Activity management: how to deal with the end-of-year peak in activity?

Activity management is a recurring task for companies. The person responsible for Time and Activity Management (TAM) monitors working hours, staff activities, attendance and absences. HR management needs are numerous and vary from one period of the year to another. Companies often experience a peak in activity at the end of the year. The company manager and the HR manager must therefore put in place an appropriate time and activity management strategy. Follow our practical advice to effectively prepare your company for the end-of-year rush.

Prepare for the end-of-year rush

The end of the year is often a busy time for companies. Many of them generate a substantial proportion of their turnover in the last quarter of the year. The festive season is, therefore, a good time to implement better ways of packing and stocking goods more quickly in order to increase efficiency. It is also the perfect time to end the financial year on a high note and prepare for the new year.

Online activity increases considerably, especially during the festive season. To enable a company to grow and meet the demands of customers (products or services), the manager must ensure that the staff are prepared for this peak in activity by opting for efficient organisation and optimal resource management.

Create a checklist for improved activity management

Are you well prepared to handle a high volume of visitors and buyers? Do you have enough stock to fulfil all the orders? Is space utilisation in the warehouse optimal and do you have enough packaging material? What equipment should you buy to equip your warehouse, workshop or office?

Create a checklist that includes all the services, people and products you need to meet the extra demand. By preparing properly and improving work organisation, you will be able to handle the final rush with ease. This will allow you to optimise time and activity management.

Here are a few essentials to include in your activity management checklist:

• Identification of the activity;
• Monitoring of the activity;
• Estimated material requirements;
• Estimated requirements in terms of supplies, personnel, etc.

Opt for optimal organisation with a smart warehouse layout

What can you do with all these additional products and packaging materials? Storage space is precious, so it’s important to make the most of every cubic metre. So, choose the right layout for your warehouse by determining optimal routes for your employees and the goods you want to store in it. Think of efficient ways to arrange or organise your storage cabinets so that everything is well organised and you never run out of products. This spatial optimisation is particularly important for companies that offer an online sales service. The end-of-year period often brings a significant increase in the number of orders and this impacts time and activity management.

Make sure your staff are available when it matters most by improving time management

More customers mean more activity and more orders to pack. Are staff going on holiday? You’ll need backup in the warehouse and in customer services. Make sure you have enough staff for the days when you have to deal with a large number of customers.

Visualise your budget and resource needs

Determine the budgets and review the balance available this year. Would you prefer to use it up (delivery and invoicing in the current year) or carry it over to the next year? Or would you rather ask your suppliers for an invoice for the current year and agree on a delivery date the following year? It’s important to ask yourself the right questions.

At the request of Manutan, Novio Research conducted a survey of some 800 companies, which revealed that 22.5% of them use up their budget at the end of the year. Of these, 13.8% choose delivery and invoicing in the current year, while 8.7% prefer to have the items delivered the following year.

Protect your company and your employees from cold weather

Remember to prepare for the onset of winter. Order road salt to stop ice from forming and equip your staff with heaters and safety clothing to protect them from the cold. Cold weather can pose risks to the health and safety of your employees and therefore to the smooth running of your business.

You should also consider getting lights to illuminate the grounds and entrance to your company premises when the days get darker.

Get ready for the new working year

The new year is fast approaching and your company needs to be well prepared. Identify new projects now and, together with your team, draw up a detailed plan including activities and deadlines using the Scrum technique.

Learn how to deal with the unexpected! Don’t succumb to stress, sound the alarm if you can no longer carry out all your activities or you risk running out of resources and materials.

It is essential to keep track of orders and activities. Everything should be done to ensure that the festive season is also a happy time for your company!

FAQ

What are the objectives of time and activity management?

The objectives of time and activity management are varied. This optimisation allows for better monitoring of the company’s performance (department by department monitoring, customer monitoring, etc.). An analysis of resources, budget and profitability is then carried out.

Is time and activity management software available?

Optimising time and activity monitoring also requires the use of appropriate tools. Time and activity management software is therefore available to increase company productivity.

E-business is booming. What is its impact on activity and work management?

The growth of e-business requires companies to improve their time and activity management. The demand for services or products is increasing and a degree of seasonality can be observed in various sectors of activity.

For more products on how to equip your company for bad weather, you can visit our winter shop.