Global Ecommerce Supply Chain Analyst – Freight, 3PL & Cost-of-Doing-Business Modeling (US/UK/UAE)

I manage global operations for a consumer products brand expanding into US, UK and UAE. I need an experienced supply chain / logistics analyst (not a general VA) to help me understand the true cost of doing business per region and support pricing decisions.

You’ll be working with data I already have

• Freight quotes (China → US / UK / UAE)
• 3PL rate cards for US and UK (and a shortlist for UAE)
• Product dimensions, weights, carton/CBM details
• Domestic shipping rate cards from the 3PLs

Your job is to turn this into clear models and recommendations.

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Scope of Work

1) Freight Quote Equalization & Lane Comparison (US + UK) - 3 hours

• Compare multiple freight quotes with different structures (EXW vs FOB vs door-to-door).
• Normalize them using the same goods value, CBM, units, and assumptions.
• Break out freight, duties, VAT, brokerage, and other charges.
• Identify the cheapest and safest option per lane
• Flag any inconsistencies (duty % gaps, under-declaration offers, missing fees).

Deliverable

A decision-ready freight comparison model with % and $ differences, plus risks and recommended choice per market.

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2) 3PL Comparison (US, UK, UAE) - 4 hours

I will provide US and UK 3PL rate cards and 2–3 UAE candidates.

You will

• Extract and compare:

Storage (CBM / pallet)

Inbound receiving

Pick/pack

Packaging

Monthly minimums / account fees

Domestic shipping rate tables

• Build a clean comparison matrix across all 3 regions.
• Highlight where each 3PL is strong/weak on cost and structure.

Deliverable

A US/UK/UAE 3PL comparison sheet with a short written summary and open questions.

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3) Cost of Doing Business Model (Per Region) - 6-8 hours

Using the freight + 3PL data, build a model that shows:

• Landed cost per SKU per region (US, UK, UAE).
• Fulfillment + shipping cost per order for key SKUs:

1 trivia game cube

1 doll

1 5 trivia game cube series set

• Worst-case single-unit cost vs multi-unit basket orders.
• Impact of duties/VAT and 3PL fees on margin.

Deliverable

A cost-of-doing-business model that makes it obvious where we’re profitable, break-even, or exposed.

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4) Zone & Regional-Export Shipping Modeling - 3-5 hours

From each fulfillment center, model real-world shipping costs to key destinations, using the 3PL rate tables:

• US 3PL (e.g. PA) → US zones; Example routes: PA→CA, PA→TX, PA→MI for 1 cube / 1 doll / 1 series.
• UK 3PL → UK zones
• UAE 3PL (Dubai) → Dubai, GCC

Example: Dubai→Qatar, Dubai→Sharjah, etc Dubai→Saudi, Dubai→Kuwait, etc., for the same SKUs.

Deliverable

Tables showing cost per order for these lanes so we can decide pricing and free-shipping thresholds that still preserve margin.

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5) Pricing & Shipping Strategy Recommendation - 1-3 hours

Based on the above

• Suggest sustainable retail price ranges per region.
• Recommend shipping structures (flat rate vs tiered vs free over X).
• Identify regions/products where we should or should not subsidize shipping.
• Call out any regions or lanes that are structurally unprofitable without changes.

Deliverable

• A concise 1–2 page written summary with clear recommendations.

Requirements

You should have real experience in most of the following:

• International freight and incoterms (EXW, FOB, DDP, etc.)
• Ecommerce landed-cost modeling
• 3PL / fulfillment cost analysis
• Shipping zone and volumetric/CBM calculations
• SKU-level margin modeling and pricing logic
• Duties/VAT impact (US/UK/EU/Middle East experience is a plus)