First-3PL onboarding is the process of moving a beauty brand from self-fulfillment to a professional warehouse without losing orders, inventory or sleep. We walk you through every step in plain language, from barcodes to your first live order.
What changes when you move to a 3PL
Moving to a 3PL changes who touches your product, not who owns your brand experience. Instead of packing orders yourself, you define the rules: how each product is packed, what goes in every box, which promotions apply and how inventory is labeled. The 3PL executes those rules on every order.
The biggest shift is that everything needs to be scannable and written down. A warehouse can't recognize your best-selling shade by eye; it needs a barcode. It can't remember that the gloss goes in a bubble sleeve; it needs a packaging spec. Onboarding is about capturing what's in your head so the operation can repeat it reliably at any volume.
Getting your catalog ready
Every sellable unit needs a unique barcode, usually a UPC or a 3PL-generated SKU label. If your products only have the batch code printed on the crimp of the tube, we'll help you decide whether to buy UPCs or label units at receiving. Shade variants must each have their own barcode, because that's what makes barcode-verified picking work.
We'll also collect product dimensions and weights, case packs from your manufacturer, any lot or expiration information, and safety data sheets for products such as nail polish or alcohol-based fragrance that may be regulated in transport. With that, we build your SKU list, packaging rules and storage plan before inventory arrives.
Sending your first inbound
Your first inbound sets the tone for everything after. We give you an inbound checklist to share with your manufacturer or packer: how cartons should be labeled, how mixed-SKU cartons should be avoided or marked, where lot numbers should appear and what paperwork should travel with the shipment.
You create an advance shipping notice listing what's coming so receiving can be checked against it. When the shipment arrives, we count it, record lots, note any damage with photos and put it away. Any discrepancies are reported to you, not discovered three weeks later when a shade shows out of stock.
Test orders and going live
Before live orders flow, we run test orders through the full process: order import from Shopify, pick, pack with your inserts and packaging, and ship to you or a team member. You inspect the unboxing and sign off, or we adjust the spec.
Go-live is planned for a quiet window, not the day of a launch. We pause or redirect your home fulfillment, turn on the order connection, and watch the first days of orders closely. Often the biggest change isn't time saved on packing; it's finally being able to plan a launch without worrying about how the orders will get out the door.
What's included
- Plain-language onboarding with a dedicated point of contact
- SKU, barcode and shade variant setup
- Packaging specs per product type
- Inbound checklist for your manufacturer or packer
- Receiving with counts, lot capture and damage photos
- Test orders you inspect before go-live
- Go-live planned outside launch windows
Frequently asked questions
Do my products need barcodes before using a 3PL?
Each sellable unit needs a scannable barcode, ideally one per shade. If yours don't have them, we can help you add SKU labels at receiving.
How long does onboarding take?
It depends mostly on how ready your catalog and inventory are. We'll give you a timeline once we've seen your SKU list and inbound plan.
What's an ASN?
An advance shipping notice tells the warehouse what's arriving, so receiving can check the shipment against it and flag missing or extra units.
Can I see a sample order before going live?
Yes. We ship test orders to you so you can check the packing and presentation before switching live orders over.