Onboarding in fulfillment is the set-up phase between signing the contract and the first regularly shipped parcel: transfer of the item master, connection of shop or ERP to the provider's WMS, definition of packing and shipping rules, goods receipt of the first delivery and a test run. Typical duration: two to six weeks.
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What is onboarding in fulfillment?
Onboarding is the set-up phase between saying yes to a fulfillment provider and the first regularly shipped parcel. During this time your data, your stock and your processes are transferred into the provider's system and warehouse. The word comes from human resources, where it means settling in new employees; in fulfillment it has become the standard term for settling in a new client, and German providers use it in English too.
Onboarding comes in two variants: first-time outsourcing (you packed orders yourself until now) and switching from another provider. The second is more work, because stock has to move as well and two warehouses run in parallel for a short time. For sellers from the UK or overseas there is a third situation: opening Germany as an additional stock location. Whether the step makes sense at your volume is discussed in the guide when to outsource fulfillment.
How onboarding works in practice
| Phase | Content | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kick-off | contacts, timeline, cut-over date, overview of range and channels | 1 meeting |
| 2. Item master | import of SKU, EAN, dimensions, weights, dangerous-goods and best-before flags; removal of duplicates and gaps | 3–10 days |
| 3. Integration | connecting shop, marketplaces or ERP to the warehouse management system (WMS); test with sample orders | 2–10 days |
| 4. Process definition | packaging instructions, inserts, shipping rules by channel and destination country, returns rules, cut-off, reporting | in parallel |
| 5. First inbound delivery | pre-announced goods receipt, counting, put-away, stock reconciliation with your system | 2–5 days |
| 6. Test phase | a few real orders run through; check of label, packaging, tracking feedback, stock synchronisation | 2–5 days |
| 7. Go-live | all channels switched to the provider; close support during the first two weeks | cut-over date |
With a standard set-up on Shopify or Shopware and a few hundred SKUs, the whole onboarding takes two to four weeks. The longest single step is almost always phase 2: items without dimensions, several SKUs for the same item or missing EANs cost days.
Prepare the item master before you sign: a list with SKU, EAN, description, dimensions, weight, packaging unit and special features (best-before date, dangerous goods, fragile). Delivering this file cleanly shortens onboarding by one to two weeks and prevents later stock discrepancies.
Checklist: what you provide for onboarding
- Item data in one file or as an export straight from your shop system.
- Access to shop, marketplace accounts and ERP for the integration; for Amazon, authorisation of the provider as a selling partner.
- Packing instructions for each packaging variant, ideally with photos; inserts delivered physically to the warehouse.
- Shipping rules: which carrier for which destination country, which shop shipping method maps to which carrier product, and how parcel lockers and islands are handled. See multi-carrier shipping.
- Returns rules: what counts as A-stock, when items are disposed of, who decides in cases of doubt, and how the shop is notified.
- Advance shipping notice for the first delivery with number of pallets and cartons, contents per carton and delivery date.
- A contact person on your side with authority to decide during the first weeks.
Extra points when your company is outside Germany
Sellers outside the EU need a few things in place before the first pallet moves. Goods must be imported and cleared by you or your freight forwarder, which normally requires an EORI number. Holding stock in Germany generally triggers a German VAT registration; clarify this with a tax adviser early, because registration can take longer than the onboarding itself. Products and packaging must meet EU and German labelling and packaging rules. The background is summarised under cross-border fulfillment. None of this is the provider's job by default, but a good provider will tell you in the kick-off what it needs from you.
Why a clean onboarding matters
Mistakes in the first weeks are expensive and persistent. A badly created item master produces stock discrepancies for months, a half-tested integration sends orders twice or not at all, and a missing shipping rule sends parcels with the wrong carrier. Providers that run onboarding with a fixed process, a named contact and a test phase generally reach stable operation within two weeks of go-live. From then on the KPIs agreed in the service level agreement apply, and the monthly invoice follows the structure explained under fulfillment costs.
Going live in October or November. In the fourth quarter warehouses, carriers and your own team are at their limit; an onboarding under peak conditions takes longer, and errors only surface once a thousand parcels are affected. The best period for a start or a switch is January to August.
How LogYou handles it
LogYou imports your item master from shop or ERP into its own platform LogShip, which offers native integrations with Shopify, Shopware, JTL-Wawi, PlentyONE, Xentral, Lexware, Amazon and eBay. There is no minimum contract term, and working with LogYou is economical from around 10 parcels a day. Details are under e-commerce fulfillment and on the pricing page; to plan a start date, use the contact form.
Frequently asked questions about Onboarding
How long does onboarding with a fulfillment provider take?
What does onboarding cost?
Can I keep selling during onboarding?
Questions about Onboarding for your shop?
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