East Perry //
Operations Roadmap
Prepared by: Heath Armstrong
Primary Objective
To step in as an Operations/Shopify Consultant and build an investor-ready, optimized fulfillment infrastructure for East Perry prior or into very early Q4. This engagement is designed to partner directly with you to execute the warehouse system upgrade, offloading the transition burden from Janine so she can focus on the upcoming crowdfunding operation.
The Top 6 Fundamental Issues We Are Solving For:
- 1. Secure Limitless Scaling & Funding: Build a rock-solid, data-proven operational infrastructure that justifies massive inventory investment and effortlessly supports expansion into larger or multiple warehouse locations.
- 2. Establish a Single Source of Truth: Transition away from disjointed manual syncing (Sumtracker & Google Sheets) to a centralized Command Center that automatically pushes accurate inventory and purchasing data directly to Shopify.
- 3. Maximize Fulfillment Velocity: Eliminate inefficient one-by-one order processing. By implementing automated batch-printing for like-items, we will dramatically reduce warehouse man-hours and increase daily shipping capacity.
- 4. Solve Alias & Shared SKU Conflicts: Utilize Master & Alias SKUs to flawlessly share physical inventory across multiple storefront listings (e.g., selling the same pelt as both a baby rug and a dog toy) without breaking Shopify bundles or overselling.
- 5. Automation & Flows: Replace manual spreadsheet priority sorting with systemic FIFO (or alike) logic. The system will automatically split short-shipped orders and route high-value VIP orders to the front of the line when inventory is tight. We can create any custom flows and automations that we need.
- 6. Frictionless Pre-Sales & Returns: Seamlessly map incoming Purchase Orders to waiting customers (Sell-Ahead) without clogging the daily pick queue, and turn manual, multi-step returns processing into a single 10-second scan.
Phase 0 : Step 1 Audit and Demos (First 2 Working Days)
We do not need to commit to ShipHero (or any specific software) right out of the gate. The first step of this collaboration will consist of an on-site audit and joint evaluation over our first 2 working days together. We will:
- Do a joint demo with ShipHero directly and our sales rep Mark before making any final decisions. (Date TBD)
- Conduct a deep analysis of all operational problems and solutions in the warehouse together to ensure the platform we select is truly the best fit.
- Compare and evaluate other alternative software platforms alongside ShipHero, if necessary, to map out the exact pros and cons.
- Make a final, collaborative group decision on the tech stack.
I think it's best for us to sit in the warehouse and go through these problems and solutions together before a firm decision is made. This sets us up for the most success.
Implementation Timeline
Our implementation speed will dictate the launch window. We will configure the system as fast as possible and push for a launch at the earliest date possible. It could be August, or it could be mid-October—we won't have a definitive date until we actually start installing and mapping the warehouse.
Here is how my availability breaks down to support you:
- July 22ish – August 21: Dedicated in-person warehouse support (up to 60+ hours as needed) to build the core foundation alongside you.
- August 22 – September 11: Continued hybrid/in-person support to execute the advanced workflows and iron out daily operations.
- September 12 – October 10: I will be remote on a road trip, providing virtual support and troubleshooting when I can connect and where WiFi allows. By this time, we should have enough progress and scope defined for your team to continue executing independently while I'm out, or at the very least, we can do a brief pause until I return.
- October 10 Onward: I return in person. If we haven't officially launched yet, we will push the final buttons and go live together. I can again allocate up to 60 hours for the month if necessary.
| Phase | Action Plan |
|---|---|
| 01 / Strategy & Roadmap | Communicate with our ShipHero rep directly on the best order of operations for our particular store situation, and create a roadmap that is estimated off their recommendations. |
| 02 / Core Foundation Build | Set up the most important basic infrastructure first: SKU importing, SKU mapping, marketplace connections (Shopify, Etsy, Amazon), and shipping channels. |
| 03 / Advanced Implementation | As the foundation solidifies, we will systematically set up the more complicated workflows from Kathy's complete list and our full problem/solution breakdown, pushing to execute the final system launch as quickly and safely as possible. |
| 04 / Ongoing Support | Post-launch troubleshooting, refining our automation rules, and resolving floor-level bottlenecks as the team adjusts to the new workflow. |
The Exit Clause
We need to make sure the chosen tech stack is the right fit for my expertise and East Perry's future. If, after our Day 1 Warehouse Audit, I determine that the chosen software path is not one I can confidently help you implement, we will terminate the engagement moving forward and part ways with a clear roadmap of your next steps.
Once the proposal is approved internally, we can dive in. We can start work as soon as July 22 when I get back. If for any reason the team needs to pivot later, we can do so and easily hand off the progress made up to that point.
I am also planning on doing the ShipHero demo with you around July 8th virtually while I'm out of town, if you are available.
I'm really excited to jump into this. I think we can drastically optimize the warehouse flow. I'm looking forward to executing this as fast as possible alongside you and getting the team set up to scale seamlessly into Q4.