Quick Grounding — Where Are We Starting?

• Which distribution center, region, or business unit will run the 60‑day sandbox?
• Who is our primary day‑to‑day contact for the pilot (name, role, preferred contact method)?
• Which executive is sponsoring the evaluation and who will be the VP-level champion driving the decision? Options: VP of Supply Chain / Distribution, CIO, Head of Operations, Head of Fulfillment, Other
• Roughly how many orders and SKUs does this DC process on a typical day and at peak?
• Do you already have a preferred 60‑day window in mind for the sandbox, or are you open to proposal? Options: We have specific dates, Open to proposal, Need to coordinate with IT/calendar, Unsure

If This Breaks Again, Who Gets the Call?

• When a fulfillment failure occurs today (late shipments, spikes in mispicks, or backorders), who within your org feels the immediate pressure? Options: VP Distribution, CIO/IT, CFO/Finance, Head of Customer Service, CEO/Founder, Operations Manager
• Tell us about a recent breakdown that reached the executive level—what happened, how long did it take to surface, and what was the business impact (revenue, fines, customer churn)?
• How do those incidents translate into measurable costs or penalties for your business? Options: Chargebacks/penalties, Lost sales/returns, Expedited freight, Customer churn/complaints, Executive time/brand damage
• Which SLA or customer promise is most fragile right now and would be the first to fail under higher volume? Options: Ship-by date, On-time delivery, Order accuracy, Same-day fulfillment, Appointment/delivery windows, Other

What Does ‘Success’ Look Like for Each Executive?

• If you had to name the single most important metric that convinces the VP of Distribution this is working, what would it be (and target value)? Options: Pick rate (picks/hour), Order accuracy (%), Throughput (orders/hour), Labor productivity (units/hour), Other
• How will the CIO evaluate technical success—what integration depth or data fidelity must be proven in the sandbox? Options: One-way order export, Bi-directional sync, Real-time API integration, Batch ETL only, Other
• For the CFO: what payback timeline and ROI threshold would make this a go‑forward investment (e.g., payback < 12 months, IRR %, or NPV target)? Options: Payback < 6 months, Payback 6–12 months, Payback 12–24 months, Payback > 24 months, Specific IRR/NPV target
• Beyond raw numbers, what qualitative signals would convince each executive—e.g., reduced escalations, simpler vendor consolidation, or visible floor‑level adoption? Options: Fewer escalations, Simpler vendor stack, Cleaner operational reporting, Improved floor morale, Shorter decision cycles, Other

Where Your ERP Is Really Hitting the Ceiling

• Which ERP/order management system is the source of truth today for orders and inventory? Options: SAP ECC / S/4HANA, Oracle (EBS/Cloud), Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Custom/Proprietary, Other
• Describe one specific operation the ERP performs today that you believe is causing the most friction (wave planning, putaway, labor allocation, cartonization, carrier selection, etc.).
• How real‑time is your order and inventory data—are you operating on near‑real time, hourly batches, or end‑of‑day snapshots? Options: Real‑time / APIs, Near‑real time (minutes), Hourly batch, Daily batch, Ad hoc extracts
• What integration touchpoints must we validate in the sandbox to prove feasibility (examples: order ingestion, confirmations, ASN, inventory sync, carrier tender)? Options: Order ingestion, Inventory sync, ASN / shipment confirmation, Carrier tenders / rates, Billing / invoicing, Yard status
• Are there internal policies or customizations within the ERP that will affect how we map orders and fulfillments in the sandbox? Options: Heavy customizations, Moderate configuration, Vanilla implementation, Legacy manual processes, Unsure—need to investigate

The 60‑Day Sandbox — Your Non‑Negotiables and Hidden Rules

• If the sandbox could only prove three things to get a pilot extension or purchase, what three proofs would you insist on?
• Which acceptance criteria must be met for the sandbox to be declared successful (pick rate uplift, accuracy delta, labor hours saved, cartonization rate, carrier SLA attainment)? Options: Pick rate uplift, Order accuracy improvement, Labor hours reduction, Cartonization efficiency, Carrier on-time %, Other
• What constraints must the sandbox respect (no changes to live WMS, limited access to production data, masked PII, specific audit requirements)? Options: No production changes, Masked/obfuscated data, Read-only access, Full API access allowed, Limited user roles only
• Are there any compliance, security, or legal gatekeepers that will need to sign off before we access historical order data for the sandbox? Options: Security/InfoSec, Privacy/Data Protection, Legal, Procurement, No gatekeepers
• What would be a dealbreaker that would end the evaluation prematurely? Options: Cannot access required data, Unresolvable integration issue, Executive withdraws sponsorship, Unacceptable security risk, Budgetary freeze

Who Holds the Keys — Decision Roles and Influence Maps

• List the individuals or roles that must approve a purchase after the sandbox (name and role if possible).
• Which role will have final sign‑off on commercial terms and who will own the budget for the multi‑year license? Options: VP Supply Chain, CFO/Finance, Procurement, IT/CIO, Other
• How does your internal approval process generally work—consensus across stakeholders, single approver, or procurement-driven negotiation? Options: Consensus across stakeholders, Single approver, Procurement-led, Legal-led, Other
• Who is likely to be skeptical of replacing ERP-embedded warehouse logic, and what evidence would persuade them?
• Are there external partners (3PLs, carriers, integrators) whose buy‑in will be required during or after the pilot? Options: 3PL partners, Major carriers, Systems integrator, Consulting partners, None

What Could Go Wrong — Risks You’re Quietly Worried About

• If the pilot underdelivers on the metrics you care about, what immediate actions will your team take? Options: Abort pilot, Extend sandbox, Engage SI/consultant, Revert to legacy processes, Other
• Which operational dependencies outside our control could cause the sandbox to fail (seasonal peaks, headcount shortages, major promotions, ERP upgrade windows)? Options: Seasonal peak/holiday, Staffing shortages, ERP upgrades, Vendor outages, Unplanned site events
• How comfortable is your operations team with running a parallel process where both systems process orders for a period? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Need training, Uncomfortable / risk-averse
• What contingency budget or resources (people/time) have you set aside should integration or data issues require extra effort? Options: Dedicated SI budget, Internal IT hours, Contingency funds, No contingency planned, Unsure

Integration Reality — Mapping the Technical Steps

• Which specific data feeds or APIs do we need to validate during the sandbox (order headers, line items, inventory on hand, inventory reservations, carrier rates)? Options: Order headers, Order line items, Inventory on hand, Inventory reservations/holds, Carrier rates/tenders, ASN/status updates
• Who will own the integration work on your side and do they have capacity for sprint-based testing during the 60 days? Options: Internal IT team, ERP support vendor, Third‑party integrator, No owner identified yet, Other
• Are there any middleware or EDI gateways we must route through, or can we connect directly via APIs or SFTP extracts? Options: Direct APIs, SFTP batch extracts, Middleware/ESB, EDI gateway, Other
• How will we validate data parity—what sample size or peak-day scenarios should we run to be confident the sandbox reflects real operations? Options: 60 days historical, Recent peak-day(s), Randomized sample, Full dataset, Unsure—need guidance
• What security or compliance checks must we pass before accessing data (SOC2, encryption, IP restrictions, vendor risk assessment)? Options: SOC2, ISO 27001, Data encryption, Vendor risk assessment, Other

People, Process, and the Floor — Adoption Signals to Watch

• How do you currently train floor staff on process changes and how long does the average ramp to competence take? Options: Formal classroom + shadowing, On‑the‑job training, Video/manuals only, No formal training
• What behavioral signals would show us early that operators are adopting the new workflows (reduced manual overrides, fewer supervisor interventions, scan compliance)? Options: Fewer overrides, Higher scan compliance, Lower supervisor interventions, Improved cycle times
• Are there union, labor rule, or hourly/shift constraints we must respect during the pilot? Options: Union rules, Strict shift schedules, Flexible scheduling allowed, Overtime limited, None
• Who will be responsible for day‑to‑day change management during the sandbox (trainer, ops lead, program manager)? Options: Trainer, Ops lead / DC manager, Program manager, IT change manager, Other
• If adoption is slower than expected, what incentives or governance will encourage faster uptake (bonus, rate card, executive review)? Options: Operator incentives, Supervisor KPIs, Executive escalation, Extra training resources, Other

Commercial & Governance — What Will Seal the Deal?

• What procurement processes or contractual terms are non‑negotiable from your side (payment terms, SLAs, liability caps)?
• What governance cadence do you expect during the 60 days (weekly steering calls, daily war room, milestone demos)? Options: Weekly steering, Bi-weekly, Daily during cutover, Ad hoc as needed, Other
• Which commercial signals would shorten your decision cycle (pre-approved budget, a smaller pilot fee, reference visits)? Options: Pre-approved budget, Reduced pilot fee, Executive reference check, Proof-of-concept extension, Other
• Who will own the post-pilot business case and what format does the CFO prefer (cost-savings only, full ROI model, TCO uplift analysis)? Options: Cost-savings summary, Full ROI model, TCO comparison, Payback analysis only, Other
• Are there internal procurement or legal milestones we should schedule now to avoid delays after a successful sandbox? Options: Procurement checklist, Legal review, Budget approval, Executive sign-off, None / Unsure

Clear Next Steps — What We Need from You to Start

• What are the top three actions your team can commit to this week to keep the sandbox timeline intact?
• Which person or email should we send the integration checklist and initial data request to?
• Do you want us to prepare a tailored sandbox plan that includes peak‑day scenarios and the exact acceptance criteria for each executive? If so, who will review it? Options: Yes—please prepare, Not yet—need more info, No
• How soon can your IT/security team complete a vendor assessment so we can request data access (typical windows: 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 4+ weeks)? Options: 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 4+ weeks, Unknown / need to check
• Would you like a short executive one‑pager that maps sandbox proofs directly to the VP/CIO/CFO decision criteria for use in your steering meetings? Options: Yes—please send, Maybe—after initial scoping, No

Walk Me Through a Typical Shift in Your DC

• How many orders does this distribution center process on an average day? Options: < 5,000, 5,000–10,000, 10,000–20,000, 20,000–50,000, > 50,000
• Which shifts or hours drive the peak load we should model in the sandbox? Options: Single peak shift, Two peak shifts, Short midday spike, Evenly distributed, Weekend peaks
• Which systems are actively used on the floor today (select all that apply)? Options: ERP embedded WMS module, Legacy WMS, Point WMS, TMS (separate), Yard system, Labor module, Homegrown scripts/tools
• Describe your order mix—% of single-line vs multi-line vs parcel vs LTL shipments (brief breakdown).
• How would you summarize the morale or daily friction on the floor when volume is high? Options: Calm and controlled, Tense but manageable, Regularly stressed, Chaotic during peaks

What's Failing When It Matters Most?

• When customers see delivery failures, which single process or system do you instinctively point to as the root cause? Options: Carrier selection/labeling, Picking accuracy, Order orchestration in ERP, Packing/cartonization, Slow throughput
• Which failure modes occur most often? Select all that apply and estimate frequency. Options: Late shipments, Mispicks, Over-fulfillment, Under-fulfillment/backorders, Wrong carrier or service, Labeling errors
• Give one recent incident where a fulfillment breakdown reached an executive or customer-facing channel—what happened and what was the downstream impact?
• How much additional cost or lost revenue do you estimate these failures create (monthly or per peak period)? Options: < $10k, $10k–$50k, $50k–$250k, $250k–$1M, Unknown / need help calculating
• Who on your team currently owns tracking and reporting of these failure modes? Options: DC Operations Manager, VP of Distribution, Head of Customer Care, IT/ERP Team, Third-party logistics partner, Other

How Deep Is Your ERP's Blind Spot?

• If your ERP is the 'source of truth', where does it fail to orchestrate physical work in the warehouse? Options: Real-time wave rebalancing, Directed putaway and slotting, Labor optimization, Cartonization and packing logic, Multi-carrier rate shopping
• Describe the ERP warehouse module’s cadence—does it operate in real time, near real time, or batch? How often are orders pushed/pulled? Options: Real time (API/events), Near real time (frequent sync), Scheduled batch (hourly), End-of-day or manual exports
• What integration methods does your ERP expose today for order and inventory exchange (pick all that apply)? Options: REST API, SOAP API, EDI, SFTP/CSV batch, Database replication, Message broker/ESB, None / manual
• Are there any customizations in your ERP that alter how orders are released, split, or cancelled that we should know about? Options: Significant customizations, Minor customizations, Standard config only, Unsure—would need to check
• How often do ERP-related delays (e.g., order release lag, missing SKUs) directly cause missed ship windows? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never

Where Throughput and Accuracy Fall Apart

• When volume spikes, which metric collapses first—throughput (picks/hr), accuracy, or labor utilization—and why do you think that happens? Options: Throughput, Accuracy, Labor utilization, Depends on the day
• What are your current baseline metrics for peak-day performance (picks/hour per operator, order accuracy %, lines per hour)? Please provide numbers if available.
• What are the threshold targets you would consider a successful improvement for the pilot (pick rate, accuracy, labor efficiency)?
• How predictable are your peak events—do they follow known seasonality, promotions, or are they emergent/unexpected? Options: Highly predictable (seasonal/promotions), Semi-predictable, Mostly emergent/unexpected
• Which physical constraints amplify failures (narrow aisles, mixed case complexity, staging areas, packing bottlenecks)? Options: Narrow aisles, High SKU velocity variance, Limited packing stations, Insufficient staging, Scale limitations in conveyors/sorters, Other

What Integration Touchpoints Could Break the Pilot?

• Which single integration point worries you most for a 60‑day sandbox: order feed, inventory sync, carrier handoff, or acknowledgement flows? Options: Order feed, Inventory sync, Carrier handoff/labels, ASN/fulfillment acknowledgements, Billing/chargebacks
• List the exact data elements and cadence we must consume or provide for the sandbox (e.g., order header, order lines, ship-to, promised date, inventory by bin).
• Who is the technical owner for each touchpoint (ERP owner, middleware, network ops, 3PL) and who will provide access for the sandbox?
• What middleware or integration layers sit between your ERP and floor systems today (select all that apply)? Options: iPaaS (Mule/Boomi), Custom ESB, Flat file FTP jobs, Direct API connections, No middleware / direct DB
• Do you have a sandbox/QA ERP instance we can integrate with, or will we need to operate against production with read-only extracts? Options: Dedicated sandbox instance, QA environment with limitations, Read-only production extracts, Full production access required

Who Pays Attention When Things Go Wrong?

• If a pilot day shows accuracy slipping by 2–3 percentage points, who gets notified and who makes the call to pause or change scope? Options: DC Ops Manager, VP Distribution, CIO/IT, CFO, Customer Support/CS
• What governance cadence would you prefer during the sandbox—daily standups, weekly KPI reviews, or event-driven escalation? Options: Daily standups, Twice-weekly syncs, Weekly KPI reviews, Event-driven only
• What are the CFO’s minimum acceptance signals for this pilot to be considered in commercial modeling (payback window, labor savings %, error reduction)?
• Who will be the single executive sponsor for the pilot and who will act as the integrator/point person day-to-day?
• How do you prefer success to be reported during the pilot—raw logs and dashboards, executive summary, or both? Options: Real-time dashboards, Daily executive summary, Weekly deep-dive reports, Both dashboards and executive summaries

If We Could Change One Thing Overnight, What Would It Be?

• Imagine one operational constraint disappears tomorrow—what single change would most improve throughput or accuracy?
• Which outcome would justify a rapid go/no-go decision after the 60‑day sandbox (specific % improvements or $ savings)?
• What sandbox acceptance criteria would make your CIO comfortable advancing integration beyond the pilot? Options: No data loss / consistent OTAs, APIs validated for scale, End-to-end fulfillment traceability, Security/compliance validated
• If change management fails on day 30, what are the leading causes you’ve seen historically (training, UX, incentive misalignment)? Options: Insufficient training, Poor UX for floor staff, Leadership misalignment, Incentive/performance conflicts, Integration flakiness
• What would a low-friction pilot look like to your frontline teams—parallel run with same orders, shadow mode, or phased cutover? Options: Parallel run (dual processing), Shadow/simulated run, Phased roll by zone, Immediate cutover

The Risks You Know — And The Ones You Don't

• What single risk would keep you up at night during a 60-day sandbox (data integrity, security, carrier failures, or adoption)? Options: Data integrity/quality, Security/compliance, Carrier/labeling errors, Frontline adoption, ERP integration failures
• Please identify known technical constraints (rate limits, missing data fields, latency SLAs) and how often they surface.
• Which compliance or audit requirements must the sandbox meet (PCI, SOC, customs, retailer SLAs)? Options: PCI/DSS, SOC2, Customs/Trade, Retailer-specific SLAs, None / internal only
• Which operational risks are most underestimated internally (e.g., temporary labor skill gaps, inaccurate bin locations, seasonal SKU churn)?
• What contingency plans do you already have for integration failures or unexpected data gaps during a pilot? Options: Fallback manual process, Extended support window, Rollback to ERP-only, No plan / ad-hoc

Let’s Make The Sandbox Real—Who, What, When

• Who will be on the core pilot team from your side (names/roles): integration lead, ops lead, data steward, exec sponsor?
• Which 60 days of order history should we use for the sandbox and are there special dates (promotions/peak events) we must include? Options: Most recent 60 days, 60 days including last peak season, Custom 60-day window (we'll specify), Unsure—need help selecting
• What minimum dataset can you commit to providing and by what cadence (order history, inventory by bin, carrier manifests, item master)?
• What is your desired go/no-go decision date after the sandbox completes? Options: Immediate thereafter (0–7 days), Within 2 weeks, Within 30 days, Longer / undecided
• Is there anything else we haven’t asked that would materially affect the sandbox scope or acceptance criteria?

Quick Orientation: a single thing to get us moving

• Who is the primary sponsor for the 60-day sandbox pilot on your side? Options: VP Supply Chain / Distribution, CIO / IT Leader, CFO, Site Operations Manager, Warehouse Manager, 3PL Operator, Other
• Which distribution center will we run the sandbox in, and why was that site chosen?
• When would you ideally like the sandbox to start? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, 2+ months
• What single business outcome would make this pilot an unqualified success for your leadership team?
• On average, how many orders does that DC process per day today (ballpark)? Options: <5k, 5k–10k, 10k–20k, 20k–50k, >50k

Before We Flip the Switch: the one failure that would break the pilot

• If the pilot failed tomorrow, what is the single most likely cause you would point to? Options: ERP order feed gap, Incorrect mappings, Inventory mismatch, Warehouse adoption / scanning, Carrier handoff, Other
• How often do peak-day disruptions (late shipments, backorders, mispicks) occur in that DC? Options: Daily during peaks, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely
• What are your current baseline metrics at that DC for: typical picks/hour, order accuracy, and average labor utilization? Please provide numbers or ranges.
• Tell us about the last time a fulfillment breakdown reached the executive level—what happened and what was the real business impact?
• Which of these has historically been hardest to sustain during peak: throughput, accuracy, or labor productivity? Options: Throughput (pick rate), Accuracy (mispicks/returns), Labor productivity (cost per pick), All three equally

Who Owns the Knobs? — responsibility when things go sideways

• Who will be the day-to-day owner we call when an order fails to appear in the sandbox? Options: Warehouse Manager / Ops Lead, Integration Engineer (IT), 3PL On-site Coordinator, VP Distribution, Other
• Which teams must approve go/no-go decisions during the pilot? (select all that apply) Options: Site Operations, IT/Integration, Supply Chain/Distribution, Finance (CFO), Legal/Compliance, 3PL / Operations Partner, Other
• What SLAs do you expect for issue response and remediation when we encounter integration or data problems during the sandbox? Options: 1 hour (critical), 4 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, No formal SLA
• Who will approve the final pilot acceptance—name, title, and decision criteria owner?
• How often can your cross-functional governance team meet to unblock critical issues during the 60 days? Options: Daily war room, 2–3x/week, Weekly, Biweekly, Ad-hoc

Where the Data Lives (and Who Can Touch It)

• If we asked for a complete, timestamped order history with line-level details today, can your team produce that within 72 hours? Options: Yes, with sample files, Yes, but requires IT effort, No — needs extraction work, Unsure / needs confirmation
• How will we get data to the sandbox? (select all methods that apply) Options: API (real-time), SFTP / nightly files, Database read-only access, iPaaS / middleware, Manual CSV exports, Other
• Which ERP/order-management system(s) are in scope for the pilot? Options: SAP ECC / S/4HANA, Oracle EBS / Cloud, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Infor, Proprietary / Legacy, Other
• Are there PII or regulatory constraints on sharing order or customer data with a vendor sandbox? Please describe.
• Which of these data elements are present and complete in your order feed today? (select all that apply) Options: Order timestamps (created/updated), Line-level SKUs, Inventory location / bin, Lot/serial numbers, Package dimensions & weight, Ship-to carrier/service, Promotions / price adjustments, Other

The Real Integration Gaps: honest choices, not wishful thinking

• Which single integration touchpoint has caused the most overruns in past projects? Options: Order ingestion (OMS -> execution), Inventory reconciliation, ASN / ship notice, Carrier manifest / rating, Yard / dock appointment, Labor transactions
• Do you currently use middleware/iPaaS for integrations, or do you prefer direct connections? Options: MuleSoft, Dell Boomi, Celigo, Custom ETL / in-house, Direct API connections, No middleware / manual
• Are your current integrations batch (hourly/daily) or near real-time? How tolerant is the business of latency? Options: Batch (daily/hourly), Near real-time (minutes), Real-time streaming, Mixed (depends on feed)
• Which mapping complexities do we need to plan for (e.g., multi-UOM, multi-sku aliases, kit children)?
• Share one example of a past integration failure—what broke and what was the root cause?

People & The Floor: it’s rarely just technology

• Which is more likely to derail a parallel-run: a technical mapping issue or the warehouse team’s reluctance to follow system-directed workflows? Options: Technical mapping issues, Warehouse adoption / resistance, Equal risk, Other
• How prepared is the DC for device-based scanning and guided workflows today? Options: Fully equipped and tested, Devices available but not fully tested, Limited devices / need procurement, No devices / need plan
• How many floor associates will require formal training for the pilot, and over how many shifts? Options: <10, 10–50, 50–200, 200–500, >500
• Who will be the onsite change champion(s) responsible for adoption during the 60 days?
• Describe one cultural or operational habit that might slow adoption of system-directed pick/putaway guidance.

Sandbox Success: what would make your CFO stop the spreadsheet scratching

• If pick rate improved X% and accuracy improved Y%, what payback horizon would get the CFO comfortable—would that be enough to commit to rollout? Options: <6 months, 6–12 months, 12–24 months, >24 months
• What specific ROI inputs does your finance team require from the pilot (labor $/hr, error cost per order, implementation CAPEX, ongoing license)?
• What minimum improvements would you need to see in pick rate, order accuracy, and labor utilization to label the pilot a success? Options: Pick rate +5%, Pick rate +10%, Pick rate +20%+, Order accuracy to >98%, Labor cost reduction 5–10%, Other
• Who in finance will validate the business case and what evidence format do they prefer (spreadsheet model, slide deck, raw data exports)? Options: Spreadsheet model, Slide deck + executive summary, Raw data exports + access, Other
• How will pilot results be reconciled to production metrics—what dashboards or reports must be produced?

Hidden Escalations & Contingencies — planning for what we don’t want to happen

• If the pilot misses a guaranteed ship window on peak day one, who is the escalation path and expected response time?
• Do you have a rollback plan that can be executed within a shift if the parallel-run jeopardizes customer SLAs? Options: Yes — tested, Yes — untested, No formal rollback plan, Not sure
• What regulatory, customer contract, or carrier constraints should we know that might affect how quickly we can change routing or carriers during the pilot?
• Which stakeholders must be notified immediately when a critical pilot incident occurs? (select all that apply) Options: Site Manager, VP Supply Chain, CIO/IT Lead, CFO, Customer Success / Account Team, 3PL Partner, Other
• What contingency budget or overtime allowance exists to cover corrective actions during the sandbox? Options: Dedicated contingency budget, Overtime approval available, No extra budget, Unsure

Mapping the Steps to Deployment: the bare minimum we must finish before parallel run

• From your perspective, what are the non-negotiable integration tasks that must be completed before enabling parallel operations? Options: Order feed configured, Inventory sync established, User accounts provisioned, Cartonization rules defined, Carrier connections live, Sample data loaded, Acceptance criteria documented
• For each of those tasks, who will be the responsible owner (name/title) and what is their availability?
• What is your preferred sprint cadence for integration and validation work? Options: Daily standups, 2–3x/week, Weekly, Biweekly
• Estimate realistic durations for the following activities: feed mapping, middleware configuration, sandbox data load, and floor training (give ranges)
• Are there external vendors (carriers, ERP integrators, WMS consultants) we must coordinate with, and how responsive have they been historically?

Commit to Next Checkpoint: timing, credentials, and the first deliverable

• If we agreed to a kickoff today, how soon could you commit the necessary people and credentials to start extract/load work? Options: Immediately, Within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2+ weeks, Blocked
• What are the top three blockers that would slow the start of the sandbox (e.g., security approval, API credentials, resource availability)?
• Which communication channels do you prefer for day-to-day pilot coordination? (select all that apply) Options: Email, Slack / Teams channel, CustomerNode workspace, Weekly video calls, Phone
• Who should be invited to the kickoff meeting from your side (name, title, role in pilot)?
• What would you like the first 7-day deliverable from our team to be (e.g., sample data load, mapping checklist, device readiness report)? Options: Sample data loaded to sandbox, Mapping checklist completed, Device & user provisioning report, Initial integration test run, Other

Opening: Who's in the room and why now?

• Please list the people who will be actively involved in the 60-day sandbox (name and role).
• Which executive(s) created the urgency to evaluate a new execution platform? Options: VP of Distribution/Logistics, CIO/IT, CFO/Finance, CEO/COO, 3PL Partner, Other
• What specific incident or pattern triggered this evaluation right now? Options: Late shipments during peak, Spike in mispicks, Backorder/customer complaints, ERP unable to scale, New business/volume growth, Other
• In one sentence, what is the one business question this sandbox must answer for your leadership?
• Who is expected to sign the pilot acceptance and final purchase approval? Options: VP Distribution, CIO, CFO, Site Operations Lead, Procurement, Other

If We Keep Doing What We've Done, What Breaks Next?

• When high volume hits again, where do you expect the operation will fail first? Options: Wave planning collapse, Labor shortfalls/misbalance, Pick accuracy declines, Carrier cut-offs missed, Yard congestion, Other
• Tell me about a recent failure that reached customers—what happened, root causes you observed, and the customer impact.
• Which processes routinely require manual overrides, spreadsheets, or ad-hoc workarounds? Options: Order splitting/cartonization, Wave selection, Slotting decisions, Labor assignment, Carrier selection/rate-shopping, Exception handling
• How often do exceptions escalate to senior ops or the VP level during peak periods? Options: Daily, Several times a week, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely
• Who typically owns resolving those escalations and how long does it take on average?

Where the Numbers Hide the Real Problem

• You may be measuring the wrong thing—which operational metric do you think gives the most false confidence today? Options: ERP throughput reports, Daily pick counts, Labor hours logged, On-time shipment percent, Inventory accuracy
• Which KPIs do you track hourly vs daily vs weekly? (select all that apply) Options: Pick rate (PPH), Order accuracy, On-time %, Orders processed, Labor utilization, Carrier SLA adherence, Dock-to-ship time
• Please state your current baseline ranges for normal-day and peak-day: pick rate (PPH), order accuracy (%), and labor utilization (%).
• How confident are you in the integrity of the last 60 days of order and execution data we’ll use in the sandbox? Options: High (clean/complete), Moderate (some gaps), Low (significant issues), Unknown
• How do you currently reconcile ERP-reported performance with floor reality when numbers diverge?

What Would a Non-Negotiable Fix Look Like?

• If you had to name three non-negotiable outcomes the pilot must deliver, what would they be?
• Which capabilities must be present in the sandbox to validate those outcomes? Options: Wave-based dynamic planning, Real-time labor optimization, Advanced cartonization, Multi-carrier orchestration, Yard visibility, ERP order synchronization
• What operational constraints must the pilot respect (e.g., no downtime, limited change to floor devices, blackout dates)?
• What CFO payback timeframe would make a rollout decision straightforward? Options: < 6 months, 6–12 months, 12–24 months, > 24 months
• Are there any acceptance criteria you would refuse to accept? (e.g., >X% accuracy, Y PPH minimum)

Whose Job Gets Harder When You Change This?

• Which teams and roles will feel the biggest day-to-day impact from switching to a single execution layer? Options: Warehouse associates, Floor supervisors, IT/integration team, Customer service, Carrier operations, Finance
• How do frontline workers currently receive tasks and priorities (select all that apply)? Options: ERP handhelds, Paper/picksheets, Voice systems, Local WMS devices, Supervisor assignment, Other
• How emotionally and practically ready are floor supervisors to move to system-directed workflows? Options: Very ready, Open but cautious, Resistant, Unsure
• What training hours and resources can you commit during the parallel run phase (estimate per site)?
• Who will be the internal change sponsor responsible for adoption success at the DC? Options: Site Ops Manager, VP Distribution, HR/Training, Change Manager, IT Lead

If This Pilot Succeeds, What Changes for the CFO?

• How will finance quantify success—what explicit line items or savings will they expect to see? Options: Labor cost reduction, Error/rework cost avoided, Carrier savings, Fewer chargebacks/penalties, Revenue retained
• Estimate your current monthly spend (range) on labor and on pick-related rework/error costs. Options: <$100k, $100k–$500k, $500k–$1M, >$1M
• Are there capital or operating budget windows that will limit when a multi-year license can be purchased? Options: Yes—capital window only, Yes—operating budget only, Flexible, Unsure
• What CFO-level evidence will shift a 'maybe' to a 'go'—a dollar number, a % improvement, or a risk reduction threshold? Options: Dollar ROI within X months, X% lift in productivity, Absolute accuracy threshold, Other
• Any finance constraints (e.g., amortization policy, multi-year commitments) we should build into the business case?

Let’s Stress the Sandbox — What Could Break It?

• Which edge-case scenarios make you doubt a sandbox will reflect real-world performance? Options: Carrier irregularities, Split-case orders, Promotional surges, Cross-dock spikes, Return storms, Inventory inaccuracies
• Which historical peak-day scenarios should we reproduce to validate throughput and accuracy? Options: Black Friday/Cyber, Holiday week, Promo launch, Supplier delay day, Unexpected returns day
• What data artifacts can you provide for the sandbox (select all you can commit to delivering)? Options: 60 days order history, SKU master with dimensions/weights, Carrier rules and rate tables, Labor standards and shift schedules, Warehouse zone maps and devices
• Are there interfaces or systems we cannot replicate in sandbox (third-party carriers, vendor-managed inventory, proprietary telemetry)?
• What SLA do you require for our sandbox environment performance and data privacy controls? Options: 99.9% availability, Business hours support, 24/7 support, Other

What Would Success Sound Like on Day 61?

• If you answered the VP’s one question on Day 61 in one sentence, what would you want that sentence to say?
• Which specific reports or dashboards must exist at pilot close for you to sign off? Options: Pick rate vs baseline, Order accuracy by SKU/location, Labor utilization and productivity, Cartonization efficiency, Carrier SLA & cost variance, ROI model
• Who will own the formal pilot acceptance decision, and who needs to be consulted before signing off? Options: VP Distribution, CIO, CFO, Site Ops Manager, IT Integration Lead
• How will you validate sandbox results against live parallel-run performance before broader rollout?
• What remaining technical or operational risks must be mitigated before a site-by-site rollout?

Quick Signals — Practical Hand-raises

• If we could complete only three integration tasks this quarter, which would you prioritize? Options: ERP order API synchronization, Inventory master sync, Carrier EDI/manifest integration, Labor/timekeeping integration, Warehouse device connectivity
• Data access readiness: which of the following can you provide within two weeks? Options: Order history (60 days), SKU dimensions & cube, Carrier contracts/rates, Labor standards, Warehouse layout & zone config
• What sandbox timeline do you prefer to validate the business case? Options: 30 days, 45 days, 60 days (standard), 90 days
• Who will be the day-to-day point of contact for integration and testing on your side (name & role)?
• Are there security, SSO, or network constraints our team should plan for immediately? Options: SSO required, Firewall/VPN needed, VPN + whitelisted IPs, No special requirements, Unsure

Commitment and Next Steps — Are We Ready to Move?

• What's the smallest high-confidence commitment you will make this week to prove momentum (e.g., provide data extract, schedule kickoff, assign POC)?
• Which pilot governance cadence will you use? Options: Weekly steering with exec sponsors, Bi-weekly tactical reviews, Daily ops standup during go-live, Ad-hoc as needed
• Who will own pilot acceptance criteria tracking and reporting on your side? Options: Site Ops Manager, VP Distribution, IT Integration Lead, Program Manager, Other
• List any procurement, legal, or procurement windows and blockers we should be aware of before starting.
• Please provide preferred dates for pilot kickoff and a realistic date for having the required data in sandbox format.