# Fulfillment Sop > Creates order fulfillment SOPs with picking, packing, shipping procedures, quality control checkpoints, and error handling. Use when standardizing your shipping operations. - Skill: `reaperinvest/fulfillment-sop` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/fulfillment-sop` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/fulfillment-sop/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/fulfillment-sop --- # Fulfillment SOP ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Create standard operating procedures for order fulfillment - Document picking, packing, and shipping workflows - Establish quality control checkpoints to reduce shipping errors - Train new team members or fulfill prep for outsourcing to a 3PL **DO NOT** use this skill for warehouse layout design, inventory management systems, or shipping rate negotiations. This is for the order-to-shipment process documentation. --- ## Core Principle EVERY ORDER SHOULD BE FULFILLED IDENTICALLY REGARDLESS OF WHO DOES IT — AN SOP ELIMINATES VARIATION AND ENSURES EVERY CUSTOMER GETS THE SAME EXPERIENCE. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Order volume** | "How many orders per day/week do you ship?" | 5-20/day | | **Product types** | "What do you ship? (single SKU, multiple SKUs, fragile, heavy, custom)" | Multiple SKUs, standard shipping | | **Fulfillment location** | "Where do you fulfill? (home, office, warehouse, 3PL)" | Home or small office | | **Current process** | "Describe how you currently fulfill orders." | Ad hoc, no documentation | | **Shipping carriers** | "Which carriers? (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL)" | USPS and UPS | | **Packaging** | "Describe your packaging materials and options." | Standard boxes and poly mailers | | **Special requirements** | "Any custom inserts, gift options, or special handling?" | Thank-you card insert | **GATE: Confirm brief before documenting the SOP.** --- ## Phase 2: Map ### Fulfillment Workflow Steps 1. **Order received** — notification triggers the process 2. **Order review** — verify order details, flag anomalies 3. **Pick** — gather products from inventory 4. **Quality check** — inspect items before packing 5. **Pack** — assemble order with packaging and inserts 6. **Label** — generate and apply shipping label 7. **Ship** — hand off to carrier or schedule pickup 8. **Confirm** — mark as shipped, send tracking to customer 9. **Exception handling** — process for issues (out of stock, address errors, damaged items) ### Quality Control Checkpoints | Checkpoint | When | What to Verify | |-----------|------|----------------| | Pick check | After picking | Correct SKU, correct quantity, no damage | | Pack check | Before sealing | All items present, inserts included, correct box size | | Label check | Before shipping | Correct address, correct shipping method, weight matches | **GATE: Present the workflow map for approval before writing the detailed SOP.** --- ## Phase 3: Build ### Deliverables **1. Complete Fulfillment SOP** - Step-by-step procedures for each workflow stage - Decision trees for exceptions and edge cases - Photos or descriptions of correct packaging for each product type - Time estimates per step (for capacity planning) **2. Picking Guide** - Inventory location map (where each SKU is stored) - Pick list format and sorting logic - Batch picking instructions (for multiple orders at once) - Out-of-stock procedure **3. Packing Guide** - Box/mailer selection by product type and size - Packing sequence (product → protection → inserts → seal) - Void fill and protection guidelines by product fragility - Insert checklist (thank-you card, care instructions, promo) **4. Shipping and Labeling Guide** - Label generation process per carrier - Shipping method selection rules (by weight, destination, speed) - International shipping requirements (customs forms, documentation) - Carrier pickup schedule or drop-off locations **5. Error Handling Procedures** - Wrong item shipped: immediate replacement + prepaid return label - Address undeliverable: contact customer within 24 hours - Damaged in transit: file carrier claim + reship to customer - Out of stock: notify customer, offer alternatives or estimated restock date --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### Training Checklist - [ ] New team member reads full SOP - [ ] Shadows experienced fulfiller for 5 orders - [ ] Completes 5 orders independently with quality checks reviewed - [ ] Signs off on SOP understanding ### Performance Metrics Track weekly: - Orders shipped per hour (efficiency) - Error rate (wrong item, missing insert, wrong address) - Average ship time (order placed to carrier scan) - Customer complaints related to fulfillment ### SOP Review Schedule - Monthly: review error log and update procedures for recurring issues - Quarterly: full SOP review for accuracy and completeness - On trigger: update immediately when products, packaging, or carriers change --- ## Example 1: Home-Based Fulfillment (10 orders/day) **Daily workflow:** Download orders at 9am → batch pick all orders → quality check → pack with inserts → print labels → drop off at USPS by 3pm. One person handles the full process. ## Example 2: Small Warehouse (50 orders/day, 2 staff) **Daily workflow:** Person A picks and quality checks. Person B packs, labels, and stages for carrier pickup at 4pm. Orders downloaded in batches every 2 hours. End-of-day reconciliation against order count. --- ## Anti-Patterns - **No written process** — "Just do what I do" does not scale. When the founder is sick or on vacation, orders stop or go wrong. - **Skipping quality checks** — saving 30 seconds per order by skipping checks costs 30 minutes per reshipped wrong order. - **No exception procedures** — when something goes wrong (and it will), staff should not have to improvise. Document the plan for common problems. - **Optimizing too early** — perfect the basic process before adding complexity. Batch picking for 5 orders/day is overhead, not optimization. - **Ignoring packing consistency** — one order beautifully packed and the next thrown in a bag destroys brand consistency. --- ## Recovery - **Errors keep happening at one step:** Add a second verification at that step or simplify the process. Errors cluster where procedures are unclear. - **Volume exceeds capacity:** Calculate current orders-per-hour and identify the bottleneck step. Usually it is packing or label printing. - **Transitioning to a 3PL:** This SOP becomes the handoff document. Share with the 3PL and verify they can match your quality standards. - **Seasonal volume spikes:** Document a "surge mode" SOP with simplified procedures and temporary staff training guides.