A switch customers never notice
Darwynn runs every move as a project, with a dedicated team, a plan in Darwynn CRM and a go-live date. Products and sales channels are set up and tested, inventory moves in stages, and orders switch over only when everything is ready. Most ecommerce and wholesale brands are live in two to four weeks.
Darwynn CRMOnboarding plan- Week 1
- Product information formBrand
- First inbound manifestBrand
- Account set upAdminDay 3
- Sales channels connectedAdmin
- Training one: platform and receivingPMDay 6
- Week 2
- First inbound received and countedWarehouse
- Training two: receiving and ordersPMDay 13
- Remaining inventory receivedWarehouse
- Week 3
- Test ordersPM
- Week 4 and hyper care
- Go-livePMDay 27
- Hyper care: daily checksTeam
A project, not a handover
Onboarding at Darwynn has its own plan, its own team and a go-live date. A project manager leads it from the signed agreement until the brand is live, and every task, owner and date sits in one plan in Darwynn CRM. Orders move to Darwynn only after the products, the inventory and the order connection have been tested together.
- 2–4 weeks
- typical time from signed agreement to go-live
- Same day
- account set up once the product information arrives
- 2
- training sessions on the brand's own products
- 15+
- locations in Canada and the USA, all live once the account is set up
The team on every onboarding
Each onboarding has named people from the first day, so the brand always knows who owns each part of the move.
- Project managerOwns the onboarding plan and keeps every task on its date. Runs both training sessions with the brand's team.
- System administratorSets up the brand's account, products, barcodes and sales channel connections, and answers system questions day to day.
- Sales leadStays on the account after the agreement is signed, so the setup matches what was agreed, and arranges freight for the inventory move when the brand needs it.
- Account managerTakes over once the account is stable after go-live and stays with the brand as it adds channels, products and locations.
The 3PL onboarding plan, week by week
The timeline depends on how many sales channels and systems connect, how many SKUs the brand carries and how the inventory moves. The order of the work stays the same.
- Week 1
Set up the account
- Product informationThe brand completes Darwynn's product information form: SKUs, barcodes, dimensions, weights and handling needs such as liquids, glass or expiry dates. The account is set up the same day the form arrives.
- Sales channelsThe system administrator connects the brand's store, marketplaces and business systems, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Walmart, TEMU, NetSuite or EDI through SPS Commerce.
- The first inboundThe brand sends a manifest of the first inventory to arrive: SKUs, barcodes, quantities and, where they apply, lots and expiry dates.
- Training session oneA day or two later, the project manager walks the brand's team through Darwynn OMS and creates the first advance shipping notice with them, using the brand's real products.
- Weeks 1–3
Move the inventory
- FreightThe brand can book its own carrier, or Darwynn quotes and books the move from the current warehouse.
- First inboundThe first shipment is received, counted against the manifest and put away. Lots and expiry dates are recorded, and any product data issue is fixed now, before orders depend on it.
- Training session twoThe second session covers live receiving and orders, on the brand's own inventory.
- The rest of the inventoryOnce the first inbound is clean, the remaining stock arrives, so the full inventory is in place before go-live.
- Weeks 3–4
Test, then go live
- Test ordersTest orders run through the connection to confirm that orders, inventory and tracking pass correctly between the brand's systems and Darwynn.
- Go-liveEvery order from every connected channel now ships from Darwynn, from whichever locations the brand uses.
- After go-live
Hyper care
- Daily checksThe onboarding team checks the account every day through its first weeks of orders.
- Account managerWhen the account is stable, it moves to an account manager who stays with the brand.
What makes it fast
Most delays in a 3PL switch come from data problems found too late and connections built from scratch. The plan is built to avoid both.
- Integrations already builtShopify, WooCommerce, Walmart, TEMU, NetSuite, Sage, Brightpearl, Fulfil, Rithum, Xorosoft and EDI through SPS Commerce. Most connections are set up by Darwynn during onboarding, without development work on the brand's side.
- Data checked before the full moveThe first inbound arrives ahead of the rest of the inventory, so product data problems surface early, while they are still small.
- Training on real productsBoth training sessions use the brand's own products and inventory, so the team learns the system on the work it will do every day.
- One setup for every locationA brand set up once is live in every Darwynn location in Canada and the USA, with no extra fee to use more of them.
Read more about how pricing works and the questions brands ask before switching
Onboarding questions
How long does it take to switch to Darwynn?
Most brands are live in two to four weeks. The timeline depends on how many sales channels and systems need to connect, how many SKUs the brand carries and how the inventory moves to Darwynn.
What does a brand need to start onboarding?
A completed product information form with SKUs, barcodes, dimensions, weights and handling needs, and a manifest of the first inventory to arrive. Darwynn sets up the account the same day the product information arrives.
Does the brand need developers to connect its store?
Usually not. Darwynn's team connects Shopify, WooCommerce, Walmart, TEMU, NetSuite and Darwynn's other integrations during onboarding, and reviews any other platform the brand uses.
Can Darwynn move inventory from the brand's current 3PL?
Yes. The brand can book its own carrier, or Darwynn quotes and books the freight from the current warehouse. The first shipment is received and checked before the rest of the inventory moves.
What training does Darwynn provide?
Two sessions led by the project manager. The first covers Darwynn OMS and receiving, and the second covers live receiving and orders. Both use the brand's own products.
What happens after go-live?
The account goes into hyper care, with daily checks through its first weeks of orders. When it is stable, an account manager takes over and stays with the brand.
Plan the switch to Darwynn
Send the brand's products, order volume and channels. Darwynn's sales team replies within 24 hours, and onboarding starts as soon as the agreement is signed.