Everything you need to know about preparing your packaging operation for the holiday season
In the words of Alice Cooper, “School’s out for summer”.
Parents go into overdrive organising six weeks of entertainment and holiday clubs (smiling on the outside but internally screaming “What kind of childcare service doesn’t start till 10am?”) and Briton’s jet off for two weeks in the sun or a pootle around the UK.
The world is, on the whole, a happy place – unless you’re left in the workplace trying to pick up everyone’s day to day roles.
Holiday season can be a stressful time for those left manning the fort, it can also prove to be a headache in terms of sustaining customer service levels. How do you keep things running smoothly during this time?
Here are a few ideas to help minimise the holiday impact.
- Ask team members to share their supplier and customer contacts lists with telephone numbers and email addresses.
- Compile a central timetable of events each team member undertakes, it can help you anticipate coverage required and act as a checklist.
- Compile a ‘hit list’ to identify solutions for problems that may occur when coverage is tight.
- Forecast anticipated spikes in supply/demand, ensuring you have enough stock for the holiday period.
- Simplify and streamline your supplier order process. Clarify the items required for each product, production line or packing station. This ensures everyone understands what is required and which supplier to use.
- Put spend limits in place where necessary to ensure that products aren’t mistakenly over ordered.
- Use a central sheet to itemise purchases, you can then quickly assess what has been ordered, spent and used during the holiday period, averting any nasty surprises when the invoices come in.
Through forward planning and groundwork you should have an informed workforce who feel armed to manage and resolve problems that may arise.
If maintaining continuity of your packaging supply is a problem during the holiday period then many businesses find that Customer Connect can help.
Customer Connect gives you:
- An online ordering facility tailored to your requirements
- Stock classified by production area to minimise order confusion
- The ability to order 24hrs a day
- Optional spend and frequency of order limits
- One click spend, usage and waste packaging reports
- Access to the full Macfarlane’s product range
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Macfarlane Packaging’s Customer Connect set up is free of charge and can be ready to use in a couple of days. It may be the solution that your company needs.
Contact us today to find out more.
