The role of company stores and good corporate merchandise fulfillment in bolstering team morale and recognizing employee efforts cannot be overstated. And like any commercial store, these internal mechanisms warrant refined attention and streamlined processes – otherwise, delays or inaccuracies in order processing can lead to diminishing the impact of recognition. But what constitutes proper company store fulfillment?
Our team has set up, managed, and continuously improved hundreds of company stores for our clients, and in this article, we aim to share our experience on company store optimization with you. We’ll take a look at the impact that a well-optimized company store order fulfillment can have, how important order and inventory management are for that purpose, and give you advice on how to make your store run efficiently.
Table of Contents
The Significance of Streamlining Order Processing
Company stores don’t always get the same level of attention to detail, since they aren’t necessarily thought of as “real stores”. They are often seen as just one of the internal tools that a company uses to fulfill a certain function (in this case, boosting team morale) – and as it happens sometimes with tools for internal use only, they can be neglected.
This simply should not be happening – company stores need to be streamlined and polished like any other commercial store would be, and here’s why:
Efficient Management of Employee Recognition
Company stores are vital for providing employees with recognition items and branded merchandise – and streamlined order processing ensures that they receive these items on time. In turn, this enhances the employee experience, demonstrating the company’s commitment to acknowledging and appreciating its workforce. For that purpose, a company store might offer special items for years of service, achievements, or branded merchandise representing the company.
Readiness for Seasonal or Event-Related Sales
Company stores may release limited edition or seasonal items for specific events, which often come with far higher delivery loads than usual. Efficient merch fulfillment ensures timely availability even during peak periods, allowing employees to celebrate or represent the company during such occasions.
Eliminating Employee Dissatisfaction
Delays or errors in branded merchandise fulfillment might lead to employees getting their recognition items only after the intended celebration or milestone, diminishing the impact of the recognition and affecting their morale. If it becomes a consistent issue, it may potentially lead to overall employee dissatisfaction, feelings of undervaluation, and questioning the reasonability of a company store in general.
Optimizing Operational Costs
Lastly, inefficient methods for merchandise fulfillment can inflate expenses due to redundant efforts or issues in managing inventory. Depending on how big your team is and how far your order processing is from being streamlined, you may be wasting thousands of dollars a month without realizing it.
Optimizing Order Management Systems
The most straightforward way to make your company store fulfillment seamless is to use proper technology. For instance, order processing software enables the automation of repetitive tasks within order processing – generating order confirmations, updating inventory levels, and initiating shipping processes. But you shouldn’t stop there.
You can also utilize barcode or RFID technology to enable real-time tracking of inventory – a company store system equipped with RFID tags on items can track inventory movement instantly. This is critical as you always want to correctly communicate to your employees the availability and the ETAs for the ordered items – we’ve seen many cases where the store fails to do so through the lack of optimization, which brings about employee frustration.
On top of that, certain technologies allow for the analysis of historical data to predict trends and anticipate demand. Through the use of data analytics tools, a company store can predict popular merchandise during certain seasons or events, ensuring adequate stock levels are maintained.
It’s also worth mentioning one aspect that is sometimes overlooked – the user interface. Although it doesn’t directly influence order management as such, having a platform that is intuitive, easy to use, and a pleasure to browse through reinforces your brand’s reputation amongst the team.
Ultimately, all of the above serve one purpose – making sure that employees are satisfied.
Quick and accurate order processing ensures they receive their items promptly and feel appreciated and respected by the company.
Inventory Management and Control
In one of our previous articles, we’ve already talked about how crucial it is to be able to track inventory in real time and not rely on manual data entries. While the aforementioned RFID will be of great assistance in offering immediate updates on stock levels, there’s much more to merchandise fulfillment and inventory management than tracking.
For example, you also need to have software in place that will analyze that real-time data and help you make decisions. Tools such as Power BI or Tableau provide insights into inventory movement, enabling swift adjustments in stock levels to match employee needs – reordering automation here is critical.
You also need to make sure that all systems are well integrated into each other and all the data gets transferred smoothly and without losses – and this tends to be the most difficult part. That’s why we often strongly recommend outsourcing company store management in its entirety to a team of professionals like Brandscape.
If the inventory is managed effectively, you will be able to immediately accelerate branded merch fulfillment speed. Item identification, item retrieval, packing, and delivery processes all massively benefit – and, in the end, so do your employees and your company as a whole.
Efficient Company Store Fulfillment Strategies
From our experience, the four most crucial factors that determine a well-optimized company store are:
- Automated Order Processing
- High Standards of Quality Control and Accuracy
- Optimized Shipping and Delivery
- Continuous Data-Driven Performance Analysis
Let’s now dive deeper into each one of those:
Automation in Order Processing
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of leveraging order processing software to automate critical tasks. We have seen many companies that to this day do order confirmations, status changes, and data entries manually, which leaves room for human error and consumes precious time.
On the other hand, utilizing order management systems streamlines the processing of employee requests, managing inventory, generating invoices, and automating order entry. You should also implement robust inventory management systems, like JDA Software or Microsoft Dynamics, specifically customized for company stores, that will facilitate real-time inventory tracking. They will provide instant insights into stock levels, aiding in efficient procurement and ensuring that employees always have access to available stock.
Shipping and Delivery Optimization
Technology aside, it’s also paramount that you are very selective about your shipping partners. Negotiating tailor-made contracts and building strong relationships with reliable carriers allows for optimized delivery logistics, meaning timely and cost-effective merchandise fulfillment at all times.
If possible, you may consider setting up local distribution centers or collaborating with local carriers to improve your last-mile delivery. The pinnacle of company store efficiency is being able to offer same-day delivery, however, in most cases, this proves to be both very difficult and not necessarily reasonable – company stores rarely offer items that would be needed urgently. Instead, aim for ETAs that are both achievable and comfortable for your employees.
Additionally, you or your shipping partner will benefit from route optimization software like OptimoRoute or Routific that helps plan the most efficient delivery routes. This not only reduces fuel consumption, but also time on the road and, consequently, delivery time.
Quality Control and Accuracy
Rigorous quality control is also vital – it involves comprehensive checks at each stage of merchandise fulfillment within a company store. Make sure to perform regular inspections of both your inventory and your processes to be certain that the implemented systems remain accurate. Not to mention, regular staff training also helps uphold consistent quality in fulfilling employee orders and adherence to your standardized procedures.
Data Analytics and Performance Monitoring
Lastly, as mentioned before, it’s important to investigate data with the help of predictive analytics software as well as track crucial KPIs like order fulfillment times, accuracy rates, and inventory turnover. Monitoring these metrics enables company stores to identify certain bottlenecks, optimize order processing, and always maintain appropriate stock levels of high-demand items.
Conclusion
The internal mechanism of company stores plays a significant role in maintaining employee satisfaction, enhancing recognition, and boosting team morale. And as an intrinsic part of the employee recognition program, they require the same level of streamlined operations and meticulous attention as commercial stores. That is also because the consequences of delays or inaccuracies might lead to an adverse effect on employee morale, potentially stirring dissatisfaction and questioning the purpose of the company store itself.
To achieve optimal merchandise fulfillment and inventory control, implement sophisticated order processing software, employ RFID technology for real-time inventory tracking, and leverage data analytics tools. Moreover, make sure to maintain quality standards, accuracy, and continuous performance analysis – from automated order processing to quality control checks and strategic shipping optimization, these aspects collectively propel the store towards efficiency.
Ultimately, the efficient functioning of company stores isn’t just about streamlined order processing; it’s about nurturing a workplace culture where employees feel valued, appreciated, and satisfied. And if you feel that the task of handling one is too overwhelming, consider reaching out to company store management experts who will take all the responsibility, leaving you to only reap the rewards.