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Shipping and operations

How to scale from 10 to 100 orders a day without breaking operations

What changes when volume grows tenfold: packing systems, inventory accuracy, multiple couriers, support automation, cash flow and fulfilment partners.

By Orvexa TeamUpdated 3 min read
Shoppers and stalls selling provisions inside Crawford Market, Mumbai
Photo: Dudva, CC0 · All photo credits
Key takeaways
  • Each tenfold jump breaks something: first packing, then stock accuracy, then support and cash
  • Write simple procedures, automate repeat work and measure errors
  • Consider a fulfilment partner when your time is better spent on growth than packing

Ten orders a day can be run from a kitchen table. A hundred cannot. Growth shows you every weak process, usually at the worst time. Plan for the breaks.

What usually breaks, in order

  1. Packing and dispatch. One person cannot pack 100 orders a day with ad hoc methods.
  2. Inventory accuracy. Stock counts drift and you oversell.
  3. Support. Messages pile up and response time slips.
  4. Couriers. One partner is not enough, and delays hurt.
  5. Cash. Growth needs stock before COD money arrives.
  6. Quality. Mistakes multiply: wrong items, wrong labels.

Fix packing with a system

  • A packing station: everything within reach, labelled shelves, a scale and a label printer.
  • Batch picking: pick items for many orders at once, then pack in sequence.
  • A standard operating procedure (SOP): one page with steps, photos and checks for each product type.
  • A cut-off time: orders before 2 p.m. ship the same day, for example, so the day has a rhythm.
  • Pick lists from the platform, not handwritten notes.

Make stock numbers reliable

Use unique SKUs, count while receiving, run weekly cycle counts and update stock in real time (inventory basics). Mark low-stock items before they sell out.

Scale support

  • Write templates for the top ten questions.
  • Send proactive updates so customers do not ask (WhatsApp updates).
  • Use a catalogue-based assistant for first answers and hand over to a person when needed (recommenders).
  • Set response-time targets and track them.

Add courier capacity

Add a second or third courier, route by pincode, and track delivery time and RTO by partner (choosing couriers).

Protect cash

COD cash arrives days after delivery, while suppliers want payment earlier. Track your cash conversion cycle: days from paying for stock to receiving money from customers. Negotiate supplier terms, avoid over-ordering and watch COD remittance schedules. Verified, prepaid orders help (COD vs prepaid).

When to use a fulfilment partner

A third-party logistics (3PL) company stores, packs and ships for you. Consider it when:

  • Packing takes more of your time than growing the brand.
  • You need space or multiple locations.
  • Errors and delays rise with volume.

Compare per-order fees, storage charges, minimums and integration with your store. Start with a trial, and keep your own stock counts to check theirs.

Measure operations, not just sales

MetricAim
Order accuracy (right item, right address)As close to 100% as possible
Same-day dispatch rateHigh
RTO and damageFalling
Support response timeWithin your target
Cost per shipped orderStable or falling

What to do next

Time how long one order takes to pick, pack and label. Multiply by 100. If the number is bigger than a working day, fix the process before you add marketing spend.

Frequently asked questions

When should I hire?

When the same tasks consume the founders' time every day and mistakes start to rise. Hire for the bottleneck first, usually packing or support.

Do I need warehouse software?

Not at first. A good spreadsheet and your platform's order tools can run a surprising volume. Consider software when SKUs, locations or channels multiply.

How do I avoid overselling during growth?

Keep stock counts accurate, update availability automatically, and keep a small buffer on best sellers.

Topics:scalingfulfilmentoperationsautomationgrowth

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