As the peak season approaches, businesses are urged to adopt strategies to de-risk their operations and reduce shipping delays. This article explores four key strategies to ensure smooth operations during the busiest time of the year.
Optimizing Warehouse Management
To reduce fulfillment backlogs and speed up delivery times, businesses are advised to strategically plan their warehouse operating hours. This includes creating a calendar for workers indicating when extra hours are needed to meet surges in customer orders around the holiday season. For instance, a Saturday shift after Black Friday sales can help reduce the number of orders needed to be fulfilled on the following Monday.
Adopting a Multi-Carrier Shipping Strategy
A multi-carrier strategy helps to spread freight across the right mix of carriers, especially when depots are at capacity during peak season and parcels can take longer to be processed. This strategy can help de-risk deliveries from delays.
Offering Multiple Delivery Options
Businesses are encouraged to offer multiple delivery options at checkout to give customers the convenience of online shopping and peace of mind that their orders will be delivered on time. This includes providing access to a range of delivery options to get ahead of cut-off times — from standard to express, next day, same day, and on-demand — at discounted rates.
Defining a Returns Strategy
While a large influx of holiday gift returns might not start coming in until the end of December or early January, it’s important to have a thorough returns management process in place. Businesses are advised to revisit their returns policy and review which products have historically been returned the most. Based on qualitative data, they can determine why and consider making changes to the product descriptions to set better expectations.
Businesses that are ready to get ahead of peak season demand and avoid supply chain delays can set themselves up for success by adopting these strategies.
