1. Prepare your data
- SKU list: code, name, variant, barcode if any, unit dimensions and weight
- Stock count per SKU, dated
- Which SKUs are fragile, liquid, heavy or high value
- Carton sizes and units per carton for the inbound delivery
This is the step people skip, and the one that causes disputes later. If the list the warehouse counts against is wrong, everything downstream inherits the error.
2. Write your packing SOP
- Box or mailer for each product or order size
- Void fill, tissue, tape and stickers
- Inserts: which ones, when, and where in the box
- Gift notes; invoice in the parcel or not
- A photo of a perfectly packed order
- Return rules: what is restocked, what is set aside
3. Connect your store
- Platform access for the integration, or API credentials
- A test order placed, received, packed and cancelled
- Tracking visible to you and to the customer
4. Move the stock
- Book the transfer — our 1-ton pickup is AED 220, the 3-ton AED 320
- Label cartons with SKU and quantity
- Send the packing list before the truck arrives
- Agree how discrepancies will be reported
5. Cutover day
- Choose a quiet weekday, not a campaign day
- Stop fulfilling from the old location at a set time
- Confirm new orders are reaching the 3PL
- Watch the first day’s orders through to dispatch
6. The first fortnight
- Check a sample of parcels against your SOP photo
- Reconcile the first cash-on-delivery statement line by line
- Review any discrepancy report from receiving
- Adjust the SOP once, in writing, rather than by message-by-message tweaks