A New Approach to Ordering

Our warehouse processes and network have become key issues as we’ve grown. As a small independent, we cannot carry all the stock at our small warehouse. Instead, we rely on partner facilities and suppliers to deliver quickly, efficiently, and within expected time frames.

This is always, to speak frankly, a ball ache.

We operate within an industry which still lives in a late-90s world. Most of the stakeholders we work with are much larger beasts than us, and as a result, we often have little power to convince them to adapt their views or how they deliver their products and services.

Speed is one of the most important aspects in our minds, but we often fail because we’re at the mercy of the industry. The whole reason we started Even by Odd was to one day change this.

When I think of our core mission, we can break it down into three core points we’re trying to accomplish:

• Offer the widest range of music product available
• Deliver with superb service, speed and a smile
• Operate economically and efficiently so both the small and large customers benefit

I quickly realised we would never maintain an equilibrium between these three points. If you increase the speed and service, you quickly find costs increase and our operations become inefficient. The more products we add to our stock lists, the higher the risk of speed being affected by late supplier deliveries.

I can go on.

The point is, like with many businesses, we’re constantly at war with ourselves on how to best balance the core points of our mission.

You will have seen that we have recently added over 140,000 titles to our stock list and of course, this creates the problem I highlighted earlier.

The more products we add to our stock lists, the higher the risk of speed being affected by late supplier deliveries.

Over the past 3 months, we have been trialling new processes and have found one which helps us become much more accurate and efficient with despatch. It allows the warehouse to have a clear schedule over what they’re doing, and you will now receive a more accurate expectation of despatch.

We will now operate with weekly order windows, meaning there will be set days each week for orders to be received and processed.

• Orders must be received and paid for by 9 am every Monday
• New release lists will be sent at 2 pm every Tuesday
• Weekly stock lists will be sent at 2 pm every Wednesday
• Despatch will take place between every Wednesday and Friday

Please note, that these times are UK BST. To calculate the time difference, try this Google search.

Any orders where payment is not received by Accounts at 9 am Monday will fall into the following week’s order list.

Though this process could be perceived as slower, the data confirms it has allowed us to speed up our workflow significantly. Plus your expectations will be better managed — and it’s reduced the stresses often placed on our teams.

The changes will mean we will not need to add additional costs to our business to combat some of the issues, meaning you won’t have to absorb a price increase from us.

I am confident these changes will benefit you and they set a more accurate expectation around the despatch of orders.

This new order window will come into effect on Monday 20 May 2024.

We will continue to make improvements over the coming months, and I look forward to sharing the next update with you soon.

Thanks,
Jordan