A partner evaluation should reveal how your operation will work on a difficult day. This scorecard helps a brand compare providers using the same evidence and assumptions.
You will finish with: a weighted comparison, unresolved conditions and a list of capabilities that must be demonstrated. The CSV is an editable worksheet. It does not calculate a winner automatically.
Prepare a representative operating profile
Bring SKU dimensions, storage needs, order mix, units per order, channel promises, returns profile and current warehouse arrangements. Use a representative trading period and explain unusual peaks.
Give each provider the same information. Quotes based on different parcel sizes, volumes or handling requirements are not directly comparable. Record exclusions, minimum charges and assumptions beside the quoted costs.
Set priorities before scoring
Assign each criterion a weight from one to five, where five means most important to your operating model. Score each provider from zero to three: zero for no evidence, one for a described capability, two for a relevant demonstration, and three for demonstrated fit with documented scope and ownership.
These scales are editorial aids, not industry benchmarks. To compare totals, use the same applicable criteria and weights for every provider. Divide the weighted score by three times the sum of applicable weights if you want a normalized percentage. Do not count “not applicable” as a pass.
Mark non-negotiable requirements separately. A high total must never compensate for failure to meet a mandatory handling or channel requirement.
Inspect the workflow, not only the feature
Ask for evidence of receiving, inventory control, order routing, picking, packing, tracking and returns. Include a missing-stock exception and a cancellation after warehouse release.
For hybrid operations, show how your warehouse and the partner exchange inventory and shipment events. Confirm the source of truth, retry behavior and ownership of mismatches. Read the hybrid fulfillment guide before scoring that section.
Make the cost comparison explicit
Include receiving, storage, fulfillment, packaging, shipping, returns, account fees and unusual handling. Record what causes each charge and when it is billed.
Ask how service changes, peak demand and product profile changes affect the quote. Use your own order data to evaluate scenarios. Do not treat a headline pick fee as total cost per order.
Define the measures
“On time” needs a clock start, deadline and denominator. “Accurate” needs a definition of the errors counted. Request the measurement period and treatment of exceptions before comparing performance claims.
Separate order release, carrier handoff and final delivery. A provider may control some of these events more directly than others. Your contract and reporting should make the distinction visible.
Record unresolved items
A demonstration can reveal gaps that are acceptable with a workaround, conditional on implementation work, or unacceptable. Label each one clearly. Assign an owner and due date for the evidence needed to resolve it.
The decision record should explain why the chosen model fits your operation, not simply quote the highest score. Include implementation responsibilities and a bounded first rollout.
Evaluate 1Commerce with the same standard
Use the same worksheet when speaking with 1Commerce. Ask the team to demonstrate the relevant warehouse, order and inventory workflows, then confirm the services and integrations included in your scope.