How To Manage High Shipping Volumes During Busy Seasons

Black Friday. Labor Day. Memorial Day. These three biggest sales windows of the year can bring in unprecedented sales volume that can crumble an unprepared staff. Unprepared businesses can fall victim to understocking, understaffing, and website crashes due to high volume that can end up costing them a lot of money. However, if you are properly prepared, these sales windows can and should be the most fruitful time of year for your business. Follow these tips to manage high shipping volumes during busy times of year.

Forecast accurately.

Use advanced data metrics and analytics to accurately predict sales volume for the upcoming busy season. In addition to your data (and possibly your competitors’ data) from the previous year, using advanced data metrics will give you deeper insights than you could have gleaned on your own. Don’t be afraid to invest in the services of a third-party analytics company to help you get this measurement accurate.

Form multiple partnerships.

Relying on a single partner can be a recipe for disaster, and this is especially true for both suppliers and freight carriers. In addition to subverting untimely inventory shortages and delays from overworked suppliers, diversifying your partnerships also helps avoid regional issues like natural disasters. Keep in mind that your suppliers and freight carriers are also extremely busy during these times of year, so diversifying is always a safe option.

Automate simple tasks ahead of time.

These are the busiest times of year, but the problem is that these long weekends and holidays are also the time when your employees request the most time off. To deal with this lack of staff, automate as many simple processes as possible. Your ordering and checkout processes such as data entry, invoicing, payment processing, shipping, and confirmation should already be automated in an efficient ecommerce company, but consider automating some of your customer service as well. Simple tasks like returns can use up a lot of manpower, and can now be handled by chatbots. Consider investing in technology that can save you time and money in the long run, especially during these busy times of year.

Hire seasonal staff.

While chatbots can handle a wide breadth of complex tasks, it never hurts to be extra prepared. Hire seasonal staff to make up for your out-of-office employees during the holiday season or long weekend, and put your worries to rest.

Know your shipping limits.

Be transparent with your customers about shipping times and costs from the start of their shopping process. No one likes surprises during checkout (such as additional fees or delayed delivery times), and addressing them up front can actually help build trust in your brand. Don’t overpromise, especially during the holidays when customers need their orders by a clear deadline.

The holidays can be one of the most profitable times of the year if executed correctly. Don’t be afraid to invest in extra assistance to make sure your sales run smoothly. Check out our blog for more helpful tips on executing smooth and lucrative holiday sales.