Why This Change Feels Urgent

• Tell me briefly why you are exploring a new distributor right now.
• How long have recent delivered price increases begun to meaningfully compress your store margins? Options: Under 1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, More than 6 months
• Name the product groups or aisles where margin pressure is most visible this quarter. Options: Dry grocery, Dairy/refrigerated, Frozen, Produce, Deli/ready-made, Health & beauty, Other
• When a competitor runs a promotion your store cannot match, roughly how many customers do you estimate you lose that week? Options: Fewer than 10, 10–50, 50–200, More than 200
• Who on your team will make the final decision after reviewing trial results? Options: Owner/operator, Head buyer, Regional manager, Board/partners, Other
• Describe the last time a supplier reassigned their rep and the effect it had on your promotional or category support.

Where Inventory and Cost Slip Through the Cracks

• If your current distributor missed target fill rates on your 50 benchmark items for 60 days, what immediate business consequence would you expect?
• Which 50 items do you consider essential to include in a head-to-head delivered-cost and fill-rate test?
• On a typical week, what average fill rate do you currently see on that set of benchmark items? Options: 95%+, 90–94%, 85–89%, Below 85%
• Describe how you currently calculate delivered cost including handling fees, shrink, and invoice adjustments.
• When an out-of-stock occurs on a benchmark SKU, who in your store receives the first alert and what is their usual action?
• Which single failure from a potential distributor during the trial would make you stop the evaluation immediately? Options: Repeated fill failures on core SKUs, Unexplained invoice charges, Cold chain quality issues, Refusal to share item-level pricing, Other

If Margin Moved One Point, What Changes?

• If a new distributor could reliably add one percentage point to your gross margin, where would you expect to see that benefit first? Options: Reduced delivered cost, Better promotional support, Private label adoption, Fewer stockouts, Lower receiving labor
• Which kinds of promotional support matter most when you need to match or beat the chain across the street? Options: Temporary price reductions, Promotional allowances, Featured planogram placement, Coupon support, Endcap rotation
• Describe the assortment adjustments you would expect after a store walk by a seller's category manager.
• How quickly would you need to see a measurable margin improvement during the pilot to feel confident about switching suppliers? Options: Within 30 days, Within 60 days, After rollout begins, Unsure
• If the 60-day trial shows a one point margin improvement and 95% fill on benchmark items, what internal approvals or steps would still prevent you from signing that week?
• Would you consider private label switches to reach margin goals, and if so, which categories are candidates? Options: Yes, dry grocery, Yes, dairy/refrigerated, Yes, frozen, Yes, snacks/beverages, No

Where the Operations Side Tends to Break

• When seasonal demand spikes, which part of your receiving or backroom process suffers first? Options: Receiving labor, Cold storage space, Invoice reconciliation, Shelf replenishment, Other
• Describe any recent cold chain or quality incidents and how they affected your sales or returns.
• Which delivery windows are nonnegotiable for your store and why? Options: Morning before 9 AM, Midday 10 AM–2 PM, Afternoon 2 PM–6 PM, Evening after 6 PM, Flexible
• Estimate how many additional receiving hours per week your store could absorb during a rollout without hiring extra staff. Options: 0 hours, 1–5 hours, 6–10 hours, More than 10 hours
• Are there any site or municipal rules that would prevent larger delivery vehicles or additional route stops at your location? Options: Yes, No, Unsure
• If you could not guarantee site access or receiving staff during the initial rollout, would that stop you from proceeding? Options: Yes, must stop, No, we can adjust timeline, Unsure

Who Else Is Trying to Fix This

• Who else are you seriously evaluating right now, and what makes them attractive at this stage?
• Which of the following alternatives have you already considered or piloted? Options: Stay with incumbent distributor, Work directly with manufacturers, Regional wholesaler, Build internal procurement, Multiple specialized suppliers, Other
• If you stayed with your current supplier, what specific improvement would have to happen to keep you from switching?
• Has anyone on your team proposed solving the problem internally without an outside distributor? Options: Yes, procurement proposed it, Yes, operations proposed it, No one has proposed it, Unsure
• Are there contractual minimums, exclusives, or month-to-month commitments with your incumbent that could block an immediate switch? Options: Yes, exclusivity, Yes, minimum purchase, No, Unsure
• Which competing option is most likely to win and what single failing would make that option drop out of contention?

Can Your Systems and People Move at the Needed Pace

• If catalog mapping or API access is delayed by two weeks, what impact does that have on your target adoption window?
• Which order or point of sale systems will need to integrate with the distributor during rollout? Options: Proprietary POS, Cloud POS, Spreadsheet ordering, Third-party order portal, Other
• Name the role or person who would be the day to day owner of integrations and catalog validation on your side.
• Describe the current quality of your master item data, including SKU attributes, UPC accuracy, and pricing fields. Options: Clean and complete, Mostly clean, some gaps, Significant cleanup needed, Minimal data available
• How many person-hours per week can your team commit to catalog mapping, testing, and invoice reconciliation during the adoption phase? Options: 0 hours, 1–5 hours, 6–15 hours, More than 15 hours
• If you cannot provide a named owner and at least 10 hours per week for integration, would that be a showstopper for starting the trial? Options: Yes, showstopper, No, we can reprioritize, Maybe, depends on timeline

Designing a Trial That Actually Proves Value

• What acceptance criteria would make a 60-day pre-commit trial an unequivocal success for your team?
• Which of these metrics should be weighted most heavily when scoring the trial? Options: Fill rate on benchmark items, Delivered cost including fees, Delivery reliability and on-time rate, Cold chain quality incidents, Sales lift after promotions
• Walk me through how you would validate delivered cost comparisons, including allowances, rebates, and handling charges.
• Which reporting cadence do you prefer during the trial for checkpoint reviews? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Ad hoc on issues
• If the trial meets your acceptance criteria on paper but store staff report persistent execution issues, would you still consider moving forward? Options: No, execution matters equally, Yes, with corrective action plan, Unsure
• Who will formally sign off on trial results, and do they need a prepared executive summary to approve a next step?

Logistics, Ownership, and the Small Details That Break Launches

• Which named owners and backup contacts must be in place before a phased rollout begins?
• Which of these operational facts must be locked before launch: delivery windows, route schedules, EDI endpoints, site access, or receiving rules? Options: Delivery windows, Route schedules, EDI/API endpoints, Site access and receiving rules, All of the above
• Describe any site access or vendor credential requirements your receiving dock enforces.
• How should transfer of inventory from incumbent suppliers be handled to avoid gaps in availability? Options: Phased category transition, Parallel supply for 30 days, Full cutover on specific date, Other
• If you cannot assign a day-to-day owner for route cadence and rep coordination, would that stop the phased rollout? Options: Yes, must stop, No, seller can fill gap temporarily, Unsure

Commercial Transparency and Pricing Boundaries

• How would an unexpected handling fee or opaque invoice line affect your willingness to move forward? Options: Stop the process, Request clarification and continue, Accept with cap, Unsure
• Which pricing detail must be visible to you on every invoice or statement? Options: Item-level cost, Handling fees, Promotional allowances, Freight or routing charges, All of the above
• Estimate the maximum delivered-cost increase, after accounting for fees, you would accept in the trial compared with your incumbent. Options: No increase, Up to 0.5% worse, Up to 1% worse, Up to 1% better required
• Are there billing or payment terms your finance team requires to consider a new distributor? Options: Net 30, Net 45, COD, Prepaid, Other
• If delivered cost after transparent fees is not at least neutral to your current total procurement cost, would that rule out a switch? Options: Yes, rule out, No, still possible with operational gains, Maybe, depends on other benefits

Decision Path and Timing

• If the pilot proves the numbers you need, what approvals or contractual steps are required before you can sign?
• Which internal stakeholders must be convinced for a full roll, and who will be hardest to persuade?
• Estimate the fastest realistic timeline from a successful trial signoff to first full route cutover. Options: 2–4 weeks, 4–8 weeks, 8–12 weeks, More than 12 weeks
• List any legal, procurement, or compliance reviews that will gate the final agreement.
• If approvals can be secured within two weeks after trial signoff, would you be ready to execute a mutual commit? Options: Yes, ready to execute, Need more negotiation, No, timeline too fast
• What single remaining obstacle, if solved, would accelerate your decision to switch this quarter?

• Solution Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• You confirm the current state and quantify the margin, traffic, or availability gap caused by distributor price increases and lost rep support.
• Deliver an itemized delivered-cost comparison for the 50 benchmark items within five business days.
• You accept the item-level delivered-cost comparison method as the basis for the 60-day benchmark evaluation.
• Map the 50 benchmark items and catalog gaps
• Provide current supplier invoices and the last 60 days of sell-through data for the 50 benchmark items.
• Provide a proposed trial operations plan including named rep, weekly visit schedule, route windows, pallet handling notes, and escalation contacts.
• You agree to the trial's acceptance criteria and responsibilities, including the fill-rate threshold and how delivered cost will be measured.
• Prove delivered-cost transparency and fee breakdown
• Confirm the acceptance thresholds for fill rate and the maximum acceptable delivered cost variance for each benchmark item.
• You confirm the proposed rep cadence and in-store category/promo activities meet your expectations for promotional support.
• Demonstrate promotional and category support in-store
• Propose the 60-day trial design and acceptance criteria
• Schedule the 60-day trial start date contingent on delivery of benchmark data and trial operations plan.
• Validation checkpoint, confirm this meets your definition of success

• Solution Experience Session
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Multi-temperature warehousing and order fulfillment
• Multi-temp route deliveries to store locations
• Order management integration and SKU syncing
• SKU onboarding and catalog mapping
• Consolidated invoicing with itemized handling fees
• Promotional program execution and replenishment
• Planogram implementation and shelf-reset kits
• Private-label fulfillment and distribution
• Long-tail SKU consolidation and backorder fulfillment
• Cold-chain temperature logging and transit reporting
• Perishable claims processing and rapid replacement
• 60-day fill-rate trial fulfillment service
• Weekly in-store sales representative visits
• Cross-dock mixed-case consolidation for reduced receiving

Multi-temperature warehousing and order fulfillment

• Which warehouse temperature zones do you require for your assortment (select all that apply) for the SKUs on your 50-benchmark list? Options: Ambient/dry, Refrigerated (2-4°C), Frozen (-18°C or below)
• How many unique SKUs from your catalog will require multi-temp staging at peak weekly volume (provide SKU count)
• Do you require case-level pick and pack or mixed-case single-unit picking for the benchmark SKUs? Options: Case-only, Mixed-case single-unit picks, Both depending on SKU
• When you receive an order variance (shorted or damaged SKU on a PO), which remediation do you prefer for the invoice: immediate credit, replacement shipment within 48 hours, or manual dispute? Options: Immediate credit on next invoice, Replacement shipment within 48 hours, Manual dispute resolution
• Who will own returns-to-stock handling for perishable SKUs (e.g., damaged refrigerated items) during onboarding and steady state? Options: You own returns handling, We handle returns-to-stock, Shared responsibilities by SKU category

Multi-temp route deliveries to store locations

• Which delivery window(s) do your stores accept for route deliveries (select all that apply) for each store on the trial route? Options: 06:00-09:00, 09:00-12:00, 12:00-15:00, 15:00-18:00
• How many weekly deliveries do your busiest locations require for perishable categories during the 60-day trial? Options: 1 per week, 2-3 per week, 4+ per week
• Do you require pre-delivery ETA messages to your receiving contact and which channel do you prefer for ETA (choose one)? Options: SMS to store receiving, Email to store manager, EDI/API status update
• Who will be the named receiving contact at each store for route acceptance and POD (proof of delivery) confirmation?
• Which on-route acceptance checks must drivers perform at delivery for refrigerated items (select all that apply)? Options: Temperature check at door, SKU case-count verification, Planogram placement photo, Manager sign-off on POD

Order management integration and SKU syncing

• Which order integration method does your POS or ordering system support for live syncing (select one)? Options: EDI 850/810 batch files, REST API order endpoint, CSV upload via SFTP, Manual portal order entry
• Specify the expected PO cadence during the onboarding and trial period (choose the closest). Options: Daily POs, Every-other-day POs, Weekly POs, Ad hoc orders
• Provide the primary SKU identifier your system uses for matching (UPC, vendor SKU, or store internal SKU) for the benchmark 50 SKUs. Options: UPC, Vendor SKU, Store internal SKU
• Do you require real-time inventory availability on the ordering screen for the 50 benchmark SKUs during the trial? Options: Yes, real-time, No, end-of-day availability, Not required for trial
• Which data fields must be synced for each SKU to consider the integration complete (select all that apply)? Options: UPC/GTIN, Case pack counts, Net delivered cost, Shelf placement/planogram slot, Promotional price windows

SKU onboarding and catalog mapping

• List the source files you will provide for SKU mapping for the benchmark items (choose all that apply). Options: Spreadsheet with UPC and cost, ERP export with vendor SKUs, Current distributor price list, None — manual mapping needed
• How many of the 50 benchmark SKUs are expected to require manual mapping because UPCs or vendor SKUs differ from your system? Options: 0-5, 6-15, 16-30, 30+
• Who will validate mapped SKU attributes (price, case pack, net weight) before the first trial delivery? Options: You validate, We validate, Joint validation
• Which catalog attribute mismatches are showstoppers for go-live (select all that apply)? Options: Case pack incorrect, Net delivered cost missing, Incorrect shelf category, Allergen label missing
• Provide the target SKU match rate on the 50 benchmark items required before moving to route deliveries (enter percent)

Consolidated invoicing with itemized handling fees

• Which invoice format do you require for automated reconciliation during the trial (select one)? Options: EDI 810, PDF pack with CSV line file, CSV exported to SFTP, Portal-only invoices
• Identify which handling fee line items you must see itemized on the invoice for each benchmark SKU (select all that apply). Options: Pick/pack fee, Cold-chain surcharge, Small order fee, Delivery fuel surcharge
• How frequently do you want invoice disputes raised and acknowledged (choose one) for the 60-day trial? Options: Within 3 business days, Within 7 business days, Within 14 business days
• What maximum delta in delivered cost (including itemized handling fees) on the 50 benchmark SKUs versus your current supplier will you accept as meeting cost parity? Options: Match or lower, Up to 1% higher, Up to 2% higher, Custom threshold
• Who will be the invoice reconciliation owner on your side (name and role) for processing EDI 810s or CSV line-item invoices?

Promotional program execution and replenishment

• Which promotional mechanics do you plan to test during the trial on benchmark SKUs (select all that apply)? Options: Temporary price markdowns, Buy X get Y, Feature displays, Endcap promotions
• How many promotional events on average per month do you want the route rep to support at each trial store? Options: 0-1, 2-3, 4+
• Do you require automated promotional price windows to sync into your ordering screen for the benchmark items? Options: Yes, No
• Who will approve promotional ad costs and merchandising allowances for trial events? Options: You approve, We approve, Joint approval
• Describe the replenishment trigger you prefer for promoted SKUs during a promotion (choose one). Options: Min on-hand threshold per SKU, Fixed reorder cadence during promo, Manual reorder by rep

Planogram implementation and shelf-reset kits

• Which file format do you require for planogram files and shelf maps for validation (select one)? Options: PDF planogram, CSV slot mapping, Planogram XML, Image photos with annotations
• How many stores will receive a full shelf-reset kit during the initial rollout per phase? Options: 1-5, 6-20, 21-50, 50+
• Do you want the route rep to deliver shelf-reset kits and complete placement within the scheduled delivery window? Options: Yes, during delivery, No, separate appointment, Depends on store
• Who signs acceptance of a completed planogram reset at store-level (role required)? Options: Store manager, Receiving clerk, Category manager from your team
• Which acceptance evidence do you require for a successful shelf reset (select all that apply)? Options: Before/after photos, Updated planogram file uploaded, Store acknowledgement form

Private-label fulfillment and distribution

• Which private-label packaging configurations do you use that we must replicate (select all that apply)? Options: Custom UPC on case, Store-branded pack, Co-pack vendor labeling
• How many private-label SKUs do you intend to transition in the first 60 days? Options: 0, 1-5, 6-20, 20+
• Do you require dedicated refrigerated storage lanes or shared lanes for private-label perishables? Options: Dedicated lanes, Shared lanes, Depends on SKU
• Who will provide private-label packaging specifications and certificate-of-analysis (COA) documents for perishables? Options: You provide, We request from vendor, Joint responsibility
• Which lead time do you need from order placement to fulfillment for private-label items during steady-state? Options: 3-5 business days, 6-10 business days, 10+ business days

Long-tail SKU consolidation and backorder fulfillment

• Which threshold defines a long-tail SKU for consolidation in your assortment (choose one)? Options: Annual unit sales < 50, Annual unit sales < 100, Custom threshold
• How many long-tail SKUs do you expect to move into consolidated ordering versus keeping direct DSD (direct store delivery)? Options: 0-25, 26-100, 100+
• Do you require backorder notification cadence and estimated ship-date on each PO line (choose one)? Options: Immediate notification with ETA, Daily summary of backorders, No notifications
• Who will own communication to store staff for long-tail substitution or temporary out-of-stock on slow-moving SKUs? Options: You notify store staff, We notify store staff, Shared
• Which consolidation approach do you prefer to reduce receiving labor (select one)? Options: Cross-dock mixed-case consolidation, Full-case consolidation only, Hybrid consolidation by category

Cold-chain temperature logging and transit reporting

• Which temperature logging format do you require for compliance and audit (select one)? Options: Per-shipment CSV export, PDF temperature report per pallet, Real-time API temperature feed
• Specify the acceptable temperature range during transit for refrigerated SKUs (enter range, e.g., 2-4°C).
• Which percentage of refrigerated shipments must meet the agreed temperature range during the 60-day trial to be accepted (enter percent)?
• Do you require GPS-enabled transit logs correlated with temperature logs for each trial delivery? Options: Yes, No
• Who will receive temperature-excursion alerts at your organization (role or email distribution)?

Perishable claims processing and rapid replacement

• Which claims timeline do you require for perishable SKU replacements after discovery (select one)? Options: Same-day replacement, Replacement within 24-48 hours, Credit on next invoice
• How do you prefer to document a perishable claim at store level (select all that apply)? Options: Photo evidence via mobile app, Driver report on POD, Store manager incident form
• Who will approve perishable replacement shipments for high-value refrigerated SKUs (role)?
• Do you require automatic replacement of perishable items up to a dollar threshold without manual approval? Options: Yes, up to a set dollar amount, No, manual approval required
• Which SLA do you require for claim resolution and credit processing on an invoice (choose one)? Options: 3 business days, 7 business days, 14 business days

60-day fill-rate trial fulfillment service

• Which 50 SKUs will you include as the benchmark list for the 60-day fill-rate comparison (attach SKU list or indicate source)?
• How often will you submit order cadence for the trial stores to simulate normal demand (select one)? Options: Daily ordering cadence, Every-other-day ordering, Weekly ordering cadence
• Who is the authorized sign-off on trial start and end dates for the 60-day test (role or name)?
• Which fill-rate measurement do you require for acceptance on the 50 benchmark SKUs over the 60-day trial (enter target percent)?
• Describe the reporting cadence and format you need to evaluate fill-rate and delivered-cost during the trial (select one). Options: Weekly CSV with line-item fill-rate, Bi-weekly dashboard access, End-of-trial consolidated report

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

• Master Supply Agreement (MSA)
• Purchase Agreement / Order Confirmation
• Statement of Work (SOW) — Transition & Implementation
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Pricing & Fee Transparency Addendum
• Data & Ordering Integration Addendum
• Transition Plan Acceptance / Go‑Live Authorization

• Go-live health check (weeks 1-4)
• First measurement review (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance gate review (around day 90)
• Quarterly performance review (ongoing)

• Circulate the promotional calendar and confirm inventory adjustments needed for the next promotional window.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision referencing the numeric targets recorded in Solution Scope for each criterion.
• Confirm the incumbent has been retired or retained in read-only mode and that data and contract handoffs are complete.
• Agree remediation items for any failed criteria with target resolution dates and verification steps.
• Publish the acceptance result document that lists pass/fail per criterion and the recorded buyer decision.
• Produce an incumbent wind-down checklist showing contract status, data archive confirmation, and fallback process closure.
• Track and report resolution progress for any remediation items until closed and verified against acceptance criteria.
• Performance summary and trend analysis
• Confirm whether the three named operational metrics remain within tolerance of Solution Scope targets or require targeted improvement plans.
• Close long-running operational issues or agree a definitive remediation plan with dates.
• Align on the next quarter's promotional calendar and any inventory or planogram changes that affect operations.
• Publish the quarterly performance dashboard and a one-page summary of items requiring follow-up.
• Create or update remediation tickets for any metrics out of tolerance with clear verification criteria.
• Reconfirm success criteria and owners
• Confirm that core integrations and order flows are operating without systemic failures.
• Document all critical blockers with clear resolution dates and owners for hypercare.
• Agree the cadence and owner for the first measurement data collection.
• Produce a hypercare issue log with owner and target resolution date for each critical item.
• Validate and publish the canonical benchmark item list and confirm catalog mapping completeness.
• Circulate instructions for how the buyer will submit early feedback and exceptions during weeks 1-4.
• Present first-period results
• Determine whether 60-day fill rate and delivered cost trends are moving toward the Solution Scope targets or require remediation.
• Document root causes for any shortfalls and agree three concrete corrective actions with completion dates.
• Confirm data sources and validation approach that will be used at the acceptance gate.
• Publish the measurement dataset and methodology used to calculate fill rate and delivered cost for buyer review.
• Implement agreed remediation actions with completion dates and confirm intermediate checkpoints.
• Schedule acceptance gate meeting and circulate pre-read materials 5 business days in advance.
• Deployment and integration validation
• Open issue burn-down
• Deliverability and on-time performance check
• Present final trial results against each criterion
• Root-cause diagnosis for any gaps
• Document pass/fail per criterion and acceptance decision
• Promotional and category planning alignment
• Early adoption and usage signals
• Agree corrective actions and timeline to acceptance gate
• Open blockers and risk triage
• Incumbent wind-down confirmation
• Action review and next quarter commitments
• Agree remediation and transition actions
• Agree immediate remediation actions