Daily Order Fulfillment Checklist
A daily order fulfillment checklist for small online shops: review new orders, pick, pack and ship accurately, hand over to the carrier and close the day.
- Typical schedule daily
- The checklist 4 sections, 17 items
- Variables
{{date}}
Use this checklist every shipping day in a small online shop that packs its own orders, whether that is one person at a desk or a small warehouse team. It turns pick, pack and ship into a steady routine, so nothing depends on who is working that day, and fewer orders go out wrong or late.
Who owns it
The person on shipping duty owns the daily run. In a team, one person checks the order queue and holds problem orders, and others pick and pack. Whoever does customer support should see the run, so they know which orders were held and why.
Common pitfalls
- Shipping orders that should be held. Orders flagged for fraud, with a mismatched address, or with a customer change request need a decision before they are packed.
- Picking from memory. Similar-looking variants, such as sizes or colours, are the most common source of wrong items. Pick against the list and scan or check the SKU.
- Missing the carrier pickup. Packing until the last minute leaves no time for labels and problems. Set a fixed packing cut-off before the pickup.
- Orders marked shipped but not handed over. Customers receive tracking that never moves. Mark orders shipped only after the carrier scan or handover.
A daily scheduled run in Runbook shows at a glance whether the day's checks were done and who did them.
The checklist: Fulfillment {{date}}
Review orders
-
Open the unfulfilled orders queue and sort it by shipping method and order date
-
Check orders flagged for fraud risk and decide whether to ship, verify or cancel
-
Check customer notes and change requests, such as address changes or gift messages
-
Put orders with stock problems on hold and inform support so they can contact the customer
Pick and pack
-
Print pick lists and shipping labels for today's orders
-
Pick each order against the pick list, checking SKU, size and colour
-
Pack with the right box and protection for fragile or heavy items
-
Add inserts: invoice or packing slip, returns information, and any promotional insert
-
Check the order is complete before sealing the parcel
-
Weigh parcels and confirm the label service matches the weight and destination
Ship
-
Add customs documents for orders shipped outside your customs area optional
-
Hand parcels to the carrier and get the pickup scan or receipt
-
Mark the orders as fulfilled so customers receive tracking emails
Close the day
-
Confirm no paid orders from before the cut-off are left unfulfilled without a reason
-
Report low stock and stock discrepancies found during picking
-
Check tracking for parcels stuck or returned to sender and inform support optional
-
Restock packing materials and labels for the next shipping day
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
What are the steps in order fulfillment?
Review incoming orders and hold any that need a decision, pick the items, pack them with the correct paperwork, create a label, and hand the parcel to the carrier. Then mark the order as fulfilled so the customer receives tracking. Returns and exceptions are handled separately.
How do I reduce wrong items in shipped orders?
Pick against a printed or on-screen list rather than memory, check the SKU or scan the barcode, and store similar variants apart from each other. A final check of each order before sealing the box catches most mistakes. If one product is often confused, change its labels or its storage location.
When should I mark an order as shipped?
Mark it as fulfilled once the parcel is labelled and handed over, or scanned by the carrier. Marking it earlier sends tracking that does not move, which leads to support questions. Most carriers and shipping apps can update the order status automatically once the parcel is scanned.
Updated