Switching 3PL Providers in NZ: Step-by-Step Checklist | RPC Logistics
Managed Warehousing (3PL)

Switching 3PL Providers: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Thinking about changing your 3PL? Here’s how to know when it’s time, what to plan for, and how to move your stock without disrupting your customers.

Is It Time to Switch?

09 63 444 63

Changing 3PL providers can feel like a big job, so many businesses put up with problems for longer than they should. If any of these sound familiar, it may be time to look at your options:

  • Stock doesn’t add up: what your 3PL says you have doesn’t match what’s on the shelf.
  • Orders go out wrong or late: mis-picks, missed dispatch times and customer complaints.
  • Hard to get answers: slow replies and no single person who knows your account.
  • No visibility: you can’t see your stock and orders online when you need to.
  • Costs keep creeping up: surprise fees and invoices that are hard to understand.
  • Retailer deliveries rejected: missing labels, wrong pallets or missed booking windows.
  • You’ve outgrown them: they can’t keep up with your growth, new channels or certification needs.

What a Better 3PL Gives You

Fewer Mistakes

Accurate receiving, picking and labelling means fewer wrong orders, returns and rejected deliveries.

More Time to Grow

Stop chasing stock and freight, and spend your time on customers, sales and growing your business.

Pay Only for What You Use

A variable cost model, with the benefit of our transport volumes behind your deliveries.

How to Switch, Step by Step

A well-planned move keeps your customers happy and your stock accurate. Here are the six steps:

01

Review Your Contract

Check your notice period, exit terms and any fees for removing stock, so you know your timeline.

02

Gather Your Data

Pull together your product list, sizes and weights, stock on hand and recent order history.

03

Choose Your New 3PL

Visit the site, compare quotes on a like-for-like basis and agree how your account will run.

04

Plan the Move

Pick a date outside your peak, plan stock levels and let your customers know if anything will change.

05

Move & Count

Stock is transferred, counted against your records and put away, ready for orders.

06

Go Live & Review

Check the first orders closely, review your reports and keep in close contact for the first few weeks.

RPC Logistics team unloading stock from a container at the warehouse
Stock Transfer

Moving Your Stock, Done Properly

We can collect your stock from your current provider using our own trucks. When it arrives, our team counts it against your records, records batch and expiry details where needed and puts it away, so you start with accurate stock from day one.

Your Switching Checklist

Before you give notice

  • Check your current contract’s notice period and exit fees
  • List the problems you want your new 3PL to solve
  • Get quotes based on your real products and volumes
  • Visit the new warehouse and meet the team

Before the move

  • Send your product data: SKUs, barcodes, sizes, weights and pallet configurations
  • Agree order cut-off times, delivery options and reporting
  • Plan the move date and how much stock to transfer
  • Tell key customers and retailers about any changes

Moving day

  • Confirm stock on hand with your current provider before it leaves
  • Count stock in on arrival and reconcile any differences
  • Check batch and expiry details are recorded correctly

After go-live

  • Check your first orders and deliveries closely
  • Review stock reports against your records
  • Agree regular check-ins with your account contact
RPC Logistics warehouse team planning work in the racking aisle
Your Team

A Partner That Makes It Easy

RPC is a family-owned New Zealand logistics company, operating since 1984, with our own warehouses and trucks in Auckland. You get a local team that knows your account, fewer mistakes and more time to focus on growing your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can’t see your question? Call 09 63 444 63 or send us your details.

How long does it take to switch 3PL providers?

It depends on how many products you have, how much stock needs to move and your notice period with your current provider. We will work with you on a plan and timeline before anything moves.

Can you collect my stock from my current 3PL?

Yes. We can collect your stock from your current provider using our own trucks, then count it in and put it away at our Auckland warehouse.

Will my orders be disrupted when I switch?

A good plan keeps disruption to a minimum. We agree the timing with you, avoid your peak periods where possible and make sure your stock is counted and ready before orders start flowing.

Do you count my stock when it arrives?

Yes. We count your stock against your paperwork when it arrives and record batch and expiry details where needed, so you start with accurate stock levels.

What information do I need to switch 3PLs?

A product list with sizes and weights, current stock on hand, recent order history, how your stock arrives, where your orders go, and any special requirements such as batch and expiry tracking or labelling.

When is the best time to switch 3PL providers?

Usually outside your busiest season, and ideally when stock levels are lower, so there is less to move and less risk to your customers.

Thinking about switching 3PL providers?

Talk to us about your products, volumes and timing, and we’ll put together a quote and a plan for the move. See our managed warehousing (3PL) services. Call 09 63 444 63 or send us your details.