# Quarterly Operations Review

## Summary

Orders shipped rose **8.4%** on the previous quarter while the average dispatch time fell from 31 to 26 hours. Two things held back a better result: the carrier change in August, and stock-outs on three fast-moving lines.

> The Q4 plan keeps the new carrier, adds a second packing bench before the holiday peak, and moves reorder points for the three lines that ran out.

## Results

| Measure | Q2 | Q3 | Change |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| Orders shipped | 12,480 | 13,530 | +8.4% |
| Average dispatch time (hours) | 31 | 26 | -16.1% |
| Orders late to customer | 3.9% | 4.6% | +0.7 pts |
| Returns | 2.1% | 1.9% | -0.2 pts |

The late-order rate rose because of the carrier change. It was highest in the first two weeks of August and was back under 4% by the end of September.

### What went well

- The second dispatch shift started on 12 July and cleared the Friday backlog.
- Barcode scanning at the packing bench cut mis-picks by about a third.
- Supplier lead times were steady for 41 of 44 active lines.

### What did not

1. **Carrier change.** Tracking links were missing for nine days.
2. **Stock-outs.** Three fast lines ran out for an average of 6 days each.
3. **Returns desk.** One person covered holidays alone for two weeks.

## Plan for Q4

### Priorities

- Add a second packing bench before 1 November.
- Move reorder points for the three stock-out lines; see `reorder.csv` for the new values.
- Agree a holiday rota for the returns desk by 15 October.

### Reorder rule

```
reorder_point = (daily_demand * lead_time_days) + safety_stock
safety_stock  = 1.65 * demand_std_dev * sqrt(lead_time_days)
```

These figures are planning estimates, not forecasts. We will review them at the end of November.

## Risks

| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Peak demand above plan | Medium | Temporary packers booked for weeks 47 to 50 |
| Carrier capacity | Low | Second carrier kept on contract |
| Supplier delay | Medium | Safety stock raised on the three lines |

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*Prepared by the operations team. Questions to ops@tallowfinch.example.*