Starting Point: A Quick Snapshot

• Which facility, DC number, or operation are we aligning on for this conversation?
• Who is your primary sponsor for this initiative (title and name if available)? Options: VP Supply Chain, Director of Distribution, Warehouse GM, COO, Other
• How would you summarize the single biggest goal for this project in one sentence?
• Which business vertical best describes this operation? Options: E‑commerce/Omnichannel, Wholesale/distribution, Manufacturing, Retail DC, 3PL, Other
• Roughly how many outbound orders or lines do you ship per day? Options: <500 orders, 500–2,000 orders, 2,000–10,000 orders, >10,000 orders, Unsure / varies

Who's in the Room — and Who's Silent?

• If this project moved forward and a key stakeholder publicly opposed it, who would that person most likely be and why would they push back?
• Please select all roles that will directly influence the decision (select all that apply). Options: VP Supply Chain, Director of Distribution, Warehouse GM, Finance/FP&A, IT/WMS Lead, Operations Supervisors, Safety/HR, Procurement, Other
• Who on your team actually controls the day‑to‑day operations that will need to adopt the changes? (name/title preferred)
• Which individuals or groups are informal influencers on the floor whose buy‑in is critical even if they don't hold final approval? Options: Shift Supervisors, Senior Associates, Union Reps, Maintenance Leads, Picking Team Leads, Other
• How much time can we expect stakeholders to commit to working sessions, floor walks, and status reviews during an assessment phase? Options: <2 hours/week, 2–4 hours/week, Half day/week, Full day/week, Variable / depends on week

What Would Break If We Don’t Fix This?

• If throughput doesn't improve this quarter, how would that change your job or your team's priorities?
• Which of the following consequences are you most worried about if nothing changes? (pick up to three) Options: Missed SLAs / late shipments, Customer chargebacks, Rising overtime costs, Safety incidents, Lost shelf space or customers, Inability to hire/retain staff, Other
• How often do throughput shortfalls create urgent executive attention or escalation? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely/Only during peaks, Never
• Can you quantify the current pain in dollars, time, or service terms (e.g., cost of overtime/week, % late orders, lost sales)? Please provide specifics.
• Which customers, channels, or SKUs are most exposed to current failures or capacity limits?

What Would Success Feel and Look Like?

• If we called this project a win after 90 days, what three measurable changes would have to be true?
• Which primary KPIs should we use to judge success? (select up to three) Options: Throughput (orders/day), Lines picked/hour, Order accuracy, Cycle time / lead time, Labor cost per order, On‑time ship %, Other
• For each KPI you selected, what is the current baseline and the target you would accept?
• Who will be the owner(s) of these KPIs after implementation? Options: Warehouse GM, Operations Director, Continuous Improvement Lead, Operations Supervisor, S&OP/Planning, Other
• How will you know the change is sustainable versus a short‑term spike? (what behaviors, routines, or reports matter?)

Money, Timing, and What 'Enough' Means

• If leadership cut your expected budget in half, what three items would you keep and what would you defer?
• Which budget model best describes your preference for this work? Options: Capital (one‑time), Operational (monthly/annual), Blended, Pilot first then scale, Unsure / depends
• Which of these ranges best describes the budget you anticipate approving for a 3–6 month effort (select one)? Options: <$50k, $50k–$150k, $150k–$500k, $500k–$1M, >$1M, Undetermined
• What payback or ROI horizon does finance expect before they will greenlight a larger rollout? Options: <6 months, 6–12 months, 12–24 months, Multi‑year, Not defined
• Are there procurement rules, capital approval thresholds, or financial gates we need to design around? Options: Yes—strict thresholds, Some formal gates, Informal / flexible, Unsure

How Much Disruption Can You Live With?

• Would you rather deliver early wins with low disruption or a bigger transformation that causes planned downtime—what's your preference? Options: Low disruption quick wins, Bigger transformation with planned outages, Hybrid approach, Undecided
• Which operational windows are acceptable for on‑floor changes or pilot testing? Options: Night shifts only, Weekend windows, Off‑peak daytime shifts, Planned outage, Anytime with contingency
• Are there union rules, headcount constraints, or safety approvals that limit when or how we can reassign tasks? Options: Yes—unionized, Yes—strict headcount rules, No major constraints, Unsure
• How much overtime or temporary labor can you commit to support rollout activities if needed? Options: None, Limited (weekends only), Moderate, Significant if budgeted, Unsure
• What contingency would make you feel comfortable beginning an on‑floor pilot (e.g., rollback plan, supervisor training, parallel lanes)?

What Failed Before—and What We Learned

• Think of the last improvement project that failed to stick—what was the single biggest reason it unraveled?
• Which of these contributed to past failures? (select all that apply) Options: Poor change management, Lack of supervisor buy‑in, Unrealistic timelines, Technology mismatch, Insufficient training, Budget cuts mid‑project, Other
• How do your floor supervisors and associates generally feel about outside consultants proposing process change? Options: Open and curious, Skeptical but cooperative, Resistant, Depends on the consultant
• Who among your team has successfully led a change before and could serve as an internal champion for adoption?
• What immediate measures would regain trust if a proposed change began to cause pain on the floor?

Decision Path: Who Signs, When, and On What?

• What is the one final approval step that can stop this project in its tracks—and who occupies that seat?
• Which departments must sign off before work begins? (select all that apply) Options: Operations, Finance, IT/WMS, Legal/Compliance, Health & Safety, Procurement, Executive Sponsor
• How long does your internal approval cycle typically take from proposal to signed contract? Options: <2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, Variable / case by case
• What documentation or evidence does each approver expect to see (e.g., pilot results, ROI model, risk assessment)?
• Are there external stakeholders (customers, 3PL partners, landlords) whose buy‑in is required? If so, who and why?

Data, Systems, and Access: The Practical Must‑Haves

• Which core systems will we need access to for an assessment (select all that apply)? Options: WMS (name), TMS, Wage/Labor system, ERP/Order system, Warehouse maps/layout files, None / manual data only, Other
• Do you have current floor layout drawings, SKU slotting lists, and recent order profiles available for review? Options: All available, Some available, None available—need collection, Unsure
• Who on your team will own providing data and granting system access during an on‑site assessment?
• Are there security, compliance, or IT change‑control steps we should plan for before gaining access to systems or networks? Options: Yes—formal process, Minor steps only, No constraints, Unsure
• How soon can the key data sets (order profiles, labor logs, WMS reports) be made available if we agree to proceed? Options: Within 48 hours, Within 1 week, 2–4 weeks, Longer / needs planning, Unsure

Readiness and Next Steps — Who Does What, When

• If we agreed to a 1–2 week on‑floor assessment, who would you expect to attend our kickoff from your side during week one?
• What are three non‑negotiable items you need from us before you’ll recommend proceeding to your leadership?
• How quickly would you like to see an initial findings deck after the assessment completes? Options: 48–72 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, Depends on complexity
• What would make you confidently say 'yes' to running a small pilot (what conditions or guarantees)?
• Finally, what is the best way and time for us to follow up with you to confirm next steps? Options: Email, Phone call, Virtual meeting, On‑site visit, Other

Quick Snapshot: Name, Place, and Near-Term Goal

• Which site or operation are we mapping today? (facility name, city, sq. ft., number of docks, shifts)
• Who are the decision-makers and operational owners we should include in this discovery? Options: VP Supply Chain, Director of Distribution, Warehouse Manager, Operations Manager, Finance/FP&A, IT/WMS Lead, Safety/HR, Other
• In one sentence, what outcome would make this engagement a clear success for you?
• Which outcome is the highest priority right now? Options: Increase throughput (orders/day), Reduce labor cost per order, Improve order accuracy, Reduce cycle time, Better utilization of space, Other
• How soon do you need to start seeing measurable improvements? Options: Within 30 days, 30–60 days, 60–90 days, Longer than 90 days, Unsure

If You Had to Point a Finger — Where Would It Hurt Most?

• If your operation hit a limit tomorrow, what single area would you say is most likely to cause the collapse (e.g., picking, packing, staging, shipping)? Options: Picking, Packing/Consolidation, Staging/Sorting, Shipping/Dock, Inbound/Receiving, Replenishment, Other
• Tell me the story of a recent day when throughput suffered — what happened, who noticed it first, and how was it reacted to?
• How often do you experience days or shifts that fall below target throughput? Options: Daily, A few times a week, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely
• When that underperformance happens, what immediate fixes do supervisors try (and how often do those work)?
• Which of the following do you suspect contributes most to that pain today? Options: Poor slotting/profile, Inefficient pick paths, WMS limitations, Equipment downtime, Labor shortages/skill gaps, Layout bottlenecks, Other

Walk the Order: How Work Actually Flows

• Describe the end-to-end flow for a typical order from order release to shipment—who touches it and where?
• Which process steps are automated versus manual today? Options: Order release/slotting, Pick assignment, Wave management, Sortation/consolidation, Labeling/manifesting, None of the above, Other
• Where are the regular handoffs between teams or systems (e.g., picking → packing → staging)? Who owns each handoff?
• How do exceptions flow (shortages, damages, missing labels) — who triages and how long does resolution typically take? Options: Supervisor triages, Dedicated exceptions team, Quality team, WMS holds, Other
• Which SOPs exist for the core workflows and how often are they followed as written? Options: Always, Mostly, Sometimes, Rarely, No formal SOPs

If Peak Day Exposes Limits, What Breaks First?

• On peak days, which areas slow disproportionately compared to average days? Options: Receiving/inbound, Replenishment, Picking, Packing, Staging/Sort, Shipping/loads
• What percent of your annual volume occurs during peak weeks or seasons? Options: <10%, 10–25%, 26–50%, 51–75%, >75%, Unsure
• How do order profiles change during peaks (lines per order, items per pick, units per order)?
• What temporary processes or labor increases do you use for peaks, and what drawbacks do those introduce?
• Which months or events drive your peaks? Please list primary drivers (e.g., seasonality, promotions, new customer launches).

When You Say 'The WMS Can't Do That' — What Do You Mean?

• What WMS are you running (vendor, version) and which modules do you actively use? Options: Manhattan, Blue Yonder (JDA), SAP EWM, Oracle WMS, HighJump, Softeon, Custom/Proprietary, Other
• Which critical tasks does the WMS fail to support today, forcing manual workarounds?
• Describe the integrations your WMS has (ERP, TMS, conveyor controls, labor systems) and any known data delays or gaps.
• How confidently can you extract the following from your systems: historical order profiles, pick paths, labor time stamps, and exception logs? Options: All easily, Most with effort, Partial/inconsistent, Not available
• What manual workarounds are most entrenched (spreadsheets, paper pick tickets, local tablet scans)? Options: Spreadsheets, Paper tickets, Local handhelds w/ manual overrides, Whiteboard/shift logs, Other

Which Physical Constraints Are Quietly Holding You Back?

• If you could change one physical constraint in the building today (aisle width, racking type, dock count, mezzanine), which would it be and why?
• What types of material handling equipment (MHE) do you rely on? Options: Counterbalance forklifts, Reach trucks, Pallet jacks, Conveyors, Sorters, Pick carts/totes, Automated storage/retrieval, Other
• How often does equipment downtime or maintenance materially affect throughput? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never
• Are there fixed layout constraints (columns, fire lanes, dock orientation, mezzanine) that we must design around? Options: Yes—major constraints, Some constraints, Few constraints, No constraints / flexible
• Do you have a current facility plan/CAD we can review, and who owns the most up-to-date version?

Which Numbers Tell the Truth (and Which Are Smoke)?

• Which KPIs do you track daily/weekly that we should baseline (select all that apply)? Options: Orders shipped/day, Order lines per hour, Picks per hour, On-time shipping %, Order accuracy %, Labor hours per order, Dock-to-ship time, Inventory accuracy, Other
• For the selected KPIs, please provide current typical values (or attach the report in follow-up). If unknown, leave blank.
• How confident are you in the integrity of those numbers? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Low confidence, We don't trust the data
• Which KPI moves would justify an investment (e.g., X% more throughput, Y% labor reduction)? Please be specific.
• Who currently owns KPI reporting and who would be responsible for accepting baselines during an assessment?

What Are the 'Normal' Failures You Pretend Are Acceptable?

• What recurring failures do people shrug at—errors, jams, stockouts—that you suspect are actually the biggest hidden costs?
• Please list the top three failure modes and, for each, how often they occur and who typically discovers them.
• When failures happen, what is the typical downstream impact on throughput, accuracy, or labor? Options: Minor delay, Significant delay, Requires overtime, Causes rework, Causes customer SLA breach
• Do you have incident/near-miss logs we can review? If yes, how are they stored? Options: WMS logs, Shift reports/whiteboard, EHS/incident system, Spreadsheets, Not recorded
• How long have these failure patterns been tolerated in the operation? Options: Less than 6 months, 6–12 months, 1–3 years, 3+ years, Unsure

The People Side: Who Will Win or Lose with Change?

• Who in the day-to-day operation is most likely to resist change—and what are their main concerns?
• Describe staffing levels and skill mix by area (e.g., picking: 20 associates, avg tenure 3 years).
• Is the operation unionized or subject to collective bargaining agreements that affect change windows? Options: Unionized, Non-union, Partially unionized, Unsure
• What is the typical supervisor-to-associate ratio, and how strong is frontline coaching today? Options: <1:10 (very coached), 1:10–1:20 (coached), 1:20–1:30 (light), >1:30 (limited)
• Have you run change initiatives recently? Which ones stuck and which didn’t—and why?

Hard Limits: What We Must Not Touch

• What are the non-negotiable constraints any solution must respect (downtime windows, budget caps, safety regs, contract terms)?
• What is the maximum acceptable planned disruption for implementing quick wins (hours/days/outage type)? Options: No disruption allowed, Off-shift brief outages, Single-day planned outage, Multi-day planned window, Flexible
• Are there capital or budget approvals that would block recommended changes—even if ROI is clear? If yes, who signs off?
• What IT or security constraints affect granting data access or pushing WMS configuration changes?
• How sensitive are you to third-party consultants operating on the floor (background checks, PPE, covid/vaccination rules)? Options: High, Medium, Low, Unsure

Small Wins That Prove the Concept — What Would You Let Us Touch First?

• Which of these quick-win changes would you be willing to approve in the first 30 days? Options: Slotting adjustments, Pick path changes, Rebalancing staff/roles, Packing layout tweaks, Temporary staging reassign, WMS pick sequence tweak, Training for supervisors
• Who would own each quick-win on your team (name/role)?
• What floor access windows do we have for implementing small changes without major disruption? Options: Night shift only, Weekend windows, Planned short daytime windows, Flexible
• What data and system access can you provide for a 1–2 week on-floor assessment (order history, WMS extracts, labor timestamps)? Options: Full extracts (orders, labor, inventory), Partial extracts, Only summary reports, No system access
• Who will be our primary contact for coordinating floor shadowing, interviews, and data pulls?

Artifacts That Speed Discovery — What Should We Ask For First?

• Can you provide these artifacts before our on-floor week: facility layout/CAD, slotting map, 90-day order history, standard reports, and SOPs? Options: All available, Most available, Some available, None available
• Are historical cycle time and labor timestamp exports available by zone/shift for the last 30–90 days? Options: Yes—detailed exports, Yes—summary only, No
• Do you have a preferred secure method for sharing files and access (SFTP, SharePoint, Box, other)? Options: SFTP, SharePoint/OneDrive, Box/Dropbox, Email (not preferred), Other
• Who will sign confidentiality/data-sharing agreements if required?
• Is there anything else we should know about the site or stakeholders before the assessment that will help us get to impact faster?

Quick Grounding: Who we’re working with and what matters now

• Who are the primary stakeholders for this deployment (name, role, and best contact) and who should be looped into day‑to‑day coordination?
• Which of your sites or lines are in scope for this rollout? Options: Single DC/site, Multiple DCs/sites (same region), Multiple DCs/sites (multi-region), Pilot only (one area)
• What are the top three business outcomes that would make this deployment a clear success for you?
• By when do you need to see measurable improvement (e.g., ⩾X% throughput gain or Y labor hours saved)? Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 6 months, Other
• Which of these best describes your internal view of readiness today? Options: Ready to start within weeks, Need one to two months to prepare, Require >2 months and approvals, Unsure—need a checklist

If this goes wrong, whose phone rings at 6AM?

• If implementation caused a meaningful disruption, what would the tangible business impact look like (e.g., missed ship windows, overtime spikes, safety incidents)?
• Tell us about the last time a systems or process change caused pain—what happened, who scrambled, and how long did recovery take?
• Which of these outcomes would be unacceptable and trigger an immediate rollback? Options: Missed committed shipments, Safety incident, Severe accuracy drop (>X%), Production stoppage, Other
• How much short‑term performance variance (e.g., % throughput drop) would you tolerate during cutover to achieve long‑term gains? Options: None—must maintain baseline, Up to 5% dip, Up to 10% dip, Dependent on duration / tradeoff, Unsure
• Who would make the call to pause or roll back a change during deployment?

Where are the hidden locks — systems, data, and access we must clear first

• Which WMS, ERP, labor management, or material handling controls will our team need API access, admin accounts, or scheduled exports from?
• Do you have a single IT/automation contact who owns system access and security approvals? Options: Yes—named contact, Yes—team contact, No, not yet identified, Partially identified
• Are there scheduled change freezes, blackout windows, or compliance windows we must avoid? Options: Weekly maintenance windows, End-of-month/quarter freezes, Peak season blackout dates, No regular freezes, Unsure—need to confirm
• How complete are the data feeds we’ll need (inventory locations, order profiles, pick/pack metrics) on a scale from 1–5—where 1 is poor and 5 is ready? Options: 1 - Poor, 2 - Needs work, 3 - Partially ready, 4 - Mostly ready, 5 - Ready
• If sample data extraction is required, who will approve and deliver it and how long will that take?

Who pulls the levers — ownership, decision speed, and approval realties

• Who is the executive sponsor who will defend the program when tradeoffs are tough?
• Who is responsible for day‑to‑day deployment decisions (site manager, project manager, IT lead, 3PL operations lead)? Options: Site/Operations Manager, Program/PMO Manager, IT/Automation Lead, 3PL/Partner Ops Lead, Other
• Which internal groups must sign off before we schedule a production cutover? Options: Operations, IT/Security, Finance, Safety/Compliance, HR/Union, Facilities
• How fast can contracts, change orders, or purchase approvals be completed (typical internal lead time)? Options: <1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, >4 weeks, Varies by spend
• If executive priorities shift mid‑project, who will revalidate go/no‑go decisions and what is that escalation path?

Can your floor absorb change without derailing daily ops?

• Describe your shift patterns, peak days, and seasonal constraints we must plan around (include overtime flexibility).
• What floor access windows are realistically available for disruptive work (night shifts, weekend windows, early morning pre‑ship)? Options: Night shifts, Weekends, Early mornings, Off‑peak weekdays, No access windows
• Are there physical constraints (narrow aisles, high traffic zones, staging limits) that limit where we can run pilots or make layout changes?
• Do you have spare labor or float teams that can support pilots or quick‑win activities without affecting commitments? Options: Yes—dedicated float, Yes—can reassign for short windows, No—no spare capacity, Sometimes depending on season
• What health, safety, or union considerations must we include in our deployment sequencing?

Will supervisors and associates actually use the new process?

• How would you describe frontline sentiment toward change right now—energized, skeptical, burned out, or mixed? Options: Energized/curious, Skeptical but cooperative, Burned out/resistant, Mixed across teams
• Who are the natural champions on the floor we can train first to model behavior and coach peers?
• What training formats work best for your teams (micro‑learning, classroom, shadowing, video, laminated job aids)? Options: Micro‑learning modules, In‑class sessions, On‑floor shadowing, Short videos, Printed job aids, Other
• Do you have language, literacy, or cultural barriers we should design training around? Options: Yes—multiple languages, Yes—low literacy, No significant barriers, Unsure
• How do you measure and reward supervisor follow‑through on new processes today (scorecards, bonuses, recognition)?
• Would you prefer the initial supervisor training to be delivered by your managers alongside our team, or led entirely by our trainers? Options: Co‑delivered with your managers, Delivered by our trainers, Train‑the‑trainer model, Unsure

What guardrails, pilots, and rollback plans will keep leadership sleeping at night?

• Before go‑live, what are the non‑negotiable acceptance criteria you require (e.g., accuracy floor, throughput floor, safety checks)?
• Would you prefer a canary/pilot lane approach, phased area rollouts, or a full cutover—what tradeoffs matter most to you? Options: Canary/pilot lanes, Phased area rollouts, Full cutover, Hybrid approach
• What escalation path and stakeholders do we call if a pilot shows unanticipated negative impact within the first 72 hours?
• What backup processes or manual workarounds would you accept temporarily if an automated change failed? Options: Manual pick lists, Paper packing, Temporary re‑slotting, Increased QA checks, Other
• How soon after a problem is detected do you expect a recovery plan to be enacted and by whom? Options: Immediate (within hours), Same day, Next business day, Depends on severity

How will success be recognized, measured, and owned after deploy?

• Which KPI(s) will we use as the formal acceptance gates (pick throughput, lines per hour, picks per FTE, accuracy, OT hours)? Options: Throughput (orders/day), Picks per hour / per FTE, Order accuracy, Labor hours / cost, On‑time shipments, Other
• What are the baseline values for those KPIs today (please provide numbers or attach baseline report)?
• Who owns the performance dashboard post‑deployment and how often will metrics be reviewed? Options: Site Operations Lead, Continuous Improvement/CI, Program PMO, Joint ops/consulting review
• Are you open to a 60–90 day sustain plan that includes on‑floor coaching, weekly checkpoints, and incremental adjustments? Options: Yes—required, Yes—optional, No—internal only, Unsure
• What will trigger extended support beyond the sustain window (e.g., KPI targets not met, additional site rollouts)?

Final mile: what do you need from us to say ‘yes’ and schedule deployment?

• What outstanding dependencies or deliverables must be in place before you can approve a go‑live date (procurements, approvals, staffing, data extracts)?
• Which date ranges are off limits for any disruptive work (peak promos, inventory counts, fiscal close)?
• How would you like regular project communications to be formatted and scheduled (daily standup, weekly exec summary, dashboard access)? Options: Daily standup, Weekly operations review, Biweekly executive summary, Live dashboard access, Ad hoc as needed
• What outstanding commercial or governance questions need resolution before contracting/PSA signatures?
• If we agreed on a proposed pilot window today, how long would you need to finalize internal approvals and confirm the start date? Options: <1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, >4 weeks

Getting on the Same Page

• To get started, tell us your role and the type of distribution operation we’re talking about (pick the closest match). Options: VP Supply Chain, Director of Distribution, Warehouse GM/Operations Manager, Plant Operations / Manufacturing, Other
• How many distribution centers does this team operate and which shift pattern applies to the site we're discussing? Options: 1, 2–5, 6–10, 10+
• What channels and order profiles primarily flow through this facility? (select all that apply) Options: E‑commerce / DTC, Retail replenishment, Wholesale / B2B, Manufacturing supply, Omnichannel mix
• Roughly, what is your current average orders shipped per day (or peak day if that’s more relevant)? Options: <500, 500–2,000, 2,001–10,000, 10,001–50,000, 50,000+
• Who will be our day‑to‑day point person for operations during a discovery and assessment?

Are You Settling for 'Good Enough'?

• If you had to name the one compromise your team tolerates today that quietly blocks performance improvements, what is it?
• How often does that compromise cause you to miss targets or trigger urgent firefights? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely
• When these issues surface, how do they typically feel for you and the leadership team—annoyance, embarrassment, financial pressure, or something else? Options: Annoyance, Embarrassment with leadership, Direct financial pressure, Team morale impact, Customer complaints, Other
• Can you describe a recent day or week when this tolerated problem had a clear operational or financial consequence? What happened?
• How long have you been operating with this compromise before actively considering an outside partner? Options: <3 months, 3–12 months, 1–2 years, 2–5 years, 5+ years

What's Really Causing the Slowdown?

• Which operational constraint do you suspect is the single biggest root cause of your throughput or accuracy gap, even if it hasn’t been fully validated?
• Which of the following constraints are present today? Select all that apply and highlight the top two that matter most. Options: WMS configuration or rules, Facility layout / aisles / pallet flows, Slotting and inventory placement, Pick path and batching logic, Material handling equipment capacity, Labor availability and scheduling, Order profile volatility, Inventory accuracy
• Do you currently have reliable measures for travel distances, pick/pack times, and order profiles? If yes, how recent are those studies? Options: Yes — within 3 months, Yes — 3–12 months, Yes — older than 12 months, No reliable measures currently
• How would you describe your WMS: highly configurable and customized, out‑of‑the‑box with basic config, or older legacy system with functional limits? Options: Highly customized modern WMS, Standard configurable WMS, Legacy or heavily constrained WMS, We don’t use a formal WMS
• Give one specific example of a daily bottleneck you want us to see on the first day of the on‑floor study.

Who Holds the Keys (and the Budget)?

• If you had to get one person’s attention to greenlight this project, who would it be and why would their buy‑in matter most?
• Which internal stakeholders will influence or approve the final decision? (select all that will be involved) Options: VP Supply Chain / COO, Finance / FP&A, Warehouse GM / Site Ops, IT / WMS Team, Procurement, HR / Labor Relations, Safety / EHS
• Who controls the budget for projects of this size—operations, capital planning, or corporate finance? Options: Operations (site budget), Regional / Divisional budget, Corporate Finance / Capital approval, Mixed—depends on project size
• What is your typical internal approval timeline for initiatives that require both process change and modest capex (choose the closest) Options: 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, 3–6 months, 6+ months
• When past projects were approved, what evidence moved finance or leadership to say yes (e.g., ROI models, pilot results, reference visits)? Options: ROI model, Pilot / PoC results, Peer references / site visits, Executive sponsorship, Regulatory or contractual need

If This Worked, What Would Keep You Up at Night?

• What single implementation failure would make you regret approving this project?
• Which of these concerns most influences your risk tolerance for changes on the floor? Options: Production disruption during peak, Safety incidents, Loss of short‑term throughput, Supervisor / associate resistance, WMS downtime / data integrity, Contractor coordination
• How much planned disruption is acceptable to achieve the target gains—none, short windows, night/weekend work, or full temporary slowdown? Options: No disruption, Short window interventions, Night/weekend changes ok, Acceptable temporary slowdown
• Tell us about a past change that didn’t go as planned—what went wrong and what would you want done differently this time?
• Who on your team needs the most reassurance during deployment and what reassurances are most effective (data, pilots, training, incentives)? Options: Supervisors, Associates/operators, IT/WMS team, Finance, Safety/EHS

Show Me the Numbers That Matter

• Which KPI do you feel people point to as proof of success but in reality can mask real problems?
• Please provide your current baseline values for the following (enter values or 'unknown'): orders/day, lines/hour per picker, picks per hour, case/hour (for equipment), order accuracy %, labor hours per 1,000 orders.
• Which of these metrics do you already track on a dashboard and which are manually calculated? Select all tracked automatically. Options: Orders/day, Lines/hour, Order accuracy %, Labor hours / FTEs, OT hours, On‑time shipping %
• How frequently do you review these KPIs (daily standup, weekly ops review, monthly exec review)? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Ad hoc
• What level of measurement fidelity do you require for our 1–2 week on‑floor study to be credible to your stakeholders? Options: Minute‑by‑minute timing and travel mapping, Aggregate cycle time and travel samples, Order profile sampling only, High level estimates are sufficient

Quick Wins vs Big Bets — Which Needs to Happen First?

• If you could force one immediate change that would prove our approach within 30 days, what would it be?
• Which quick wins have you tried in the last 12 months and what was the result? (slotting, pick routes, batching, signage, training, incentives) Options: Slotting changes, Pick path adjustments, Batching / wave changes, Supervisor coaching, Signage / Standard Work, Incentives / gamification, We haven’t tried quick wins recently
• How do you prioritize quick wins vs larger investments—speed of ROI, lowest disruption, leader preference, or other? Options: Speed of ROI, Lowest disruption, Strategic long‑term benefit, Leader preference, Other
• If we focused on quick wins first, what internal resource could you commit immediately (people hours, testers, supervisor time)? Options: Full‑time site coordinator, Part‑time supervisor support, Operational analysts, No immediate resources available
• What timeline would convince you that quick wins are working (2 weeks, 30 days, 60 days)? Options: 2 weeks, 30 days, 60 days

How Will Your People Make It Stick?

• Who on your front line has the most influence over whether a new process becomes permanent—and what motivates them (safety, bonuses, easier work, recognition)?
• What is the average tenure and bench strength of your supervisors and lead hands who would own daily sustainment? Options: <1 year, 1–3 years, 3–7 years, 7+ years
• What training and coaching models have worked best historically (classroom, on‑the‑job shadowing, digital micro‑learning)? Options: Classroom training, On‑the‑job coaching, Digital micro‑learning, Train‑the‑trainer, Blended approach
• How do you prefer to handle governance for new processes—weekly ops review, daily huddles with scorecards, or monthly executive checkpoints? Options: Daily huddles with scorecards, Weekly operational reviews, Monthly executive checkpoints, Ad hoc problem‑driven
• Are there labor agreements, union rules, or safety requirements we must design around? If yes, please summarize. Options: Yes — union/agreements, Yes — safety/regs only, No special constraints

What Would Success Look Like in 90 Days?

• Imagine it’s day 91 after deployment and the project exceeded expectations—what three measurable changes would tell you we hit a home run?
• Which outcomes are highest priority for sign‑off at the end of the sustain period? (select up to three) Options: Throughput increase (orders/day), Reduction in labor hours per order, Improved order accuracy %, Reduced OT, Fewer customer complaints/chargebacks, Improved associate engagement
• What acceptance criteria or gating metrics will your team require before declaring the project successful?
• Who will own the post‑implementation dashboard and daily monitoring once the project moves into sustainment? Options: Site Ops / Warehouse GM, Continuous Improvement / IE team, Regional Ops lead, IT / Business Intelligence
• How often would you want coaching check‑ins during the 60–90 day sustain period (weekly, biweekly, monthly)? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Ad hoc as issues arise

Ready to Move? Next Steps and Commitments

• What single commitment from your side would remove the biggest obstacle to starting the operational assessment next month?
• Which systems and data will we need access to for a meaningful assessment (select all that apply)? Options: WMS (transactional access), WMS reports only, Labor management system, Inventory / ERP, Time & attendance, No direct system access—manual sampling only
• What floor access windows, peak blackout periods, or seasonal constraints should we plan around?
• Who needs to be in the kickoff meeting and who will be the executive sponsor we’ll report results to?
• Realistically, what is your target go‑forward timeline for decision and kickoff (immediate, 30 days, 60–90 days, next quarter)? Options: Immediate / This week, Within 30 days, 60–90 days, Next quarter or later