Inventory & Dispatch Preparation

Effective inventory management and a streamlined dispatch process are critical for success on TikTok Shop. This guide will provide new sellers with a clear, step-by-step process to prepare and fulfill orders efficiently.

Part 1: Inventory Management

Properly managing your inventory ensures you can meet customer demand and avoid costly cancellations. The primary tool for this is the Stock Dashboard in your Seller Center.
Step 1: Access the Stock Dashboard
Navigate to Products > Manage Stock in your TikTok Shop Seller Center. This dashboard provides a real-time overview of all your product inventory.
Step 2: Monitor Your Stock StatusThe dashboard automatically categorizes your products into key statuses to help you prioritize:

• Sufficient Stock: Products with an adequate supply
• Low Stock: Products that have reached your preset alert value
• Out of Stock: Products with zero units available

Step 3: Update Your Inventory Counts
On your Manage Stocks page, find the relevant SKU and click on the "edit" icon to input the new stock quantity. For sellers with multiple warehouses, a pop-up window will appear for specific location inputs.
Step 4: Set Up Low Stock AlertsTo avoid running out of stock, you can configure stock alerts on the dashboard. These notifications will let you know when you're running low on stock, so you can take quick action and replenish.
💡 Pro-Tip: Make sure to set alerts for your best-selling products and ensure you have ample time to reorder when stock is running low.

How it works

1. Stock alerts can be configured based on stock quantity or days of stock left.
   1. Bulk alerts: Select multiple SKUs on the table and click on the Alert button that pops up to setup bulk alerts for selected SKUs.
      
2. SKU alert: For each SKU, under the Stock alert column, there is a toggle. When turned-on, this toggle will ask you to configure alerts based on stock quantity or days of supply.
   

• You will only receive 1 stock alert notification per day. By default, stock alerts may be setup for your best selling & medium performing SKUs for a certain time interval.
• At this time, stock alerts are not available for Pre-Owned and Collectibles category products.

Step 5: Utilize Sales Data for Planning Use the dashboard's sales data, which shows past sales for the last 30 days, to forecast future demand and plan your restocking schedule.

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Part 2: Order Preparation & Dispatch

Once an order is placed, your focus shifts to the dispatch process, which involves packing and shipping the item.
Step 1: Access and Review New OrdersNavigate to the Manage Orders page and select the To Ship tab. This is where you'll find all orders that need to be prepared and shipped. It's recommended to print the packing list for each order to ensure you're picking the correct products from your inventory.
Step 2: Prepare Your Package
Follow these key guidelines for secure and compliant packaging:

• Use the Right Materials: Choose sturdy boxes or mailers that provide sufficient protection. Use void fill like air pillows or bubble wrap to prevent items from shifting and getting damaged in transit.
• Secure the Package: Ensure cartons are properly sealed with tape to avoid loss or damage.
• Do Not Include Prohibited Items: Do not include unauthorized marketing materials, promotional pamphlets, or other irrelevant items that are not part of the order. This is a strict policy violation.

Step 3: Generate and Attach Shipping LabelsThe method for obtaining a shipping label depends on your chosen shipping option:

• TikTok Shipping and Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT): TikTok will procure the shipping label for your parcel. Please print the shipping label and securely attach it to the outside of the package.
• Ship by Seller: You are responsible for creating your own shipping label through your chosen third-party carrier.

More details on shipping options here.
Step 4: Hand Over the Package and Update StatusThis is a time-sensitive step that directly impacts your dispatch rate.

• TikTok Shipping and Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT): Hand the package over to the designated carrier via Drop Off or Pick Up. The carrier will automatically update the order status in Seller Center once the package is collected.
• Ship by Seller: Hand the package over to your carrier and manually update the order in Seller Center. You must accurately enter the tracking number and the carrier's name to notify the buyer and update the order status. This must be done within your specified handling time (SLA) to avoid penalties (3 business days for standard shipments).

💡 Pro-Tip: If you need more time, you can enable Custom Handling Time. This allows you to extend the handling time from the default 3 business days to up to 7 business days.
More details can be found here: https://seller-us.tiktok.com/university/essay?knowledge_id=309595529053994

FAQs

What is On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR)?

OTDR is a shop-level metric that measures the timeliness of order deliveries on a weekly basis. It represents the percentage of orders delivered by their designated "deliver-by date" from the total orders expected to be delivered within a week.

More details here: https://seller-us.tiktok.com/university/essay?knowledge_id=7671875816589099

What is After-Sales Handling Time (ASHT) and why does it matter?

ASHT This measures the average time sellers take to handle refund, return, cancellation, or replacement requests. It includes:

• Request Approval Time: Time taken to assess and approve/reject after-sales requests like returns, cancellations, or refunds.
• Item Inspection Time: Time taken to inspect returned items and decide on the final refund.

Providing great customer service after a customer receives the order is important if you want to retain your customers. ASHT measures if customers' requests are addressed in a timely manner.

More details found here: https://seller-us.tiktok.com/university/essay?knowledge_id=5513129770796813

What is the gold standard for On-Time Delivery Rate & After-Sales Handling Time?

• Sellers are expected to maintain an OTDR at or above an 80% in order to meet the customer delivery expectations and avoid violations.
• Sellers are encouraged to keep handling time within 48 hours to improve customer satisfaction and encourage repeat purchases.

Are there any policy enforcements for After-Sales Handling Time?

No, there are no violation enforcements for After-Sales Handling Time. This metric is only included in Shop Performance Score and will not impact your Account Health Rating.