“Peak season” refers to a spike in a business’ sales due to the holiday season, weather events, or scheduled sales promotions. We typically see peak sales in Q4 (October through December), but spikes in sales can happen at any point in the year. While the uptick in profits is exciting, it can be stressful to keep up with order fulfillment when you’re receiving significantly more orders than the rest of the year. Read on to learn how you can prepare your business for peak season fulfillment and how a third-party logistics company can help you achieve your goals.
Preparing for Peak Season Fulfillment
The best way to prepare for this year’s peak season is to look at last year’s performance. This means you need to take a close look at your data and use analytics to figure out what you can reasonably expect in the upcoming months.
Forecasting based on previous results will give you more stable ground to stand on as you get ready. Pay particular attention to metrics such as warehouse stock levels, on-time performance, and which vendors or shippers were more reliable.
How a 3PL Can Help
Here are just a few ways a 3PL can help your business crush your peak season:
Labor
Many 3PLs partner with staffing agencies to hire temporary employees during the peak season. At WSI, we also flex our labor force across our organization to meet demand and use comprehensive training courses to keep the warehouse running smoothly.
Equipment
Take advantage of a national network that can transport equipment from facility to facility to support the rise in orders in Q4. Additionally, having the equipment to handle massive order volumes (such as pick carts, pack stations, conveyors, etc.) will help make your daily operations more efficient.
Infrastructure
A 3PL with good tech and physical infrastructure can maximize how you use their storage systems for pick and replenishment optimization. For example, if you have products stored on multiple levels of racking, transferring the peak-season fast-movers to lower racks for easier access is a smart move. The more efficient inventory management is, the faster you can ship orders!
Systems
Utilizing a 3PL’s warehouse management system (WMS) can help employees follow the fastest pick paths to minimize the amount of time it takes to pack an order. WSI is partnered with the #1 WMS provider, Manhattan Associates, so our customers can take advantage of state-of-the-art machine learning, gamification, and actionable insights to optimize their warehouse operations.
Partner with WSI
Having the right 3PL company by your side is one of the most important elements of fulfillment success, no matter what time of year it is. As a leader in third-party logistics services for B2B and B2C companies, WSI is ready to step in and provide you with the full benefit of our expertise and capabilities. We’re partnered with several brands with seasonal spikes due to weather, holidays, or scheduled promotions.
From inventory management to custom packaging and beyond, we can provide you with a wide array of services to help you keep pace with the demanding nature of peak season fulfillment. If you want to learn more about how we can be your single-source provider, reach out and speak with one of our representatives. We’re ready and willing to answer any questions you may have.