What is the purpose of this 2021 Holiday Guide?
As fall approaches we wanted to share important information to help you and your team prepare for peak season. We will cover multiple topics over the next few weeks. Today we are addressing best practices for incoming inventory.
We are working with our partner facilities to make every effort to staff our warehouses so that we can meet the increase in demand during peak season. However, given the recent country-wide labor shortages, there could be labor shortages that result in delays in shipping and receiving times on the heaviest order days.
Below are some specific reminders that will help ensure your operations and fulfillment activities will run as smoothly as possible during this busy time.
SHIP NOTICES:
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AT THE FACILITY: A well-prepared ship notice and organized shipment allow for faster and more efficient receiving at the facility. The hallmarks of an ideal shipment are:
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Has a ship notice in place prior to arriving
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Has the tracking information on it for ease of identification
- Has all packages for the shipment delivered at the same time
- Has the ship notice number written on the outside of each carton/package
- Arrives with all units labeled and correctly identified on the ship notice
- Arrives with all units polybagged
AT THE FACILITY:
- Ship Notices will be marked as arrived within 24 hours of being delivered.
- Generally ship notices will be received within 3-5 business days.
- NOTE: Ship Notices that arrive with higher unit and sku counts, or that need work completed on the items will require additional time.
- Please note that we are unable to prioritize a ship notice over any others in the facility.
UNEXPECTED SHIP NOTICES: This is when a shipment arrives at the facility with no ship notice. The facility must take extra time to identify what the shipment is and how to handle it. This is especially disruptive during busy periods.
- With unexpected ship notices, the facility will create a project and bill the time (hourly) to identify the shipment and receive it.
- You will be notified when this occurs, but it could be after the fact.
SHIP NOTICES THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL HANDLING:
- Select "Requires Inspection" when creating your ship notice if it requires additional handling
- The additional handling will be charged hourly at your project rate
For more info on ship notices, check out these Help Center articles:
- Ship Notices
- Inspection Ship Notices - for when your shipment requires additional handling
PROJECTS:
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From October to January projects will be wait-listed and carried out at the discretion of the facility.
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Submit any project requests as soon as the product is delivered.
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Include detailed directions in a PDF attached to your request.
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Please ensure that all items are on-hand.
CUSTOM PACKAGING:
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If you use custom packaging, please ensure your supply levels are sufficient for the busy season ahead
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A ship notice should be created for all incoming packaging
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If you have a rule calling for your custom packaging, please take a look in the Whiplash App to confirm the settings are correct:
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if you’d like us to only use custom packaging “while supplies last” select that option, otherwise, if your packaging is not available your orders would not be processed until we receive more inventory.
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For more info on packaging and rules, check out these Help Center articles:
In Parts 2 & 3 of the 2021 Holiday Prep Guide (coming soon),
- Order Processing
- Carrier Guidelines during peak holiday times
- Whiplash and Partner Facility Holiday Operating Hours
- Whiplash Customer Support Holiday Schedule