Introduction

When pandemic restrictions hit, businesses like Mr Simple faced unprecedented challenges - every day felt like day one - curveballs were coming at retailers from all directions. With reduced retail foot traffic, restrictions on trade, risk of an outbreak at our 3PL, and retail staff eager to work, we needed to pivot quickly. This is the story of how we transformed Mr Simple retail stores into mini fulfilment centres, evolving from chaotic spreadsheets to automated order routing and fulfilment using Cin7 and StarShipit.

The Initial Challenge: Google Sheets Mayhem

‍In the early days of the pandemic managing the routing of online orders involved a lot of VLookup formulas, Google Sheets, Slack, and an all-hands-on-deck approach. It quickly turned into a logistical nightmare, especially during a sale. Orders were manually split and allocated, leading to errors, delays, and frustration. Our system was unsustainable, and we needed an efficient solution.

We had heard of some of the bigger retailers using a ship-from-store strategy, but they had expensive ERPs and large teams to manage the operation.

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Collaborating with Cin7: A Solution to Chaos

‍After a hectic week for our customer service, logistics, and e-commerce teams, I reached out to my contact at Cin7. I worked closely with Danny, the founder of Cin7, to develop a tailored solution. Together, we tested and refined the Cin7 auto order routing and splitting functionality within the Cin7 Shopify integration. We also set up alerts within the POS and streamlined the order fulfilment process using the Cin7 Pick N Pack module and StarShipit.

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Key Benefits of the New System

• Serving Customers: Mr Simple could continue to serve customers while adhering to restrictions, keep their full-time retail staff working, and make use of their closed stores.
• Increased Product Availability Online: This "endless aisle" system gave customers more choices, including missing sizes, dead-stock, older collections, and 'sold out' products sitting in storage.
• Operational Efficiency: Ensuring staff fulfilled orders promptly became much easier with the new system, but it still required diligent management.‍
• Utilising Quiet Days: The new setup utilised quiet days like Mondays and Tuesdays when retail traffic was low, even beyond the pandemic.
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Key Challenges of the New System

• Inventory Accuracy: The success of this system depended on accurate inventory counts in our stores. Any discrepancies could lead to issues. For example, casual staff are not as familiar with stock in the storage room as their manager, resulting in potential "out of stocks" for items that are actually available.
• Managing Split Orders: We had to ensure customers were informed about multiple packages and control our freight costs. We aimed to prevent orders from splitting more than twice whenever possible.
• Increased Freight Costs: While it was great to save on our 3PL pick fees, the increase in split orders resulted in higher freight costs. This required close management, and eventually, we were able to limit orders to be split only once or twice using a setting in the Cin7 routing setup.
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Implementing the Solution: A Step-by-Step Transformation

1. Setup and Testing: We started by testing the auto order routing and splitting functionality.
2. Training Staff: Training our staff on the new system was crucial. We set up alerts in the POS and used the Pick N Pack module to streamline the process.
3. Fulfilment with StarShipit: We integrated StarShipit using a child account for each store to streamline shipping label generation.
4. Monitoring and Adjusting: We continuously monitored the system and made adjustments to ensure optimal performance.
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The Results: Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction

‍Turning Mr Simple retail stores into mini fulfilment centres proved successful. We managed to continue trading, keep our retail team busy, and improve customer satisfaction with more online purchase options. Orders were processed faster, and our staff adapted well to the new system, thanks to Cin7 and StarShipit.
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Conclusion

‍The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink our operations and adapt quickly. Leveraging Cin7 and StarShipit, we turned chaos into an opportunity for growth and efficiency, while giving our customers more choice. Our journey from a Google Sheets nightmare to an automated retail fulfilment strategy shows the power of technology in overcoming business challenges.

Interested in learning more about how Cin7 and StarShipit can transform your business operations? Contact me today for a consultation and see how we can help you streamline your fulfilment process.

Learn more about how Starshipit can streamline your order fulfilment process by visiting their website here https://starshipit.com/

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