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e-Commerce
Your warehouse runs at 90% efficiency.
Your demand forecasting is spot on.
But your temporary workers missed 18% of picks last week.
Why? Because they never got trained.
For UK distributors, poor seasonal workforce planning costs far more than late deliveries. It damages reputation, erodes customer trust, and limits the ability to capitalise on high-value sales opportunities like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In today’s competitive e-commerce environment, businesses can’t afford to let human bottlenecks hold them back.
Why the Seasonal Workforce Struggles
Every November, SMEs in manufacturing and distribution turn to seasonal and temporary staff to meet the surge in online orders. These additional hands are critical to meeting peak demand, but in practice, they often become the weakest link in an otherwise efficient supply chain.
According to the CIPD UK, 41% of seasonal workers report that poor training limits their performance. This statistic underlines a major risk: in fast-paced environments where accuracy and speed directly impact customer satisfaction, even small inefficiencies quickly snowball into costly mistakes.
The challenge isn’t that seasonal staff lack capability; it’s that they lack time. Traditional training and onboarding processes can take weeks, but seasonal hires may only be with the business for a few months. Without a structured system in place, SME’s (Small and Medium Enterprises) often see errors in picking, packing, and shipping rise sharply, just when the business most needs precision.
For distributors relying on word-of-mouth reputation and repeat orders, these mistakes don’t just cause short-term pain. They risk long-term brand damage at the very moment when new customer acquisition is at its highest.
How ERP Fixes the Bottleneck
The answer isn’t endless induction sessions. Instead, businesses need to equip seasonal staff with the tools, structure, and visibility that allow them to succeed from day one. This is where ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems play a critical role.
Modern ERP platforms allow managers to go beyond reactive training and instead create a proactive, scalable system that supports both permanent and temporary staff. For example:
- Training & certification tracking: ERP records who has completed which modules, giving managers instant visibility of who is qualified for different roles.
- Role-based onboarding: training can be linked directly to forecasted orders and tasks, ensuring that staff are prepared for the specific jobs they will be asked to perform.
- Barcode scanning and guided workflows: even inexperienced staff can follow on-screen instructions, reducing mistakes and keeping productivity high.
- Clear task allocation: supervisors can push pick-lists and instructions directly to handheld devices, ensuring that every worker knows exactly what to do and when.
This approach shifts the burden away from manual training and allows the system itself to guide and support seasonal workers. Instead of being a liability, temps become a valuable resource that strengthens operations during peak demand.
Handheld Devices: Simplicity and Accuracy at Scale
One of the most powerful tools ERP brings to seasonal workforce management is the use of handheld devices such as barcode scanners, integrated with the system.
Seasonal staff don’t have the luxury of weeks of onboarding. They need to be productive quickly. Handheld ERP-enabled tools make this possible by:
- Fast adoption – intuitive mobile user interfaces mean staff can start contributing in minutes rather than days.
- On-the-job learning – prompts, alerts, and guided steps lead users through tasks without needing extensive prior training.
- Accuracy at speed – scanning stock reduces errors, ensuring items are picked, packed, and tracked correctly.
- Flexibility – temps can work anywhere on the shop floor without requiring fixed workstations or complex IT setups.
By combining ERP with mobile devices, businesses create a streamlined process where seasonal workers can hit the ground running. Instead of slowing down the warehouse, they speed it up, removing the human bottleneck and unlocking higher throughput without sacrificing accuracy.
Case Study Insight
One of our customers highlighted the benefits of ERP during peak season. By connecting their warehouse processes with ERP, they improved efficiency, visibility, and order accuracy, even during periods of higher demand.
Your warehouse runs at 90% efficiency.
Your demand forecasting is spot on.
But your temporary workers missed 18% of picks last week.
Why? Because they never got trained.
For UK distributors, poor seasonal workforce planning costs far more than late deliveries. It damages reputation, erodes customer trust, and limits the ability to capitalise on high-value sales opportunities like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In today’s competitive e-commerce environment, businesses can’t afford to let human bottlenecks hold them back.
Preparing for Black Friday and Beyond
Peak season success isn’t just about having stock available on the shelves. It’s about ensuring the people moving that stock are supported by the right processes and technology.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas rush will always test supply chains. But by removing the human bottleneck, businesses can:
- Protect customer trust with accurate, on-time deliveries.
- Maximise revenue opportunities by fulfilling more orders without compromising service.
- Reduce the stress and risk associated with onboarding temporary staff.
- Build scalable systems that can be applied year after year.
In other words, ERP turns seasonal workforce challenges into opportunities for growth. Instead of being constrained by human error, businesses can use smart tools and guided workflows to thrive during peak demand.
Final Thoughts
Seasonal workforce challenges aren’t going away. E-commerce peaks will continue to drive huge fluctuations in demand, and SMEs will always need temporary staff to keep up. The question is whether those workers become a bottleneck, or a competitive advantage.
With the right ERP system, supported by handheld devices and guided workflows, even short-term staff can contribute effectively from day one. The businesses that recognise this shift will not only survive peak season pressures but use them to strengthen customer relationships and grow market share. Advantage. Additionally, businesses will strengthen customer relationships and build resilience for the future.
Peak season success isn’t just about having stock available on the shelves. It’s about ensuring the people moving that stock are supported by the right processes and technology.
Contact us today to find out how WinMan can support your seasonal workforce.
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