Before the busiest hours, prepare products for barcode scanning, check checkout equipment, and agree on how work will be divided. Also plan cover for breaks, delivery intake, and online order fulfilment.
The owner should assign someone to each preparation task and specify exactly what they need to check. Preparation should result in ready-to-sell products, working equipment, and clear staff responsibilities.
Check barcode scanning in Torgsoft
Ask a staff member to check barcode scanning on products being prepared for display. In Torgsoft’s sales mode, the product list is formed by scanning their barcodes. During the check, compare the product in the list with the product in hand.
If a code cannot be scanned or a different product appears in the list, refer that item to the person responsible for inventory records. Agree on who will fix the problem and who will check the result again. Successfully scanning individual products should not be treated as a check of the entire assortment.
Prepare labels based on the quantity in the goods receipt
For products that need barcode labels, assign someone to print and apply them. In Torgsoft, the function «Друк етикеток (кількість в накладній)» (Print labels [quantity in goods receipt]) prints the number of labels specified in the goods receipt.
Use this quantity as the basis for preparing the batch. Before printing, compare the goods receipt entry with the products actually received; after applying the labels, check that they scan. The number of labels printed matches the goods receipt data; a staff member must check that the data is correct and the labels are applied properly.
Review products with identical barcodes
In Torgsoft, products with the same barcode but different names appear on the «Помилки товару» (Product errors) tab of the «Діагностика помилок» (Error diagnostics) form. Ask the person responsible for inventory records to review these items before the peak shift and compare them with the actual products.
If the same code was mistakenly assigned to different products, change the barcode for one of them. After correcting it, check that the code on the product matches its record in the software. This diagnostic covers identical barcodes with different names; do not use it to conclude that all possible duplicates are absent.
Train sales staff to find products in stock
Practise finding the required item separately from scanning. In Torgsoft, the «Вибір товару зі складу» (Select product from stock) action is used to find a product in stock. Show it to the staff who will serve customers.
During training, ask the salesperson to find a product selected in advance and compare the result with the physical product. If an incorrectly assigned barcode is found during training, refer that item to the person responsible for inventory records. Leave corrections to product data as a separate task for the person responsible for inventory records.
Check the equipment at each workstation
Charge battery-powered payment devices before the busy period. Check printers, scanners, and connections. If the store has backup devices, include them in the check.
Assign a staff member to check barcode scanning and printing on the equipment at each specific workstation. If a fault is found, agree with the person responsible for equipment on what to do before peak hours begin. Check backup devices in the same way as the main ones.
Build a schedule that accounts for all shift tasks
When planning staffing, account for the busiest days and hours, extended opening hours if applicable, cover for breaks, the delivery schedule, and the expected volume of online orders.
In the shift plan, specify who serves customers, who receives deliveries, and who fulfils online orders. Agree separately on break cover. If one person is assigned several tasks at the same time, review the allocation before the shift starts.
Practise transactions and customer questions
Training should cover processing purchases, answering questions about products, common problems, and handling returns. Choose practice scenarios that reflect the situations your store deals with. Each staff member should demonstrate the task independently.
Agree on whom sales staff should contact if they cannot answer a customer or complete a transaction. Pass any questions left unresolved after training to the responsible staff member and go through them before the peak shift.
Illustrative preparation example
Suppose the store received 24 units of one product that need labels. The person responsible checks the quantity in the goods receipt, prints 24 labels, applies them, and checks that they scan. These are illustrative figures for showing how to prepare a batch.
In this same hypothetical shift, two salespeople are working and a delivery is expected. The owner agrees in advance on who receives the goods, who serves customers, and how breaks are arranged. Determine staffing levels for your store based on busy hours, break cover, deliveries, and online orders.
What to complete before the peak shift
- Check scanning on prepared products and resolve any barcode errors found.
- Print and apply the required labels.
- Check the main equipment and any available backup equipment.
- Agree on the schedule, break cover, delivery intake, and online order fulfilment.
- Practise transactions, product search, and customer questions with staff.
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