The 60-day switching plan

Switch 3PL without losing a day's orders.

A four-phase, 42-task project plan drawn from real audits. Median brand recoups switching cost in 38 days. Use as-is or download as your project tracker.

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Current 3PL

New 3PL

Target go-live

Complexity

Switching

Old Provider Co → FulfilPro

Total tasks

across 4 phases

Critical-path days

First task: 03 May · Go-live: 08 Jul

Switching cost

$2,500

Recoup ~41 days post-launch

PHASE 01

Sign & align

Days 1–10

PHASE 02

Integrate & test

Days 11–35

PHASE 03

Inventory transfer

Days 36–55

PHASE 04

Go-live & verify

Days 56–62

Phase 01 · Sign & align

Days 1–10 · 8 tasks

Day 1

Sign FulfilPro contract.

Confirm tier 2 pricing locked, 12-month term, 60-day notice. Use the redlined version from your audit.

Brand

Open

Day 1

Issue 60-day notice to Old Provider Co.

Use the template letter we sent you. Email + registered post. Keep proof of delivery.

Brand

Open

Day 2

Request final inventory report from Old Provider Co.

SKU-level on-hand quantities + pallet locations. Ask for it weekly during transition.

Old 3PL

Owner: Ops

Day 3

Kickoff call with FulfilPro onboarding team.

Establish single point of contact. Confirm SLAs. Share product master + special handling notes.

New 3PL

90 min

Day 4

Share SKU master file in canonical format.

CSV: SKU, name, weight, dims, hazmat flag, FBA flag, expiry rules. Template in dashboard.

Brand

~2 hrs

Day 5

Confirm carrier accounts & rates with FulfilPro.

Pass-through model — your AusPost MyPost Business account stays with you.

New 3PL

Open

Day 7

Schedule inventory audit at Old Provider Co.

Day-of-pickup count vs system count. Discrepancies are FOB-risk if not caught now.

Brand

Open

Day 10

Phase 1 sign-off call.

Brand + 3PLCompare + FulfilPro. Confirm Phase 2 readiness. 30 min.

3PLC

30 min

Risk: Old Provider Co contracts often have a "data return fee" buried in their terms. Read your old contract for any clauses about returning your inventory data, SKU images, or customer addresses. We've seen $2,000–$8,000 fees levied at the exit point. Push back if charged — most clauses are unenforceable under AU consumer law.

Tackle the next 5 tasks first. The full plan unlocks once you're ready.

Phase 02 · Integrate & test

Days 11–35 · 14 tasks

Day 11

Connect Shopify → FulfilPro (sandbox).

FulfilPro initiates. You authorise from Shopify admin → apps. Sandbox first, never production.

New 3PL

Open

Day 12

Connect Amazon SP-API → FulfilPro.

Apply via Seller Central → User Permissions. Approval takes 24–48h on Amazon's side.

New 3PL

Open

Day 14

Run 5 test orders end-to-end.

Place from Shopify → confirm received by FulfilPro WMS → simulate pick → tracking back to Shopify. Don't ship — cancel before label print.

New 3PL

2 hrs

Day 18

Returns flow test.

Run a return through FulfilPro's RMA portal. Confirm restocking, refund trigger, customer email.

Brand

1 hr

Day 21

FBA prep workflow walkthrough.

FNSKU labelling, case-pack restrictions, poly-bag & bubble-wrap services. Confirm per-unit pricing locked.

New 3PL

Open

Day 25

Customer service handover briefing.

Update your CX team. Old tracking links die when transition completes. New SLA on shipping queries.

Brand

45 min

Day 30

UAT (user acceptance testing) sign-off.

Brand + 3PLCompare + FulfilPro. All integration tests passed. Approve Phase 3.

3PLC

60 min

Day 35

Inventory transfer date confirmed with both 3PLs.

Lock truck booking. 36 pallets typically takes 1 day Sydney metro.

3PLC

Open

Risk: Amazon SP-API approval is the most common blocker. Submit on Day 12, not later. If you wait until Day 25 you'll miss your go-live. Set a calendar reminder.

Phase 03 · Inventory transfer

Days 36–55 · 12 tasks

Day 36

Pause inbound stock to Old Provider Co.

Redirect any in-transit POs to FulfilPro. Update suppliers with new ship-to address.

Brand

Open

Day 38

Final inventory snapshot at Old Provider Co.

SKU × on-hand × location export from their WMS. Use as the baseline for transfer reconciliation.

Old 3PL

Open

Day 40

Schedule transfer truck.

36 pallets · Sydney metro · ~$1,200 with a tail-lift. We coordinate.

3PLC

Open

Day 45

Truck departs Old Provider Co · arrives FulfilPro.

Same-day. You receive arrival confirmation by 4pm. Reconciliation window opens.

3PLC

~6 hrs

Day 46

FulfilPro receives & counts inventory.

Pallet-level + SKU-level reconciliation against Day 38 snapshot. Discrepancy report in 48h.

New 3PL

2 days

Day 48

Resolve any inventory discrepancies.

Document missing/damaged SKUs. Old Provider Co liable for variance >0.5%.

Brand

Open

Day 50

Final invoice from Old Provider Co.

Verify against your audit-extracted rate card. Dispute any unauthorised exit fees.

Brand

Open

Day 55

Production cutover dress rehearsal.

10 real orders ship from FulfilPro. Confirm tracking, label, packaging brand experience match.

Brand

2 hrs

Risk: Inventory variance over 0.5% is normal. Variance over 2% suggests Old Provider Co has been miscounting for months. Check their LTS billing — sometimes "missing" SKUs were billed as long-term storage when they were actually never received. Pull old invoices.

Phase 04 · Go-live & verify

Days 56–62 · 8 tasks

Day 56

Cutover Shopify default fulfilment to FulfilPro.

Single switch in Shopify admin. Reversible if needed. New orders route to FulfilPro from now.

Brand

5 min

Day 56

Customer comms email.

"You may notice slight changes to packaging and tracking. Same brand, same returns." Use template.

Brand

15 min

Day 56

First production order ships.

Both teams on standby. Confirm tracking + delivery before close of day.

New 3PL

Watch closely

Day 57

Daily check-in for first 5 days post-cutover.

15 min standup with FulfilPro ops. Order accuracy, SLA breach, customer complaints.

3PLC

15 min × 5

Day 60

Old Provider Co final logout.

Disconnect their Shopify app. Confirm no further bills will issue.

Brand

10 min

Day 62

Switching retrospective with 3PLCompare.

What worked, what didn't. Feeds our switching playbook for the next brand. 45 min.

3PLC

45 min

Day 90

30-day post-switch audit.

We re-audit your first 30 days at FulfilPro. Confirm invoicing matches the quote — no creep.

3PLC

Auto-scheduled

Risk: Most "creep" happens in week 3–4 when the brand stops watching closely. Hidden fees that didn't appear in the first invoice surface in the second. Our 30-day audit catches this. If your first invoice from FulfilPro is >5% above quote, escalate immediately.

Take this with you.

Export to PDF, sync to your project tool, or email to your team.