The operating question
The last moment a wrong order can be corrected cheaply is before the box is sealed.
What to decide, in order
- Check the item and the quantity against the order. A pick check that verifies the SKU but not the quantity catches half of the errors it is designed to catch.
- Treat inserts and branded packaging as controlled requirements. Anything that changes what the customer receives — card, insert, sticker, bag — belongs in the order instruction, not in a separate conversation.
- Keep the exception record attached to the dispatch decision. When something is substituted or missing, the reason and the person who accepted it belong with the order record.
Quick reference
| Decision | What it settles |
|---|---|
| Check the item and the quantity against the order. | A pick check that verifies the SKU but not the quantity catches half of the errors it is designed to catch. |
| Treat inserts and branded packaging as controlled requirements. | Anything that changes what the customer receives — card, insert, sticker, bag — belongs in the order instruction, not in a separate conversation. |
| Keep the exception record attached to the dispatch decision. | When something is substituted or missing, the reason and the person who accepted it belong with the order record. |
Where the handoff usually breaks
Accuracy problems usually appear as a customer complaint that arrives after the same mistake has shipped several times, because nothing recorded the first occurrence.
What good looks like
Packing instructions are specific enough that two people packing the same order produce the same parcel, and exceptions are visible without asking the packer.
Placeholder article prepared for layout review. The operating guidance above is generic; replace it with your own verified content before the public launch.
