What are Mosaic doing to prepare for the holiday season?

With the busy Christmas holiday season around the corner, here at Mosaic Fulfilment Solutions, we are getting prepared. We are expecting this seasonal peak to be the largest ever within our warehouse and distribution area of our operation.

We would like to showcase the 26 things, we have done to get ready for peak Black Friday and Cyber Monday – the busiest shopping days of the year!

1. We have refined our current warehouse processes and documented all our standard operating procedures (SOPs)
2. In line with our ISO9001 standard we document any SOP changes and regularly circulate to warehouse workers and train them accordingly
3. We have identified some areas of improvement in our systems and updated warehouse management software where required
4. All warehouse workers, including all seasonal workers, have been appropriately trained and we also operate a 'Buddy' system so that all new starters are supported
5. We have run IT systems health and resilience checks
6. All forklifts, conveyors and carousels and other machinery onsite have been serviced
7. All areas of the warehouse are clean, tidy and properly arranged
8. Stock replenishment is fully ready and staffed
9. All warehouse workers on all shifts and seasonal workers have been trained and tested on how to use all the necessary equipment properly
10. All packaging has been stock taked to ensure we do not run out of resources to ship orders
11. Warehouse and Distribution space, the layout has been reviewed and updated
12. All warehouse storage areas are clearly marked and labelled
13. Aisles and storage areas are organised for fast, easy navigation
14. Overflow temporary storage is in position
15. Pallets have been consolidated to optimise warehouse rack positions
16. Primary pick warehouse locations are filled to maximum levels daily
17. Additional pallet racking have been inserted in the warehouse
18. Top selling and popular items (fast-moving inventory) have been requested from clients to ensure that they are optimally positioned for quick access
19. Daily forecasts have been gathered to provide Business Intelligence to help us model staffing and shift patterns during peak production periods
20. Client SLAs and expectations have been communicated – considering additional factors this year such as COVID-19 and a social distanced workforce
21. Using the reporting capabilities of our WMS, our planning team has taken a detailed look at daily operations, including order and shipment volume by day
22. Work schedules, shift patterns and resources have been planned accordingly
23. Service level goals for key warehouse metrics including orders or boxes per hour per employee; lines picked per hour per employee etc. are calculated in real time using reports and dashboards from our warehouse management system. To encourage peak performance, all warehouse workers understand key performance metrics and are rewarded by results
24. After comparing projections, the permanent workforce has been beefed up with quality temporary labour
25. Visible reports and dashboards are displayed to help motivate the workforce and keep everyone on track for peak performance
26. We have performed agressive warehouse operation stress tests

Across the UK, 3PLs receive goods into warehouses, handle, store and ship out orders and collaborate with transportation and logistics providers for the last mile delivery to consumers. We have made sure we are ready to serve our clients and delight our client's customers before Black Friday and Cyber Monday.