Are you a one-person designer or have a staff? In either case, assembly line thinking increases gift basket sales. Find out how.
Space requirements
Designing your gift basket-making space the right way is critical for several reasons. It:
- Decreases per-order design time
- Increases order quantity per hour
- Maximizes staff productivity
I know this well, as retailers and non-profit organizations hire me to plan their studios and warehouses for efficiency as well as train staff.
After 29+ years in this industry, it’s now easy to visualize the rhythm of how design staff handles every order. No matter how small or large the work space, the basic building items must always be an arm’s length or two steps away from the design table.
Organize and train
Here’s how the assembly begins.
1. Grab the empty basket or container.
2. Scoop a handful (or two) of shred.
3. Gather the items to for addition.
4. Choose the enhancements (if part of designing).
5. Wrap with cellophane or shrink wrap.
6. Top with a bow.
Initial training to show new employees where to access items and the method to construct a gift basket takes 1-2 days for trainees to be in sync with current employees. After that, you can expect gift baskets that previously took 30-40 minutes to complete to be done in under 10 minutes. The time savings amounts to a huge increase in order completion and sales.
This set up not only takes time but also a cash investment which the definitive money article covers.
Plan, then listen and adjust
Although your initial assembly space is organized for high productivity, gift basket makers may not agree with your vision. Staffers who must reach and grab to create designs must be encouraged to either inform you about problems or be able to move supplies around to enhance the space.
As an example, a large opening was carved beneath a table to insert 30 lb. shred boxes. However, employees at a new facility found the centered boxes to be bulky and intrusive. They moved the boxes to the left and right of the table, which provided a more-relaxing space to approach for designing. Smaller supplies were added to the open space in the center which maximized their efficiency without hampering movements.
The facility’s owners and I arranged the space planning through our initial conversation. We made the adjustments through online visual planning.
Review time is now
It’s time to act now that you know how assemble line thinking increases gift basket sales.
Don’t wait for the busiest time of the year to begin training and organizing. Before your staff begins completing high-volume orders, make sure their assembly space is set up for comfort and efficiency. Without it, your employees will not produce to your expectations, and competitors may capitalize from this oversight.
