Follow the inventory states
Stock may be reserved, picked for transfer, in transit, received, or available to sell. Ask which system owns each state during the move and how storefront availability is controlled.
Inspect the first complete cycle
Do not stop at a successful receipt. Trace a test order through picking, packing, tracking updates, and a return if relevant. Record where the handoff required manual intervention so it can be resolved before volume increases.
Write a controlled handover plan
List the stock count, shipment preparation, receiving confirmation, system tests, and order-routing changes needed for the move. Give each step an owner and an acceptance condition. Identify the decisions that depend on the outgoing provider, the incoming provider, and your own team. Keep the target date separate from the date everyone has confirmed. Review your actual commitments with the appropriate advisers before relying on a transfer assumption.
Look closely at the handoff
Follow the physical item and the system record together. Ask what happens immediately before and after each milestone, then choose one exception to trace. A completed task in one team’s workflow may be only the start of another team’s work. Note those boundaries so the operating story reflects what actually needs to happen.
Use this question in your next meeting:
What must be confirmed before the next handoff can safely happen?
Go deeper: Subscription kitting: where the monthly drop can get stuck. The companion article includes an editable worksheet and links to provider profiles.
Further reading
Shopify: inventory states. Reference for the distinction between available, committed, and other inventory states.