Security should be top of mind when interviewing potential fulfillment vendors. Fires, burglaries and other calamities can happen, negatively impacting your inventory. You want a partner that takes security seriously. Choose one that has monitoring of the operation via security cameras, has ample backup power sources in the event of a storm or natural disaster and can provide 100% uptime. A power outage in North Carolina won’t matter to customers in New York. If they can’t put it in writing move on to the next one.

Employee theft is also a problem in warehousing. For some people, the allure of making a quick buck off stolen goods is too enticing. To protect your inventory, find out if your potential fulfillment partner vets its employees. They should at the very least conduct background checks of staff handling the merchandise.