Shadow mode means observation before automation
The platform reads a defined sample of catalog and cart data, produces recommended packing, shipment, and offer decisions, and records the result. The live storefront remains unchanged.
Your team compares the recommendation with what the warehouse did, what the carrier billed, and what the order earned. Nothing reaches the customer until the merchant reviews the evidence and explicitly approves a live path.
Begin with a practical sample
The first pilot should be narrow enough to understand and broad enough to expose the real pain.
- A focused product or category sample.
- Product cost and the shipping attributes the decision requires.
- Examples of how important products actually leave the floor.
- Existing carrier relationships and current shipping rules.
- The margin and eligibility rules the offer may never cross.
End with a decision—not a sales trap
A useful pilot surfaces missing data, risky packouts, route differences, and discount headroom. It also records where the platform withheld a decision because the evidence was not strong enough.
The final review should end with three honest options: approve a defined scope, adjust the rules or evidence and test again, or stop. The pilot is proof work, not permission to change checkout.
Original sources and further reading
External links open the original research, platform, carrier, or standards source used for factual context.