3PL WMS feature checklist

A feature list is only useful if you can test it. This checklist groups what a 3PL warehouse management system should do by where the work happens, and gives you one question to ask under each item. Print it, take it into every demo, and mark each line with one of three letters:

S for "shown to me working on screen"
D for "described to me but not shown"
N for "not available or not answered"

At the end, count the S marks that matter to you. Descriptions are cheap. Demonstrations are not.

Before you start, mark each line as must have, should have or nice to have for your own operation. A cold storage 3PL and a small apparel fulfiller will not agree on this, and they should not.

The dock

Receiving against an expected shipment. The system knows what the client said was coming and lets you check it in. Ask: show me a delivery with one carton short and one carton not on the notice.

Exceptions held, not hidden. Anything damaged or unexpected is recorded with a note and, ideally, a photo, and the stock is held until someone decides. Ask: where does a damaged pallet sit in the system, and who is told?

Time stamps on arrival and release. You need to know when something arrived and when it became available. This matters for disputes and for storage charges. Ask: can I see the receipt history for one pallet?

Labels you can print yourself. Pallet and case labels with the barcode style your clients or their retailers expect. Ask: can a label format be changed without a ticket to the vendor?

The floor

Location control. Every unit sits in a known place, and moving it is a scan. Ask: what happens if I put something in a location the system did not suggest?

Client-level stock. Stock is owned by a client, and one client's item can never be picked for another client's order. Ask: show me two clients with the same item code.

Lot, serial and expiry tracking. Only if your clients need it, but if they do, it must work at pick time, not only at receiving. Ask: show me the system choosing the earliest expiry first.

Pick methods. At minimum single-order picking, and ideally batch or zone picking when your volume asks for it. Ask: how does the screen change for the picker when orders are grouped?

Scan verification at pack. The packer confirms the right items before the box closes. Ask: what happens on a wrong scan?

Cycle counting. You count a slice of the building regularly rather than closing for a full count. Ask: how does the system suggest what to count, and what happens to a variance?

Replenishment. Stock moves from bulk to pick locations without someone remembering to do it. Ask: who gets the task, and what triggers it?

Returns. Returned goods are received, graded, and sent to stock, rework or disposal with a record. Ask: show me a return from start to finish.

The office

Order intake. Orders arrive from storefronts or files and become pick work without retyping. Ask: what happens to an order that cannot be filled?

Inventory adjustments with reasons. Changes need a reason and a user name. Ask: can I see every adjustment on one item for one month?

Billing events. The system captures what you charge for (receiving, storage, picking, packing, shipping, special services) and ties each to a client. Ask: show me the events for one client and how they reach an invoice. Rate cards by client. Each client can have its own rates and rules. Ask: how do I change a rate for one client from a certain date?

Reports you can export. Stock by client, movement history, order status, receiving accuracy, and anything else your team uses weekly. Ask: can I export this to a spreadsheet, and can I build my own report?

Roles and permissions. Not everyone should be able to adjust stock or edit rates. Ask: show me what a floor user cannot do.

Audit trail. Who did what, and when. Ask: where do I look when stock is wrong?

The client

Stock and order visibility. Clients can see their own stock and order status without calling you. Ask: can I limit a client login to one account and confirm it cannot see others?

Inbound notices. Clients tell you what is coming, and see it received. Ask: how does a client create an inbound notice?

Documents and invoices. Clients can find their statements and delivery proof. Ask: where do they find last month's invoice?

Notifications. Clients are told about events they care about, so they do not need to ask. Ask: who sets up which notices, you or the client?

Connections

Accounting. Invoices or billing data can leave the WMS cleanly. Storefronts and marketplaces. Orders in, tracking out. Carriers and label services. Rates, labels and tracking. Client systems. Some clients will want data exchanged with their own systems. Ask for each: is this built in, configured, or custom work, and how is it priced?

Control and ownership

Configuration without code. What can your team change itself? Change requests. How are they asked for, and how long do they take? Export of your data. Can you leave with your records? Support. What hours, and how do you reach someone?

If you want a different route, a one-time custom build, no per-seat, per-truck or per-client fees is one option next to buying subscription software. It changes the "control" and "ownership" answers, and it needs a clear written scope. Treat it like any other option on your list.

How to use this list

Mark each item must, should or nice to have.
In each demo, mark S, D or N.
Total the S marks for your must-haves only.
Anything marked D needs a written answer before you sign.

Two options with the same number of S marks on your must-haves are a tie, and then the decision usually comes down to support, change control and ownership. Our guide on how to choose 3PL warehouse management software covers that next step.