailored simulation showing expected temperature compliance rates, inventory accuracy, and cost per pallet for the provided SKU mix prior to pilot kickoff.
• You define the remaining acceptance criteria and evidence needed to move from pilot to scale.
• Show the compliance and audit trail for the scenario
• Agree on pilot acceptance criteria, including temperature excursion tolerance, inventory accuracy targets, and order fulfillment timing.
• Simulate integration and fulfillment timing
• Confirm the pilot start window and inventory handoff date range.
• Validate the outcome with a direct question

• Solution Experience Session
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• decision_readiness
• current_state
• desired_state
• success_criteria
• gaps
• stakeholders
• decision_readiness
• stakeholders
• current_state
• gaps
• desired_state
• success_criteria
• desired_state
• stakeholders
• current_state
• decision_readiness
• success_criteria
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness

• Receive and Putaway Pallets
• Blast Freeze and Temper Pallets
• Pallet and Rack Storage by Temperature Zone
• Case Picking and Order Assembly
• Cross-Docking and Transload Services
• WMS SKU Mapping and Configuration
• Web Portal Real-Time Inventory Access
• EDI Integration for Inventory and Orders
• 24/7 Temperature Monitoring and Excursion Alerts
• Temperature Compliance Records and Audit Package
• USDA Inspection Coordination and Support
• Pilot Storage and Fulfillment Program (30–60 days)
• Lot Traceability and Rotation Management
• Backup Refrigeration and Emergency Cooling Response

Receive and Putaway Pallets

• How many pallet positions do you expect to receive on day one of onboarding? Options: 1-50, 51-250, 251-1,000, 1,000+
• How soon do you require pallets to be processed into storage after arrival (hours)? Options: <4 hours, 4-12 hours, 12-24 hours, 24+ hours
• How will pallets be labeled for traceability (choose all that apply: GS1-128 pallet label, case barcodes, handwritten lot tag)? Options: GS1-128 pallet label, Case-level barcodes, Pallet tag with lot and date, Handwritten tag
• Which dock types do your refrigerated/frozen trucks require for putaway (e.g., levelers for high-cube, ground-level for tailgate)? Options: Leveler dock, Ground-level dock, Rear yard staging, Cross-dock door
• What receiving documents must accompany each inbound pallet (bill of lading, certificate of analysis, pre-shipment temperature log)? Options: Bill of lading, Certificate of analysis, Pre-shipment temperature log, Packing list, Other
• Specify pallet breakdown expectations on arrival (average cases per pallet, typical SKU-per-pallet, mixed pallet frequency).

Blast Freeze and Temper Pallets

• Estimate daily pallet volumes requiring blast-freeze on ramp-up and at peak season. Options: <50 pallets/day, 50-200 pallets/day, 200-500 pallets/day, 500+ pallets/day
• Provide the target core temperature and allowable Tmax/Tmin for products that need blast-freezing (°F or °C).
• List any product-specific time-to-core requirements for tempering or blast-freeze cycles (e.g., core to -10°F within 6 hours).
• Who is responsible for providing validated packaging and pallet patterns for products requiring blast-freeze? Options: You provide, We provide, Shared responsibility
• Do you require documentation of cycle logs and freezer setpoint changes for each blast batch? Options: Yes, No
• How will acceptance of blast-freeze runs be determined (sample core readings, number of failed cores tolerated)?

Pallet and Rack Storage by Temperature Zone

• Which temperature zones do your SKUs require across the network (list specific setpoints and tolerances, e.g., -10°F ±2°F, 34°F–40°F).
• What percentage of your volume must be stored on racks versus floor/pallet positions? Options: Mostly racks (>75%), Mix (25-75%), Mostly pallet positions (<25%)
• Which SKU characteristics require special placement rules (e.g., allergen segregation, high-activity SKU near packing, weight limits for rack levels)?
• Indicate your preferred lot rotation method per product family (FIFO, FEFO based on expiration date, PALLET LOT rotation). Options: FIFO, FEFO (expiration), Pallet-lot rotation, Custom rule
• When do you require real-time location visibility for a pallet (at putaway, after QA hold release, only at pick)? Options: At putaway, After QA hold, Only at pick, Always
• Specify any temperature band separation or buffer zones required between frozen and refrigerated storage (minimum aisle buffer, separate rooms).

Case Picking and Order Assembly

• How many orders per day and average cases per order do you expect during pilot and at scale? Options: <100 orders/day, 100-500, 500-2,000, 2,000+
• How will pick lists be provided to the warehouse (WMS pick wave, CSV exports, EDI 940/945)? Options: WMS pick wave, CSV export, EDI 940/945, Portal manual entry
• Which packing materials and case consolidation rules apply for outbound assembly (insulated liners, pallet overwrap, case size limits)?
• What target case-pick accuracy rate do you require to accept go-live (percentage)? Options: 98%, 99%, 99.5%, Other
• Do you require temperature-validated packing checklists at order assembly for mixed-temperature shipments? Options: Yes, No
• Identify any special handling steps at pick (traceability scan of lot, QA inspection, weight verification).

Cross-Docking and Transload Services

• How often do you expect cross-dock moves versus storage moves (percentage split)? Options: Mostly cross-dock (>75%), Even split (40-60%), Mostly storage (>75%)
• Provide the maximum allowable door-to-door transfer time for cross-docked refrigerated loads (hours). Options: <2 hours, 2-6 hours, 6-12 hours, 12+ hours
• List required documentation for transloads (MSDS for ingredients, COA, temperature chain handoff record).
• Who authorizes immediate transload releases to outbound carriers and how is authorization recorded? Options: You authorize, We authorize, Auto-release on match
• Do any SKUs require USDA or other inspection hold before release for cross-dock? Options: Yes, No
• Specify staging minimums for inbound pallets awaiting cross-dock (hours or number of pallets).

WMS SKU Mapping and Configuration

• Which SKU identifiers will you supply for mapping (SKU code, UPC/GTIN, customer part number)? Options: SKU code, UPC/GTIN, Customer part number, Other
• Which unit-of-measure (UOM) conventions must the WMS support for these SKUs (cases, inner packs, eaches, weight-based)? Options: Cases, Inners, Eaches, Weight-based
• Which WMS endpoints or integration methods will be used for mapping (API endpoint, SFTP file drop, EDI 846/852)? Options: API endpoint, SFTP file drop, EDI 846/852, Portal CSV
• What acceptance criteria will validate SKU mapping accuracy (target match rate between your ERP and the WMS by SKU percentage)? Options: 98% match, 99% match, Custom threshold
• Provide sample SKU records (SKU, description, UOM, weight, pallet pattern) for initial mapping validation.
• State who on your team will own SKU mapping sign-off and the typical turnaround time for mapping corrections.

Web Portal Real-Time Inventory Access

• Which inventory views do you need in the portal (on-hand by lot, available-to-promise, location-level)? Options: On-hand by lot, Available-to-promise, Location-level, Inbound/Outbound
• How often do you need inventory updates reflected in the portal (real-time, 15-minute, hourly, end-of-day)? Options: Real-time, 15 minutes, Hourly, End-of-day
• Who should receive portal access and what permission levels are required (view only, transaction entry, admin)? Options: View only, Transaction entry, Admin
• What reporting formats do you require for scheduled inventory exports (CSV, XLSX, XML)? Options: CSV, XLSX, XML, JSON
• Describe any portal KPI dashboards you need (temperature excursions, fill-rate, pick accuracy) and their refresh cadence.
• Indicate if you require portal audit logs for user actions and how long logs must be retained. Options: 90 days, 1 year, 3 years, Custom

EDI Integration for Inventory and Orders

• Which EDI transaction sets will you use for orders and inventory (e.g., 850 order, 940 warehouse order, 852 inventory)? Options: 850 Purchase Order, 940 Warehouse Shipment Order, 852 Inventory, 945 Warehouse Shipping Advice
• Which communication transport do you prefer for EDI (AS2, SFTP, VAN)? Options: AS2, SFTP, VAN, API/REST
• Which fields in your EDI orders are required for cold-chain handling (temperature code, required ship date, carrier appointment time)?
• When do you expect acknowledgements to be returned for EDI orders (EDIFACT/997) and within what SLA? Options: <30 minutes, <2 hours, <24 hours
• Do any SKUs require ASN (advance shipment notice) with lot and expiration on every outbound ASN? Options: Yes, No
• Provide the primary EDI test cases we should validate before cutover (new order, order change, cancel, ASN).

24/7 Temperature Monitoring and Excursion Alerts

• Provide the temperature setpoints and alert thresholds for each zone (e.g., freezer setpoint -10°F, alert at -5°F/+2°F).
• How often should monitoring sensors poll and report temperature (per minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes)? Options: 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes
• Which escalation contacts and channels should be used on excursions (email, SMS, phone call) and in what order? Options: Email then SMS, SMS then Phone, Phone then Email, Custom sequence
• Specify required data retention for temperature logs and format for export (CSV, PDF audit package, API access). Options: 30 days CSV, 1 year CSV, 3 years PDF, API access
• What defines acceptable performance for monitoring (maximum missed datapoints per month, percentage uptime)? Options: <1% missed datapoints, <0.1% downtime, 99.9% uptime
• Do you require independent third-party validation of sensor calibration and how often (annual, biannual)? Options: Annual, Biannual, On request

Temperature Compliance Records and Audit Package

• Which audit standards must the records support (SQF, BRC, FSMA audit readiness)? Options: SQF, BRC, FSMA, Other
• What temperature record formats do you need for audits (time-stamped CSV, signed PDF incident reports, sensor raw data)? Options: Time-stamped CSV, Signed PDF, Sensor raw data, API feed
• Which retention period is required for compliance artifacts (temperature logs, corrective action records)? Options: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, Custom
• Are there specific corrective action templates you must use for excursions (root-cause form, disposition log)? Options: Yes, No
• Indicate who on your quality team will sign off audit packages and the expected review SLA.
• Do you require pre-audit readiness checks with supporting documentation prior to scheduled external audits? Options: Yes, No

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Commercial Order Form & Pricing Schedule
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) — Temperature Monitoring & Audits
• Pilot Acceptance & Scale-Trigger Agreement
• Operational Responsibilities & Lot-Rotation Addendum
• Integration & Data Exchange Appendix
• Audit & Food Safety Compliance Addendum (conditional)
• Insurance, Indemnity & Liability Schedule
• Escalation, Credits & Dispute Resolution Addendum
• Termination & Transition Services Agreement

• Go-live Health Check (week 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate — Pilot Acceptance Decision (around day 90)
• Quarterly Success Review

• Prioritize and schedule the top enhancement requests for the next quarter roadmap.
• Create remediation entries for each root cause with acceptance criteria and target completion dates.
• Confirm and calendar the Acceptance Gate meeting and list required artifacts from the Pilot Evaluation stage.
• Create remediation tasks for any conditional items with clear acceptance checks and deadlines.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision for each criterion recorded in the Pilot Evaluation stage.
• If conditional or failed, list remediation items with resolution timelines and acceptance checks.
• Agree the immediate operational transition tasks or pilot extension plan.
• Record the formal acceptance decision in the shared workspace using the agreed decision method.
• Publish the operational handover checklist or the pilot extension plan based on the decision outcome.
• Review temperature excursion log and corrective actions
• Confirm that monthly temperature excursions and inventory record accuracy remain within acceptable bounds versus Pilot Evaluation targets.
• Close resolved incidents and renew remediation plans for any outstanding items.
• Agree the priority list and next steps for top enhancement requests to be scheduled in the coming quarter.
• Update the shared temperature excursion log and mark items closed or requiring further action.
• Publish the inventory reconciliation summary with corrective actions and timelines.
• Re-confirm success criteria and owners
• Deployment components (WMS mappings, integrations, initial inventory) are validated as complete or have an agreed remediation plan.
• Top 3 operational blockers are recorded with target resolution dates.
• First measurement review scheduled within the weeks 4 to 10 window.
• Publish a short deployment completion report with outstanding issues and status.
• Create remediation tickets for each blocker with target resolution dates.
• Schedule the First Measurement Review within the agreed 4-10 week window.
• Present first-period outcome data
• Determine whether temperature compliance rate and inventory accuracy rate are trending to the targets in the Pilot Evaluation stage.
• Document root causes for any gaps and a prioritised remediation plan with target dates.
• Confirm the acceptance gate date and the evidence package required for the decision.
• Publish the KPI dataset and sample logs used for the measurement to the shared workspace.
• Deployment and migration validation
• Review inventory accuracy trends and reconciliation issues
• Diagnose root causes for KPI gaps
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Document pass/fail per criterion and formal decision
• Enhancement request backlog and prioritization
• Integration readiness and error review
• Early adoption signals and usage patterns
• Open remediation items and resolution progress
• Agree corrective actions and timelines
• Blockers and open issues
• Agree remediation items for any conditional outcomes
• Define immediate operational next steps
• Short agenda and attendance for next quarter
• Agree immediate remediation actions and next checkpoint
• Confirm timeline to acceptance gate