E-commerce fulfilment
Client profile: Online retailer scaling from startup volumes to national campaigns.
Mode: Ocean FCL import · partner warehousing · road parcel linehaul
Challenge
Promotional peaks overwhelmed the client’s in-house packing area. Ocean arrivals clashed with marketing launch dates, and returns processing lacked dedicated space. Carton labels did not match WMS scan formats, causing mis-picks.
Approach
RKM Logistics aligned FCL bookings with marketing calendars, arranged short-term storage and pick-and-pack at a partner facility near Acacia Ridge corridors, and standardised carton labelling during supplier prep overseas. Outbound linehaul used consolidated daily manifests to eastern states parcel hubs.
Outcome
Peak week order cut-off times improved by two days versus the prior season. Mis-pick rate dropped after label templates were enforced at origin. The client retained focus on merchandising while logistics scaled elastically.
Lessons
E-commerce logistics fails when marketing and supply dates are decided separately. Shared forecast visibility four to six weeks ahead lets us reserve warehouse labour and transport capacity realistically.
Systems alignment
Label templates were mapped to WMS scan formats before peak inventory arrived. Returns SKUs received a segregated bay and distinct pick path so forward and reverse logistics did not compete for the same labour pool during campaign weeks.
Daily outbound manifests reconciled picked cartons to carrier injection scans; discrepancies were investigated same-day to avoid bulk chargebacks from parcel hubs. Marketing received a weekly “logistics ready” signal tied to receival completion, not vessel arrival alone.
Peak-week playbook
Four weeks before campaign, marketing and logistics shared a locked SKU list, expected order curve, and maximum daily outbound carton count. Warehouse labour and carrier injection capacity were reserved against that curve — not against a generic “peak” label.
When ocean arrival slipped by three days, promotional email timing adjusted rather than promising delivery the logistics chain could not meet. That alignment reduced chargebacks and protected brand trust more than expediting a partial air uplift.
Scale path
The programme demonstrated how ocean-led inventory can feed promotional velocity when receival, slotting, and linehaul are planned as one timeline rather than three separate projects.
