CREATING EFFICIENT WORKFLOW
Project management is about creating systems, workflows, and schedules in order to streamline projects to efficiently achieve your desired goals. Success in any business starts with effective leadership, and with my 8 years experience as the director of operations with my e-commerce business as well as my prior past managerial positions, I know exactly what it takes to empower a team to work together to meet our goals.
MY EXPERIENCE AND STRENGTHS PERTAINING TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Sabbat Box consisted of both a subscription box service and an online store. Our subscription box service was unique in that we shipped a box every 45 days (8 times a year), in lieu of a traditional style of subscription box service where a box is shipped every month. Each box that we curated and shipped was like putting together a three dimensional puzzle every 45 days. From conceptualization to completion, each box shipment had many moving parts, and required cooperation from a vast group of people to bring this monumental task into fruition for each shipment. It was my responsibility to not only envision and curate each box, but to bring that vision together as efficiently as possible while managing to stay on schedule, within budget, and providing a desirable polished product every 45 days.
Each box shipment could be divide into three categories. Pre-shipment, production, and post shipment work (outlined below).
PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPS
Applications we would use to keep track of projects and operations
EVERNOTE
BASECAMP
CONCEPT, PREMISE, THEMING, AND CONSTRAINTS
Every Sabbat Box that we shipped had to meet the following requirements:
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Each box shipment had to have a cohesive theme.
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Every box shipment had to include at least 4-6 unique items.
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All of the products inside had to exceed $50 in value.
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Each box had to include unique items from different small businesses and vendors with no duplicate products.
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All curated items had to fit safely within a 9x9x3 inch box.
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The total weight of the finished box shipment could not exceed 2lbs.
PRE SHIPMENT
MEETING OUR
GOALS
Pre shipment work consisted of monitoring our subscriber counts to ensure we are at our targeted goal. If we were short, I would create an email blast to send to people on our wait list to obtain new subscribers.
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Oversee that daily product sales are packed and shipped.
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Monitor customer support inquiries, support tickets, billing and order inquiries are completed. Monitor response times to ensure we are maintaining targeted response times.
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Share posts on social media to create buzz and excitement regarding upcoming box shipments and new products.
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Monitor that sales were being properly accounted for in Quickbooks. Reconcile accounts and expenses on a weekly basis.
PRODUCTION
I was responsible for creating an efficient workflow that tied together conceptualization and production between vendors, suppliers, exporters and our production staff.
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Develop production schedules based on box component due dates, packaging/assembly times, and target ship dates.
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Develop billing and shipping schedules for future box shipments.
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Establish unique themes of upcoming box shipments.
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Determine budgets for products, packaging and components.
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​Source, communicate, and reach out to new vendors that we are interested in working with on future boxes. Request product samples if need be, or discuss custom/exclusive product guidelines.
Remit purchase agreements for product with established guidelines and deadlines.
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Choose and design theming aesthetics, colors, and graphics for marketing and packaging for each box.
Design custom packaging, labels, inserts, stickers, and fliers for each shipment.
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Approve component purchasing and work schedule regarding packing and production.
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Account for received inventory for upcoming box shipments.
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Maintain open channels of communication with vendors to insure deadlines are maintained.
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Coordinate shipping day logistics with local post office and delivery help.
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Always have a plan B, in the case of an unforeseen circumstance arising.
PURCHASING, PRIORITIZING, AND SCHEDULING
POST SHIPMENT
MARKETING
OUR WORK AND
CREATING BUZZ
Confirm product's post shipment inventory.
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Take stylized marketing photos of each box for social media posting, blogging, and product listings.
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Edit product photos as needed.
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Add individual product from the past box shipments to our web store.
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Input inventory into accounting software. Establish proper COGS and profit margins.
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Create, film, and edit unboxing videos for YouTube account.
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Work with affiliate vendors and influencers to share posts on social media to create engagement and buzz about the shipment to promote sales.
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Create "post shipment breakdown blog" showcasing the box that was just shipped, highlighting products and vendors.
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Submit email blast showcasing a breakdown of the previous box shipment to our customer list.
ECLECTIC ARTISANS
Eclectic Artisans was a hybrid marketplace with over 5,000 products, from over 100 vendors. The items on our marketplace were either:
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Drop shipped from an array of large wholesale vendors that we worked with.
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Packed and shipped directly from our actual location from physical inventory we kept on hand.
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Were hand crafted, made to order or shipped directly from small mom and pop artisan shops.
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Eclectic Artisans was a niche marketplace. Like a mix between Etsy and Amazon, that sold spiritual themed products.
DAILY TASKS TO OVERSEE
Process drop ship orders that come in with our drop ship vendors.
Remit orders to our artisans/vendors that had any sales that came in that day prior via Duoplane.
Keep track of artisan/vendor sales on our NET 15 vendor sales spreadsheet and match that to Duoplane.
Process and pack orders for physical inventory that we kept in stock and on hand.
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Check emails, handle customer inquiries.
Enter in sales receipts into Quickbooks for sales from the day prior.
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At the end of day, confirm that tracking numbers for shipped orders were remitted to customers.
Share any social media posts from Sabbat Box if need be.
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OTHER TASKS TO OVERSEE
Monitor inventory and place orders for new product as needed.
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Reconcile books. Pay out NET 15 artisans vendors for accumulated sales. Confirm orders were shipped and verify shipments if need be.
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Send vendor invoice receipts for paid orders.
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Process quarterly sales tax payments (DR-15) with the state.
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Verify payroll tax reports and deposits are being made with payroll company (940's and 941's).
Add new product to website. Take new product pictures, post and share on social media.
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Monitor website analytics, sales metrics, and run reports on traffic, conversions as well as profit and loss.