How many orders make outsourcingworth considering?

Updated 19 September 2026 · 6-minute read

There is no single minimum order volume

Daily order volume is only one part of the decision. Ten complex orders can require more work than fifty simple orders. SKU count, storage space, packing requirements, sales channels, campaign peaks, returns and delivery destinations all affect whether outsourced fulfillment makes operational sense.

Assess these six workload drivers

1. Average and peak daily orders

   Record normal days, payday campaigns, double-date sales and livestream peaks separately. An average can hide the staffing needed on the busiest days.

2. SKU count and product variation

   More sizes, colours, bundles and batch controls increase storage locations, picking decisions and the chance of errors.

3. Packing work per order

   Simple courier bags take less time than fragile packing, inserts, gift wrapping, relabelling or promotional kits.

4. Storage and receiving pressure

   Bulky products, frequent inbound shipments and limited receiving space can create a need for warehouse support before order volume becomes high.

5. Channels and delivery destinations

   Orders from several marketplaces or stores require stock coordination, while different delivery destinations can add carrier and service-level decisions.

6. Returns and exception handling

   Address changes, cancelled orders, failed deliveries, returns and damaged stock add work that is not visible in the shipment count alone.

A practical weekly calculation

For four representative weeks, track total fulfillment labour hours and divide them by shipped orders. Include receiving, put-away, picking, checking, packing, courier handover, customer-service follow-up and returns. Then calculate how many management hours are spent solving space, staffing, stock or courier problems.

This produces a more useful cost-per-order view than counting packing time alone. Repeat the calculation for a peak campaign week because that is where operational limits usually become clear.

Three situations where a lower volume may still fit

• The products require substantial storage or careful handling.
• The internal team should focus on product, sales or customer acquisition instead of warehouse work.
• Orders are highly seasonal and require flexible capacity during short campaigns.

When it may be too early

It may be practical to stay in-house when orders remain very limited and predictable, storage is already available, packing is simple, and the current team can handle receiving, shipping and returns without affecting other work. Review the decision again when order patterns, channels or staffing change.

Information to request a useful quotation

Provide average and peak daily orders, monthly storage volume, SKU count, product dimensions and weight, packing requirements, sales channels, delivery destinations, returns rate and planned campaigns. A proposal based only on average daily orders is unlikely to reflect the full operation.