GXO Logistics Negotiation Playbook

Contoso Bikes, Inc.logistics

This playbook turns vendor negotiations from price haggling into a structured, evidence-led strategy. Expect ready-to-use levers with Ask → Target → Fallback, redline-ready clauses, and quick calculators that quantify impact in real time—plus a vendor-specific intel layer (posture, risks, benchmarks) so your moves are grounded in facts. It solves the "where do we push, with what proof, and what do we trade?" problem by bundling the best angles into deal recipes and backing each with sources. In short: a fast path from context to concrete asks, so teams negotiate confidently, consistently, and with measurable outcomes.

Action Studio

Build and bundle negotiation levers into ready-to-send deal recipes.

Negotiation Levers

Core negotiation "levers": each with why it matters, ask/target/fallback, clause refs, KPIs, and calculators.

Indexation Caps & Evidence-Based Wage Linkage
Evidence
Ask

Cap annual uplifts at CPI (All-Items) with any wage-specific claims tied to NAICS 493 data.

Target

CPI cap at 0–1% adder; minimum 12-month rate hold on expansions.

Fallback

CPI+1.5% with semiannual review; wage pass-through only with substantiation.

Fuel Surcharge Peg + Volatility Bands
Evidence
Ask

Peg to EIA diesel with fixed base and ±10% monthly band; quarterly true-up.

Target

±10% band; transparent table; quarterly true-up.

Fallback

±15% band; monthly true-up.

Cartonization & SIOC to Cut DIM
Evidence
Ask

Rationalize carton set for top 80% of orders; SIOC for eligible models; co-invest in pack-out redesign.

Target

5–9% parcel $$ reduction; damages <0.5%.

Fallback

Pilot top 20 SKUs; expand if ROI > 12 months.

Smart Slotting & Wave Tuning
Ask

Quarterly re-slot + wave tuning with KPI gate.

Target

≥15% picks/hr uplift on A/B SKUs.

Fallback

Biannual review; partial lanes only.

Automation ROI-Share & Price-Hold
Evidence
Ask

Business case ≤18-mo payback; 50/50 savings share; 12–24-mo unit-rate hold on impacted processes.

Target

>20% pick productivity uplift with rate hold.

Fallback

Pilot lane with go/no-go gate.

Structured Reverse Logistics & Refurb ROI
Ask

2-day turnaround on returns; graded QC with refurb thresholds; shared recovery uplift.

Target

≥80% returns processed ≤48h; 3–5% recovery uplift.

Fallback

Top categories only; 72h SLA.

SLA Credits (OTIF/Order Accuracy/Inventory Accuracy)
Evidence
Ask

Monthly credit schedule for misses; corrective action plan in 30 days.

Target

OTIF 98.5%; order accuracy 99.8%; inventory accuracy 99.9%.

Fallback

Quarterly pooling for minor misses.

Open-Book Mechanics & Audit Windows
Ask

Quarterly cost review; audit rights; savings share with sunset.

Target

Full transparency on material cost drivers.

Fallback

Semiannual review; focused categories.

Accessorial Simplification & Hard Caps
Ask

Consolidate codes; cap top items; dispute SLA.

Target

Top 5 accessorials down 20–30%.

Fallback

Cap 3 items; reporting on rest.

Implementation/NRE Amortization
Ask

Amortize over term; clawback if early termination without cause.

Target

Amort 24–36 months.

Fallback

Front-loaded with 50% on go-live.

QBR Cadence & Data Handshakes
Evidence
Ask

Monthly ops review; quarterly exec QBR; API scorecards.

Target

Data latency <24h; exception dashboarding.

Fallback

Bi-monthly ops; semiannual QBR.

Inventory Accuracy Gainshare
Ask

Tiered credits below 99.7%; gainshare above 99.9%.

Target

99.9% sustained over rolling 3 months.

Fallback

Credits only (no gainshare).

Reserved Peak Flex & Surge Staffing
Ask

Reserve capacity blocks with pre-agreed surge rates.

Target

≥2.0× surge for 8 weeks with OTIF ≥98%.

Fallback

1.5× surge; expanded window.

Dock-to-Stock SLA
Ask

95% of inbound lines stocked within 24h (business days).

Target

≤24h median; ≤36h p95.

Fallback

48h with ASN gating.