How it works
3PL onboarding, from first conversation to live orders.
A calm first month rests on complete SKU data, written rules and a tested order flow, so you can run the business.
Our method
This is how we work, step by step, adjusted to your products and your data.
The steps
The 3PL onboarding process: who does what, in order.
Each step produces something written, so the next one does not rest on verbal assumptions. Timing depends on your data, integrations and product range, so it is planned per client.
- 01
First conversation
What you sell, how it ships, what comes back and what goes wrong today. Ranges are enough. We flag anything that may fall outside our scope, and check restricted goods such as lithium batteries individually.
You: describe the operation. ShipRevo: check the fit.
- 02
Quote with assumptions
Priced by activity: receiving, storage, order handling, materials, returns, additional work. The assumptions sit next to the prices, so you can see what a change in carton sizes or order mix would affect. What the lines usually mean.
ShipRevo: writes it. You: challenge it.
- 03
Written procedures
Receiving rules, packing standard, return criteria, what gets photographed, and who approves what when something is off. Where the procedure is silent, we ask instead of guessing.
ShipRevo: drafts. You: approve.
- 04
Master data
Your SKU master is loaded and then checked against real goods: barcodes read, dimensions compared, packaging levels confirmed. Errors found here cost little. Found during a dispatch, they cost much more.
You: supply and correct. ShipRevo: verify.
- 05
Data exchange test
Orders, stock, inbound notices and returns are mapped and tested with deliberately awkward cases before any real order depends on them. How that test works.
Both, with whoever administers your systems.
- 06
First inbound
You notify the delivery with an advance shipping notice (ASN). We count against it, note damage, check labelling and locate the goods. Differences are reported before the stock is released as available.
You: send the notice and goods. ShipRevo: count, report, locate.
- 07
Pilot
Test orders and test returns run against acceptance criteria agreed in advance. Failures are traced to their cause and tested again.
ShipRevo: runs it. You: sign off.
- 08
Go-live and first review
Volume starts only after sign-off. We then review the exceptions together and update the procedures in writing, because real orders will show things the pilot did not.
Both.
Pilot
What has to pass before volume starts.
A pilot only proves something if the awkward cases are in it. These are the tests we propose, adjusted to your scope.
| What is tested | How | It passes when |
|---|---|---|
| Opening stock | First delivery counted against the ASN | Differences are explained and you have accepted the opening stock |
| Order flow | Test orders, including multi-line, out-of-stock and cancelled after release | Right SKU in the parcel and each order ends in the expected status |
| Packing standard | Test parcels sent to an address you choose, so you can open them | You accept the materials, inserts and labels |
| Carrier handover | Labels created and parcels handed over for each carrier service in scope | The carrier accepts them and the shipment is recorded against the order |
| Returns | One test return for each condition in your procedure | Each takes the agreed route and stock changes only for released items |
| Reporting and billing | Pilot activity report compared with what physically happened | Report and reality match, and every billable line can be traced |
Acceptance criteria are agreed in writing before the pilot. A failed test is corrected and repeated before volume starts.
Data
What we need from you for onboarding.
If some of this does not exist yet, tell us. Building it during set-up is normal. Skipping it is what causes stock errors later.
SKU master
- Unique SKU code and product name
- Variants and unit of measure
- Whether lot, expiry or serial number must be tracked
- Restricted goods flagged, with safety documents where they exist
Dimensions and weights
- Unit, inner carton and outer carton
- Pallet pattern and maximum pallet height
- Stacking limits and fragile items
- Actual measurements, not catalogue estimates
Barcodes
- Which code is on which level: unit, carton, pallet
- Whether one barcode maps to one SKU
- Who labels goods that arrive without a code
- Label specification, if your customer sets one
Inbound notices (ASN)
- Expected date and sender
- SKUs and quantities per delivery
- Number of cartons or pallets, and how they are loaded
- Lot and expiry data where tracked
Orders and packing
- Fields your orders carry, and how they reach us
- Packaging per product, inserts and marketing material
- Carrier services per destination
- Retailer routing guides for B2B orders
Returns
- Your criteria for each condition
- What must be photographed
- What leaves quarantine, and to where
- Who answers when an item fits no rule
Exceptions
What happens when reality differs from the paperwork.
A procedure should say who decides before the problem appears. These are the usual cases and our default handling until your procedure says otherwise.
Count differs from the ASN
You decide. We record the actual quantity, hold the difference out of available stock and tell you. Settling it with your supplier is your call.
Damaged on arrival
You decide. Set aside in a quarantine location, photographed and reported. It is not released as available stock until you decide.
Missing or unreadable barcode
You approve. Goods are held and reported. Relabelling happens on your approval and appears as additional work.
Delivery without notice
You confirm. Held apart until you confirm what it is. Until then, goods that arrive without notice stay out of available stock.
Order cannot be completed
You decide. The order is held and flagged. Split, wait or cancel is your decision. We do not substitute products on our own.
Return that matches nothing
You decide. Held outside saleable stock. We send what we could establish and wait for your answer. How returns work.
Next step
Start with the first conversation.
Send a few ranges through the form. You do not need your data ready, and a quote request commits you to nothing.