How to minimise inventory errors with temporary staff

Hi there! ?? Thanks for stopping by. We share expert, practical advice on inventory management, multichannel selling and warehouse optimization. If you're new to our community and would like to drive more efficiency and revenue in your business, click the "subscribe" button above.

This edition was written by Andy Eastes , Chief Strategy Officer at Linnworks.

As ecommerce retailers begin gearing up for this year’s festive rush, most will be familiar with that feeling of unease and trepidation.

Why the unease? Because along with that whirlwind of orders comes logistical challenges and the need to bring extra hands on deck. With that in mind, I’d like to unpack one of the most pressing challenges that accompanies the holiday hustle - how to minimise inventory errors with temporary staff.

The festive frenzy: more orders, more risk

Your online store might usually be a well-oiled machine. But during the holiday season, it's as if someone turned the volume up to 11 (yes, we’re lifelong Spinal Tap fans here at Linnworks!).?

Temporary workers play a crucial role in managing the festive rush. But while they bring plenty of energy and enthusiasm to the table, they also bring inexperience. And your regular staff, already juggling a heavier workload, need to get newcomers up to speed fast.

The result?

• Unpredictability, with more hands involved in handling your products than usual.?
• Shelves that are in a state of constant motion as your team races to fulfil orders.
• Additional pressure on ensuring each order is correctly picked, packed, and shipped.??

With so much at stake in terms of customer satisfaction and revenue, the need for flawless processes and meticulous attention to detail becomes more critical than ever.

The domino effect of a single error

One small error leads to a cascade of bigger ones. Let’s take an example where a temporary worker mistakenly picks the wrong SKU while fulfilling an order:

• This leads to the incorrect item getting packed and shipped to the customer.
• The customer contacts customer service to report the error.
• The incorrect item now must be returned, requiring additional handling and processing.
• On top of this, a new order must now be shipped, doubling labor and shipping costs for the same order.

This is just one wrong pick. What does that look like during a frantic holiday season where the mistakes are piling up?

• Your customer service team is now working tirelessly to resolve the issue, putting strain on resources and causing delays in addressing other customer inquiries and issues.
• Your platform ranking drops due to poor feedback, significantly affecting your visibility and sales potential.
• With so many active sales and returns in play, your inventory management system no longer accurately reflects your stock levels and is thrown into disarray.?
• Inventory discrepancies lead to overselling, causing even more confusion and customer dissatisfaction.?

Navigating peak sales periods with specialized roles and SOPs

Yikes. That's a lot of stress. So how do you, ecommerce retailers, combat this chaos?

Specialized roles

During high-demand periods, it's crucial to have dedicated roles for every team member. When everyone knows exactly where they’re supposed to be and what they’re supposed to be doing, it’s much easier to avoid mishaps where too many people are trying to do the same thing simultaneously. Some examples of primary specialist roles include:

• Pickers and packers
• Quality control inspectors
• Inventory managers
• Returns handlers

SOPs

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are also essential during peak sales periods. They serve as a detailed guide for employees, ensuring consistency and reducing errors. A comprehensive SOP document should include:

• Detailed step-by-step workflows for each specialised role.
• Procedures for performing and documenting quality checks.
• Directions on updating the inventory system, recording new stock, and handling discrepancies.
• Processes for accepting, inspecting, and handling returns.
• Protocols for communication between team members and other departments.
• Standardised versions of the most up-to-date onboarding materials, staff handbooks, training manuals, etc.?

Error proofing with an IMS?

So first off, assign dedicated roles. Second, get your SOPs in shape. But all of this will be for nothing if you don't have the right tech in place. When I say tech, I'm talking about an inventory management system (IMS). And I guarantee, these tools are a game-changer when it comes to navigating the complexities of holiday sales.

To get a handle on how an IMS like Linnworks can make a world of difference to your processes, let’s look at a few specific examples.?

1. Real-Time Inventory Tracking

When orders are coming in thick and fast, and you don't have crystal clear visibility over what orders are coming in and what's getting shipped, you're in for a world of trouble. That's why real-time tracking is critical to avoid the pitfalls of overselling, underselling and having to deal with unhappy customers.

Real-time tracking in action:

You have 20 units of a popular toy in stock. With a robust IMS, the moment 20 units are sold, the system automatically marks the item as out of stock, preventing the sale of further orders until more units arrive.

2. Barcode Scanning

Barcode scanning is a powerful tool in your inventory arsenal for minimising errors. When a worker picks an item, they scan the product's barcode. If it's the wrong item, the system lets them know it's incorrect, making it virtually impossible to pack and ship the wrong product.

Barcode scanning in action:?

Imagine a temporary worker who’s color blind. They are instructed to pick a red sweater but end up selecting a blue one by accident. With barcode scanning, such mistakes are eliminated because the IMS warns users immediately when an incorrect item is picked.?

3. Batch Picking and Packing

The best inventory management systems optimise the order fulfilment process by grouping orders together for efficient picking and packing. Not only does picking multiple items in one go save time for staff navigating the warehouse floor, it also reduces the likelihood of errors.

Batch picking and packing in action:?

Imagine a customer with a full cart of festive orders encompassing several items. IMS tools make light work of grouping these items together, allowing the picker to collect them all at once – with minimal chance of mistakes.

4. Integration with Shipping Carriers

A great inventory management system should do more than just inventory. A lot more. Because there are more moving parts than that. That's why a Connected CommerceOps platform like Linnworks integrates with 70+ major shipping carriers, including UPS, DHL, FedEx, and many more.

Shipping integration in action:?

With Linnworks’ shipping integrations, each order is automatically assigned to the most efficient shipping carrier based on factors like destination, package size, and delivery speed. This is done in real-time, ensuring your products are dispatched promptly.

Wrapping up: Ready, set, peak!

There’s no denying the holiday rush can be a wild ride, but with the right systems in place (hint hint ), you can make it a successful one.

Good luck this week, and if you need any help or advice, feel free to reach out.

Next issue? We'll reveal the game-changing inventory tool that will guarantee higher turnover rates and lower holding costs.

Hit 'Subscribe' at the top of the page or 'Follow' below and we'll see you next time. ??