Efficiency is everything in the fulfillment industry. With billions of packages shipped each year, even small inefficiencies can add up to significant delays and costs. Sisk Fulfillment Service, a Maryland-based fulfillment provider, specializes in high-touch fulfillment, handling personalized orders for nonprofits and businesses. By leveraging automation and streamlining data processes, Sisk has transformed its operations to improve accuracy and efficiency.
We recently spoke with Nick Liles, IT Manager at Sisk, on our Behind the Data podcast. He shared insights on how Sisk processes large volumes of variable data, manages warehouse operations, and automates critical workflows with CloverDX to reduce manual labor.
The complexity of high-touch fulfillment
Unlike traditional fulfillment centers that prioritize speed, Sisk focuses on personalization. Many of its clients, including nonprofit organizations, send customized kits to donors and members.
Nick explains, “We do a lot of fulfillment for nonprofit clients, even some for-profit that want to do membership programs and kit fulfillment. So an example might be you would donate to a nonprofit company and they’re going to send you a free gift and recognize that gift. So we will print out the personalized letter, put the tax receipt at the bottom. So hit all those variable data points, and there may be a certificate that goes along with it.”
This level of customization means that each package must be matched with the correct printed materials, requiring precise data handling. Without automation, this process is both labor-intensive and prone to errors.
Managing complex data sources
With a wide range of clients using different systems, Sisk has to process data in a variety of formats, from structured APIs to basic spreadsheets.
Nick describes the challenge: “Everything from our most sophisticated customers is directly interfacing with our warehouse management system (WMS) API, and they’re able to send us orders that way, all the way down to smaller clients that, you know, they’re just putting names and addresses and details into an Excel spreadsheet and sending it to us. And pretty much everything you could think of in between.”
Not only does this data need to be ingested correctly, but it also must be validated to prevent costly errors. For example, ensuring that address fields are complete and formatted correctly is essential for successful deliveries.
The shift from manual processing to automation
Before implementing automation, Sisk relied heavily on manual workflows to process and validate order data. Nick recalls the time-consuming nature of the process: “Previously, we were doing most of this manually. We would take that file and through a piece of software called Mail Manager… it has some ability to do error correction. Obviously, it has all of the tools you would need to correct an address. It allows you to apply some minor, you know, ‘if’ statements and maybe some lookup tables for some very basic sort of things.”
But the system had limitations, leading to inefficiencies. Nick explains, “We had a lot of little workarounds and quirky things that we just took the tools that were in front of us and made it happen. But again, a lot of it was happening manually in Excel.”
Automating with CloverDX
Recognizing the need for a more scalable solution, Sisk implemented CloverDX to automate its order processing workflows. This transition significantly reduced manual intervention and improved efficiency.
Nick describes the transformation: “We took that to a process now that was completely hands-off inside of CloverDX. So everything that we were doing by hand happens completely overnight. I don’t have to touch it. When that file shows up at two in the morning, it’s done, ready to go.”
By automating the data ingestion, validation, and transformation processes, Sisk eliminated the need for overnight manual processing, reducing errors and freeing up valuable time for employees.
The impact of automation on quality control
With the burden of manual processing lifted, Sisk’s team could focus more on quality control rather than data entry. This shift has been crucial in ensuring accuracy and improving service levels for clients.
Nick highlights the benefits: “When you’re in the weeds and you’re having to do these things, the first thing that I notice is that you tend to get complacent, right? You do the same thing every day and you never see a problem, and you just sort of zone out on it after a while.”
By automating repetitive tasks, employees could dedicate their attention to verifying final outputs rather than performing tedious data entry, significantly reducing human error.
Lesson learned
Reflecting on the automation journey, Nick acknowledges how much work was being done manually before the transition:
“One of the biggest things there is just the amount of time that people were spending doing those manual processes. We had SOPs, I was aware of how much time it was taking them every day to get a job done. But once we started digging into that process with CloverDX to try to replicate all of those steps, it really became apparent how intricate and how there were just so many things that they were doing every day.”
This realization reinforced the importance of continuously evaluating processes and identifying opportunities for automation.
Transform your data operations
If your organization is looking to optimize its data processing and improve operations, get in touch with the CloverDX team for a demo today.
You can also listen to the full podcast with Nick here: Automating the mundane, liberating the humans
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