Warehouse North Star

• Tell me about the top operational goal your team is focused on this year for the warehouse.
• In a typical day in your operation, which one activity consumes the most labor hours? Options: Receiving and put-away, Picking, Packing, Shipping and staging, Returns handling, Replenishment/cycle counting
• Which metric would you expect to improve first if your new WMS met expectations? Options: Order cycle time, Pick-to-ship lead time, Inventory accuracy, Labor per order, Dock-to-stock time, Customer SLA compliance, Other
• How many active SKUs does your operation handle in peak season? Options: Under 1,000, 1,000–10,000, 10,001–100,000, 100,001+
• Estimate the peak volume mix by percentage for small parcel single-unit picks, case picks, and B2B pallet shipments in your highest month.
• Walk me through the last time a warehouse disruption forced overtime or an emergency weekend for your team; what triggered it and who had to respond?

Where the current system falls short in practice

• If one recurring failure in your current system could not be solved, which operational gap would force you to pause new customer growth?
• When inventory counts diverge from physical stock, who on your team notices first and what immediate steps are taken?
• Who on your team spends the most time firefighting WMS exceptions, and roughly how many full-time equivalents does that represent? Options: Site operations lead (1 FTE), Inventory analyst (1 FTE), Shared across operations and IT (1–3 FTE), Multiple roles, 3+ FTE, Unsure
• Which exception types occur most often in your week—mis-picks, failed integrations, hardware downtime, or incorrect allocations? Options: Mis-picks / wrong items picked, Integration failures (ERP/OMS/TMS), Hardware or network downtime, Allocation or reservation errors, Other
• Can you estimate the service or revenue impact when you experience a typical peak-day outage? Options: Less than 0.5%, 0.5–2%, 2–5%, More than 5%, Unsure
• Describe a recent go-live or upgrade that did not meet expectations for your team, and what the single biggest cause of that disappointment was.

The integrations that will dictate your timeline

• If a key system cannot expose an API or agreed export, which integration gap in your architecture would stop the project before configuration begins?
• Do you have named owners for your ERP, OMS, TMS, and automation controllers who can approve schema and provide test credentials within your target window? Options: Yes, all owners named, Some owners named, some gaps, No owners assigned yet, Unsure
• Name the three systems in your stack that will require real-time inventory updates from the WMS.
• Can you share whether those systems already have documented APIs and test environments available for integration testing? Options: APIs and sandboxes available for all, APIs available but no sandbox, Only file transfers available, Not sure / need to investigate
• In your last integration project, how long did it take from credential exchange to successful end-to-end test in your environment? Options: Under 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–3 months, Over 3 months, Not applicable
• Would a delay of more than 4 weeks in obtaining test credentials pause procurement or the implementation timeline for your project? Options: Yes, we would pause, No, continue with limited scope, It would delay timeline but not pause procurement, Unsure

Who will own this and who will push back

• Who would have to sign operational acceptance at the site level for your team, and what would make them refuse sign-off?
• Walk me through your governance model for warehousing changes, from site lead to executive sponsor, and where decisions typically stall.
• List the roles that will be dedicated to implementation versus those that will split time across BAU for your project. Options: Site operations, IT/integration, Inventory control, Finance, Training/HR, External consultants
• How many full-time resources per site are you prepared to commit to configuration, testing, and go-live? Options: 0–1, 2–3, 4–6, 7+
• Is there an internal change control or security review that typically adds time to implementations for your team, and how long does it usually take? Options: No significant process, Yes, 2–4 weeks, Yes, 1–3 months, Yes, longer than 3 months, Unsure
• Would you prefer a phased rollout, postponement, or vendor-managed resources if your team cannot free the named resources for the agreed cutover window? Options: Phased rollout, Postpone rollout, Bring in vendor-managed resources, Other

Constraints that will limit scope and timeline

• Suppose a required automation vendor cannot provide an interface, which site-level capability would your team be unable to deliver?
• Do you have current network diagrams and power documentation for each site where automation or handhelds will connect? Options: Yes, for all sites, Partial documentation, No documentation, Unsure
• Describe your data cleanliness for inventory attributes in your systems—are lot numbers, serials, dimensions, and weight consistently populated? Options: Mostly clean, Mixed quality, Poor and requires remediation, I do not know
• On a typical month, how often do you perform cycle counts and what variance tolerance do you accept before opening an investigation? Options: Weekly, tolerance ≤0.5%, Monthly, tolerance 0.5–2%, Quarterly, tolerance 2–5%, Other
• Could regulatory requirements, audits, or a need for lot-level traceability at any site stop the project if the WMS cannot prove compliance during the pilot? Options: Yes, stop the project, No, workarounds acceptable, Delay until compliance proven, Unsure
• List the sites that have physical constraints—narrow aisles, low ceilings, limited power, or restricted access—that would change the integration approach.

The other options you are actively weighing

• Under what conditions would you decide to stay with your current system instead of switching to a new WMS?
• Select from the options below which alternatives are currently on your short list. Options: Continue with incumbent, Replace with another vendor, Build internally, Hybrid approach, Do nothing/deferral
• Identify the stakeholders who have proposed an internal build or heavy customization, and what level of resource commitment they proposed.
• Rank the non-negotiable reasons that would keep you with the incumbent rather than switching to a new solution. Options: Lower total cost of ownership, Existing integrations, Familiarity and training, Minimized risk, Contractual or vendor relationship
• When conducting previous vendor evaluations, which implementation risk did your team find most underestimated?
• What single factor would make you prefer the incumbent even if price and timeline matched ours?
• Are any internal leaders willing to sponsor an extended pilot or proof of concept that would shorten your procurement timeline? Options: Yes, sponsor available, Maybe, needs discussion, No sponsor, Unsure

The evidence you'll use to say yes

• Name a single pilot metric that would trigger immediate contract approval, and name one pilot failure that would end the program for your team.
• On a per-site basis, which acceptance checks must pass during pilot and handover—inventory reconciliation, throughput, integration latency, or user proficiency? Options: Inventory reconciliation within tolerance, Throughput targets met, Integration latency within SLA, User proficiency and task time, Other
• After go-live, when do you expect to see the targeted labor improvement or throughput gains that justify the investment? Options: Within 2 weeks, Within 1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, Not sure
• Should the pilot show less than 50% of the expected benefit, do you plan to require a remediation plan with financial penalties or cancel the program? Options: Require remediation and penalties, Accept extended runway, Cancel the program, Undecided
• Confirm the roles that must sign final acceptance for each site and whether their approval is tied to any specific finance or operational milestone. Options: Site operations lead, Regional operations director, IT/integration lead, Finance approver, Other
• Provide the specific dashboards or data exports you will need access to during the pilot to validate performance.

Next steps, timelines, and sticking points

• Given procurement constraints, what is the earliest realistic go-live date you could commit to for your team? Options: Within 4–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, 3–6 months, 6+ months
• Choose whether you prefer a phased site-by-site rollout, a single-site pilot, or a big-bang cutover for your program. Options: Phased site-by-site, Single-site pilot, Big-bang cutover, Hybrid
• Estimate the executive decision window your team needs to award the contract after a successful pilot. Options: Immediate (within 1 week), Within 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, Longer than 2 months, Unsure
• What could prevent your team from signing the contract in the same month the pilot proves the agreed KPIs?
• Identify the approvals that must be in place before you can exchange test credentials and begin integration testing. Options: IT security sign-off, Budget approval, Signed contract, Operations acceptance, Other
• Pick one: would you like the next working session to be a technical detailed review, an executive alignment, or a combined meeting? Options: Technical detailed review, Executive alignment, Combined meeting

• Solution Experience — Warehouse Workflows & Peak Readiness

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• You confirm the demonstrated workflow eliminates the specific manual rework and mis-pick scenarios described in Discovery.
• Provide a representative order-mix file that includes SKUs, channel proportions, and a peak-day volume target for simulation.
• You confirm the integration and automation behavior meets your latency and exception-handling expectations for peak operations.
• Walk through a representative order-mix workflow
• List integration endpoints and named owners for ERP, OMS, TMS, and automation interfaces to enable end-to-end testing.
• Run a peak-volume simulation in the sandbox using the provided order mix and deliver the simulation report, throughput metrics, and exception logs before the follow-up session.
• You and the seller agree on objective acceptance criteria (SLA, accuracy, throughput, integration thresholds) to carry into Implementation Scope.
• Demonstrate automation and integration behavior with an edge case
• Run or review a peak-volume surge scenario
• You identify any remaining showstoppers or evidence required before advancing to commercial and implementation scope discussions.
• Draft proposed objective acceptance criteria for site go-live based on the validated KPIs from this session.
• Validate objective acceptance criteria and KPIs
• Forced validation, confirm alignment

• Solution Experience — Warehouse Workflows & Peak Readiness
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief — Warehouse Workflows & Peak Readiness

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Deploy RF-Directed Receiving and QC
• Configure Directed Put-away by Velocity and Cube
• Setup Storage Location and Slotting Rules
• Enable Lot, Serial, and Date Code Inventory Control
• Implement Wave Planning and Release Engine
• Activate Pick Optimization (batch, zone, cluster)
• Deploy Packing and Carrier Shipping Integration
• Configure Automated Replenishment and Task Interleaving
• Run Cycle Counting and Inventory Reconciliation Workflows
• Integrate Platform with ERP, OMS, and TMS
• Integrate Warehouse Automation (conveyor, ASRS, AMRs)
• Provision Returns Processing and Reverse Logistics Flows
• Deploy Labor Management and Operational Dashboards
• Train Warehouse Users and Provide Go-Live Support

Deploy RF-Directed Receiving and QC

• Do you receive advance ship notices (ASN) that should drive RF-receiving workflows? Options: Yes, No
• Which RF device types will your receiving teams use (handheld RF gun, mobile computer, tablet)? Options: Handheld RF gun, Mobile computer, Tablet, Other
• How many receiving doors and concurrent RF sessions must be supported at each site? Options: 1-4, 5-12, 13+
• Who will be the receiving process owner responsible for disposition of QC exceptions?
• List the barcode and label standards on inbound cartons and pallets (for example GS1-128, UPC, custom supplier labels). Options: GS1-128, UPC, Custom supplier label, Other
• What evidence will validate RF receiving and quality inspection at go-live (for example 95% ASN match rate, fewer than 2% inspection exceptions)?

Configure Directed Put-away by Velocity and Cube

• Provide the velocity tiers and cube thresholds that should drive put-away (for example fast: top 10% by picks, cube < 0.5 cu ft).
• List the storage location types at the site (bulk, pick-face, reserve, cold storage) and mark which require cube-based placement. Options: Bulk, Pick-face, Reserve, Cold storage, Other
• List the SKU master attributes available for put-away rules (for example cube, weight, turn-rate, hazardous class).
• Do you have maximum location capacities or pallet height limits that must be enforced during put-away? Options: Yes, No
• Who will approve automated slotting and put-away rule changes once configured?
• How will you verify put-away correctness during cutover (for example sample cycle-count plan, location fill percent thresholds)?

Setup Storage Location and Slotting Rules

• List your current location naming convention and numbering schema (for example aisle/row/bin/level) and any mandatory fields.
• Identify which locations require temperature control or special handling (for example chilled, frozen, hazardous). Options: Chilled, Frozen, Hazardous, None, Other
• Describe how pick-face depth and minimum fill levels are calculated today and whether those rules must be enforced.
• Do you require automatic seasonal or promotion-driven slotting changes? Options: Yes, No
• Provide the CAD or floor-plan files for the site or indicate if you need the platform to capture layout during discovery. Options: We will provide CAD/PDF, We need the platform to capture layout, Other
• Which reports or dashboards must be available to monitor slot utilization and location aging?

Enable Lot, Serial, and Date Code Inventory Control

• Which traceability types are required per SKU in your catalog (select lot, serial, expiration date as applicable)? Options: Lot, Serial, Expiration date, None
• Describe the lot or serial numbering format and the fields that must be captured at receiving (for example supplier lot, manufacture date, GTIN+serial).
• Specify your shelf-life and FEFO (first-expire-first-out) rules and any override conditions for perishable SKUs. Options: Strict FEFO enforced, FEFO recommended but overridable, Not applicable
• Who is the regulatory or quality owner that will sign off on lot/serial configuration for compliance audits?
• Which barcode symbologies encode serial or lot data on your labels (for example GS1-128, DataMatrix)? Options: GS1-128, Code128, DataMatrix, Other
• Specify the migration accuracy threshold for lot and serial records that you require (for example 99.5% match between legacy and migrated records).

Implement Wave Planning and Release Engine

• Describe the order release triggers you want to use (for example cut-off time, carrier departure, order size, appointment windows).
• Indicate which order attributes must influence wave priority (for example shipping SLA, carrier, route, order type such as B2B or B2C).
• State the number of concurrent waves you expect to run in peak periods at each site. Options: 1-2, 3-5, 6+
• Do you require slot-based batching by picking zone or batching driven by pack-station capacity? Options: Zone-based batching, Pack-station based batching, No preference
• Who will configure wave heuristics and approve wave performance test results?
• Which KPIs will you monitor to tune wave release (for example lines per hour, pick-to-pack cycle time)?

Activate Pick Optimization (batch, zone, cluster)

• Which pick methods are used at each site today (single-order, batch, zone, cluster, pick-to-light)? Options: Single-order, Batch, Zone, Cluster, Pick-to-light, Other
• Provide your average order lines per order and the SKU-per-order distribution to guide batching parameters.
• Indicate whether you use fixed pick paths, dynamic routing, or a mixed approach for RF picks. Options: Fixed path, Dynamic routing, Mixed
• List pick exceptions the optimizer must avoid (for example weight limits, fragile items, hazardous segregation).
• Name the team or individual who will run pick efficiency acceptance runs and specify the required sample size for benchmarking.
• Provide physical constraints at pick faces that affect batching (for example aisle width, cart capacity, pick cart dimensions).

Deploy Packing and Carrier Shipping Integration

• Identify the carrier types to support at go-live (for example parcel, LTL, regional carriers, freight). Options: Parcel carriers, Less-than-truckload (LTL), Regional carriers, Freight
• Which packing workflows must be supported (single-stage pack, multi-stage pack verification, dimensioning and weighing station)? Options: Single-stage pack, Multi-stage verification, Dimensioning and weighing, Other
• List the manifest or label formats required by your carriers and any EDI/API message requirements.
• Who will provide commercial carrier account credentials and test credentials for integration validation?
• Do you require automated DIM capture and freight-class mapping for LTL shipments at pack stations? Options: Yes, No
• Which test shipments and manifest reconciliation steps will you schedule to validate carrier integration during cutover?

Configure Automated Replenishment and Task Interleaving

• Select the replenishment triggers you rely on (min/max, fixed interval, demand-based, Kanban). Options: Min/Max, Fixed interval, Demand-based, Kanban
• Identify the pick zones that must be interleaved with replenishment to maximize labor efficiency.
• Provide lead times and reorder point definitions from your item master for replenishment calculation.
• Do replenishment rules need to be lot-aware or include safety-stock handling for batch-managed SKUs? Options: Yes, No
• Who will maintain replenishment thresholds and adjust reorder points after go-live?
• Specify task completion SLAs that must be enforced (for example replenish within 15 minutes of pick-face empty). Options: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, Custom

Run Cycle Counting and Inventory Reconciliation Workflows

• Select the cycle counting strategy you use (ABC velocity, random, zone-based, full census). Options: ABC velocity, Random, Zone-based, Census
• State the frequency for cycle counts by SKU class (for example daily for A items, weekly for B items). Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Other
• Provide your operational inventory accuracy target to monitor (for example 98% by SKU class).
• Who will approve reconciliation adjustments and which ERP general ledger codes should be used for shrink/write-offs?
• Which root-cause categories should be recorded for inventory discrepancies (for example picking error, receipt mismatch, data error)? Options: Picking error, Receipt mismatch, Theft, Data error, Other
• Describe the reconciliation cadence and the format required by finance and operations (for example weekly reporting package, CSV export, dashboard).

Integrate Platform with ERP, OMS, and TMS

• Identify the core systems to integrate at cutover (for example ERP, order management system, transportation management system). Options: ERP, Order management system (OMS), Transportation management system (TMS)
• List the available integration methods for each system (for example REST API, EDI 850/856/810, flat-file SFTP). Options: REST API, EDI, SFTP/Flat-file, Other
• State the maximum order-to-fulfillment latency (in minutes) you require from the OMS to WMS pick assignment during peak hours.
• Who will provide endpoint details, message schemas, and test credentials for each core system integration?
• List any ERP master-data dependencies that must be synced before migration (for example item master, units of measure, customer codes).

Integrate Warehouse Automation (conveyor, ASRS, AMRs)

• Identify which automation assets will be integrated at the site (for example conveyor PLC, ASRS host, AMR fleet manager). Options: Conveyor PLC, ASRS host, AMR fleet manager, Sortation system, Other

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Order Form / Subscription Agreement
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Support & Maintenance Addendum
• Data Processing Agreement (DPA)
• Change Order Agreement
• Go‑Live Governance & Escalation Plan
• Site Acceptance Certificate

• Go-live health check (weeks 1-4)
• First measurement review (weeks 4-10)
• 90-day outcomes and operational review
• Quarterly operational review

• Schedule any required ad hoc operational deep-dives if critical KPIs cross agreed thresholds.
• Document which Implementation Scope targets are met, which remain outstanding, and the remediation timeline for each remaining gap.
• Confirm the incumbent system is either decommissioned or formally retained read-only with archived data and no ongoing fallback activity.
• Agree the operational checkpoints and escalation contacts for the next 90 days.
• Publish the 90-day outcomes report showing each Implementation Scope target status and remediation timelines.
• Complete incumbent decommissioning or formalize retention-read-only with archived data and publish the verification evidence.
• List any remaining critical defects with resolution owners and firm deadlines for closure.
• KPI dashboard review
• Ensure the solution remains within the Implementation Scope targets or document agreed adjustments and timelines.
• Reduce the number of critical open tickets and confirm escalation handling for any recurring issues.
• Maintain a prioritized list of operational enhancements with delivery windows tied to business impact.
• Publish the quarterly KPI dashboard with noted variances and the action plan to address them.
• Update the support backlog with prioritized items, target dates, and verification criteria.
• Re-confirm success criteria and ownership
• Confirm deployment validation checklist is complete or identify specific remaining validation tasks.
• Document top 5 open issues with owners and target resolution dates.
• Agree date and data sources for the first measurement review.
• Produce and share a deployment validation report including integration status and data migration completeness.
• Log and prioritize the top 5 operational issues in the shared channel with resolution targets.
• Confirm analytics queries and data extracts that will feed the first measurement meeting.
• Present KPI results vs Implementation Scope targets
• Confirm which KPI gaps are configuration, process, or integration related and document the root cause for each high-priority gap.
• Agree a prioritized remediation plan with measurable milestones and dates to recover to the Implementation Scope targets.
• Establish the verification method and data sources that will show progress at the 90-day review.
• Deliver a root-cause analysis and remediation plan for the top 3 KPI gaps, including test criteria and target dates.
• Provide a schedule of integration health checks and automated alerts for connector failures.
• Confirm data extracts and dashboard filters that will be used for the 90-day outcomes review.
• 90-day KPI summary
• Deployment and migration validation
• Outstanding gaps and remediation commitments
• Support ticket and escalation review
• Root-cause analysis for KPI gaps
• Enhancement and configuration change log
• Integration stability review
• Early adoption and usage signals
• Incumbent system wind-down checkpoint
• Agree corrective actions and success criteria to reach targets
• Next operational 90-day plan
• Operational action plan and next steps
• Blockers and open issues
• Immediate remediation actions and next steps