Blog Posts Are Your Systems in Shape for Peak 2022?
Key Takeaways
- Plan ahead for systems needs to ensure effective holiday fulfillment.
- Load test systems well in advance of the holidays.
- Complete any configuration or code changes and establish a freeze date before the season begins.
The holiday season can account for 20% or more of annual retail sales. Are your information systems ready to handle this year’s seasonal spike?
Steve Congro, Saddle Creek’s Senior Director of Systems, shares tips to help your IS team gear up for holiday fulfillment.
Following is an excerpt…
Peak Season Survival Guide: Test Information Systems
Systems-based planning plays a vital role in successful holiday fulfillment. Be sure to evaluate the effectiveness of your current systems and on-call support.
Automated load-testing tools can measure the speed, response time, reliability and scalability of your systems under simulated load to make sure they are capable of handling increased volume.
If you don’t have automated load-testing capabilities, Congro suggests holding a flash sale in advance of peak season.
Offering a deep discount for a few hours can force a heavy load, so you can see if your systems are up to the challenges ahead,” he explains. “It’s not the same as a true load test, but it may be the next best thing.”
Offering a deep discount for a few hours can force a heavy load, so you can see if your systems are up to the challenges ahead,” he explains. “It’s not the same as a true load test, but it may be the next best thing.”
Steve Congro, Saddle Creek’s Senior Director of Systems
Get third-party partners involved in the process and find creative ways to load test their systems as well.
It’s also wise to perform drills to test on-call processes for tech support to ensure issues can be handled in minutes, not hours.
Congro recommends completing any configuration or code changes well ahead of the holidays and establishing a code-freeze date on or around Nov. 1, so you can lock down systems to ensure stability.
For more holiday fulfillment strategies, read the Peak Season Survival Guide.
