Draft example — illustrative only. Not a published worksheet.
Follow One Order Worksheet
Companion to Before You Hire Another Packer, Follow One Order. Print it or fill it on a tablet while you walk. One sheet per order.
Purpose: See whether you’re short on people — or losing time to searching, waiting, handoffs, and rework.
Scope: From released for fulfillment → outbound staging.
Note: One order is a starting point. Repeat on a few representative orders before you lock a hire/fix decision.
Order Header
| Field | Your Notes |
|---|---|
| Date / time started | |
| Show / platform (Whatnot, TikTok Shop, other) | |
| Order ID (or last 4) | |
| Order type (normal multi-item / gift / exception / other) | |
| Why this order (normal wave? busy hour? quiet?) | |
| Observer name |
Path Log — Each Step
Fill one row per step you see. Add rows if needed. Active working = hands on the order (pick, check/scan, pack, label). Waiting = order or person stuck — including waiting on a check/scan handoff. Do not mix waiting into active minutes. Searching still counts as delay (note where).
| # | Step (What Happened) | Who Handled It | Start | End | Active Working (Min) | Waiting (Min) | Searching? (Y/N + Where) | Interruptions (Who/What) | Rework? (Y/N + What) | Reason For Delay (If Any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Released for fulfillment | |||||||||
| 2 | Pick | |||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Check / scan | |||||||||
| 5 | Pack | |||||||||
| 6 | Label | |||||||||
| 7 | Outbound staging | |||||||||
| 8 |
Common step names (use what matches your floor): released for fulfillment → pick → exception/gift → check / scan → pack → label → outbound staging. If one person does check and pack, still note the check moment. Skip or rename freely.
Totals (rough is fine)
| Total | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Clock time (release → outbound staging) | |
| Active working (sum) | |
| Waiting (sum) | |
| Searching events (count) | |
| Interruptions (count) | |
| Rework events (count) |
One-sentence story of this order:
Pattern Check (After 2–3 Orders)
| Delay Type | Showed up on how many orders? | Same place / reason? |
|---|---|---|
| Searching (bins / overstock / gifts) | ||
| Waiting (printer, manager, check/scan slot, pack slot, handoff) | ||
| Handoff stall (nobody owns the tote) | ||
| Rework (wrong item, wrong label, open–repack) | ||
| Supply walk off station |
One Change To Test
Pick one. Do it within 48 hours if you can.
| Field | Your Plan |
|---|---|
| The one change (e.g. fix bin truth for top family / gift card at pack / move printer / check-before-seal on top twins) | |
| Owner | |
| Done by (date) | |
| Orders to re-follow after (type) |
What To Measure Afterward
After the change, follow one similar order. Compare rough totals.
| Measure | Before (This Sheet) | After (New Sheet) |
|---|---|---|
| Clock time release → staging | ||
| Waiting minutes | ||
| Searching events | ||
| Rework events | ||
| Still a real queue while path is clean? (Y/N) |
Decision (Write It)
| Field | Your Answer |
|---|---|
| Decision: ☐ Fix path first ☐ Hire / add shift ☐ Both — on purpose | |
| Date Decided | |
| Evidence in one sentence | |
| Next review date |
Reminder: Calculators and staffing formulas are not part of this sheet. Your eyes on the path are the tool.