Which quotation items should you check?
Group costs into inbound, storage and outbound work to distinguish initial handling from recurring costs. The checklist below is not a PAGO rate card: applicability and amounts depend on the agreed service quotation.
| Stage | Items to check | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound | Unloading, counting, sorting and put-away | What is the billing unit, and is SKU sorting included? |
| Storage | Space occupied and storage period | How are space, start and end dates, and billing periods measured? |
| Orders | Picking, checking and packing | How are single-item and multi-item orders charged? |
| Materials | Cartons, cushioning and special packing | Can existing packaging be used, and are new materials separate? |
| Delivery | Parcel or pallet transport | How do dimensions, weight, ZIP code and service affect the quote? |
| Additional work | Relabeling, repacking and returns | What triggers the charge, and how is work confirmed? |
Why can the same order volume produce different costs?
Order count alone does not describe the work. Multi-item orders, SKU variety, packaging and delivery regions change picking and shipping needs. Provide an order profile instead of only a monthly total.
- Distinguish single-item, multi-item and bundled orders.
- Provide product dimensions and packed parcel dimensions separately.
- Describe expected inventory, storage periods and destination distribution.
How can quotations be compared consistently?
Apply the same real shipment and order data to receiving, storage, handling, materials, delivery and extra work. Ask for exclusions separately; a low price for one activity is not the complete fulfillment cost.
- Confirm currency, billing units, minimum charges and quotation validity.
- Separate normal orders from oversized, multi-item and return scenarios.
- Record who supplies order data, when dispatch instructions are confirmed and how changes are handled.
Are returns charged like normal dispatch?
Returns may involve receiving, condition checks, relabeling, repacking and another shipment. Ask for these separately from normal outbound orders, with the required work and redispatch suitability established first.
- Specify whether the request is receiving and storage only or includes other handling.
- Provide new labels and the destination rather than a general request to process returns.
Prepare these details for your enquiry
- SKU count, commodities and product specifications
- Inbound cartons or pallets and expected storage period
- Order volume and multi-item order mix
- Packed weights, dimensions and material requirements
- Delivery regions, returns and special handling
This is a planning guide. Acceptance, scope, timing and charges are confirmed for the actual shipment.