THE PACKAGING CLUB / OPERATIONS TOOLS

Peak Readiness Calculator

A five-minute capacity check before you start changing the operation.

Peak season can expose problems that stay hidden during normal trading. Compare your expected peak order volume against your current dispatch capacity, then check the operational areas most likely to slow you down.

Start the readiness check

Takes around five minutes. No sign-up required.

01 / START WITH THE NUMBER

Can your current operation handle your forecast peak volume?

Before adding staff, opening another packing bench or ordering more equipment, work out whether there is actually a capacity gap.

Forecast peak orders per day

How many orders do you expect to dispatch on your busiest days?

Use your busiest expected day rather than an average week. Start with your own sales forecast.

Completed orders per hour

How many fully packed, labelled and dispatch-ready orders do you complete in a normal productive hour?

Measure the whole operation, including picking, packing, labelling and sorting. Use a typical productive hour, not your best-ever output.

Productive dispatch hours per day

How many hours are realistically available for productive dispatch work?

Allow for breaks, replenishment, cleaning, equipment changes and order exceptions. Decimals are welcome, for example 7.5.

Planned peak dispatch hours per day (optional)

If you plan to extend shifts, how many productive hours will be available?

Leave blank if your hours will remain unchanged.

02 / PEAK READINESS CHECK

The number is only part of the picture

A calculated dispatch capacity is useful, but peak problems rarely come from one number alone. Rate each area based on how confident you are that it can cope with peak demand.

Rate the operation you actually have today, not the one you plan to have by November.

Green · Comfortable capacityAmber · Little room for errorRed · Likely to restrict output

Peak assumptions (optional)

Expected peak date

Normal daily ordersIf normal volume is zero, a percentage increase cannot be calculated.

Forecast peak orders

Expected increase—

Read the full Peak Season Preparedness guide →

Your figures and notes stay in this page. Print your summary before leaving or refreshing.

THE PACKAGING CLUB / OPERATIONS TOOLS Peak Readiness Calculator A five-minute capacity check before you start changing the operation. Peak season can expose problems that stay hidden during normal trading. Compare your expected peak order volume against your current dispatch capacity, then check the operational areas most likely to slow you down. Start the readiness check Takes around five minutes. No sign-up required. Readiness check progress Capacity Readiness Action plan Please enable JavaScript to use the calculator. No contact details are required. 01 / START WITH THE NUMBER Can your current operation handle your forecast peak volume? Before adding staff, opening another packing bench or ordering more equipment, work out whether there is actually a capacity gap. Forecast peak orders per day How many orders do you expect to dispatch on your busiest days? Use your busiest expected day rather than an average week. Start with your own sales forecast. Completed orders per hour How many fully packed, labelled and dispatch-ready orders do you complete in a normal productive hour? Measure the whole operation, including picking, packing, labelling and sorting. Use a typical productive hour, not your best-ever output. Productive dispatch hours per day How many hours are realistically available for productive dispatch work? Allow for breaks, replenishment, cleaning, equipment changes and order exceptions. Decimals are welcome, for example 7.5. Planned peak dispatch hours per day (optional) If you plan to extend shifts, how many productive hours will be available? Leave blank if your hours will remain unchanged. Calculate my capacity This is a planning estimate, not a guarantee of operational capacity. Your estimated peak position Forecast peak orders Estimated daily dispatch capacity Capacity gap · orders / day Capacity utilisation Next: check your operational readiness Where could the extra capacity come from? Fix the biggest constraint first. Improving a non-constraint may not increase overall output. Increase productive operating hours Extending hours can increase capacity, but only if picking, carrier collections and staffing support the extra shift time. Improve orders packed per hour Time repeated actions such as carton erection, taping, filling and movement around the bench. Remove avoidable work before asking people to work faster. Add another packing station Another bench only helps if there is enough space, equipment, stock and upstream picking capacity to feed it. Remove packaging make-ready steps Folding, taping or assembling packaging before packing the product can consume significant labour. Test formats that reduce these steps. Improve picking flow Measure whether completed picks reach packing at the required rate. Review batch sizes, product locations and replenishment delays. Reduce consumable replenishment time Keep tape, labels and void fill within reach. Plan replenishment so packers are not repeatedly leaving the bench. Simplify pack selection Reduce overlapping formats and make the correct pack easy to identify. Check that simplified choices still protect the product. Review carrier collection capacity Confirm parcel limits, collection times and an overflow option. Packed orders only count as shipped if a carrier can take them. Add trained peak labour Train people before the rush and allocate them to the constraint. Extra labour needs equipment, space and a reliable supply of work. Reduce avoidable packing decisions Use clear instructions for inserts, protection and sealing so staff do not have to solve the same packing questions on every order. 02 / PEAK READINESS CHECK The number is only part of the picture A calculated dispatch capacity is useful, but peak problems rarely come from one number alone. Rate each area based on how confident you are that it can cope with peak demand. Rate the operation you actually have today, not the one you plan to have by November. Green · Comfortable capacity Amber · Little room for error Red · Likely to restrict output Picking capacity Check picking output against the required hourly rate. Review walking routes, batch sizes and replenishment before adding packing capacity. Can picking supply orders to the packing area fast enough? Consider walking distance, batch picking, replenishment and product location. Green Amber Red Add a note (optional) Picking capacity notes Packing capacity Run a timed test using a realistic mix of peak orders. Identify the slowest packing steps before adding another bench. Do you have enough benches and enough throughput per bench? Include packing preparation, inserts, sealing and labelling. Packing capacity notes Labour Confirm shift coverage, train temporary staff before peak and name cover for absence and specialist tasks. Do you have enough trained people available across the whole shift? Include temporary staff, absence and training time. Labour notes Packaging stock Confirm current stock, peak daily usage, supplier lead time and reorder point for each essential packaging format. Do you have enough stock to cover peak consumption and supplier lead times? Include cartons, mailers, specialist formats and custom printed packaging. Packaging stock notes Packaging alternatives Agree and test an alternative for each essential format. Check fit, protection, carrier dimensions and availability. Do you know what you will use if a preferred format runs out? An alternative size or format should already be identified rather than sourced during peak. Packaging alternatives notes Consumables Set minimum stock levels for tape, labels and void fill. Assign someone to replenish each bench before it runs out. Are tape, labels, void fill and other consumables covered? Small, inexpensive consumables can stop a dispatch operation just as easily as a missing box. Consumables notes Printers, scanners and labelling Test printers and scanners at peak speed. Prepare spare equipment, charged batteries and compatible labels. Can your equipment keep pace with peak volume? Think about printer capacity, spare equipment, batteries and replacement labels. Printers, scanners and labelling notes Warehouse storage Map space for inbound stock, packaging, returns and dispatch-ready parcels. Keep working routes and exits clear. Do you have enough room for extra product, packaging and completed parcels? Peak stock can create congestion before order volumes even increase. Warehouse storage notes Carrier collections Confirm maximum collection capacity, cut-off times and what happens if forecast volume is exceeded or a collection fails. Has your carrier confirmed capacity for the expected parcel volume? Include cut-off times, extra vehicles, weekend collections and overflow plans. Carrier collections notes Customer service Plan cover for peak delivery queries and order changes. Agree clear cut-offs and escalation routes with dispatch. Can customer service cope with more delivery queries and order changes? Higher order volumes usually create more exceptions. Customer service notes Returns Reserve space and trained staff for post-peak returns. Agree a process for inspection, refunds and restocking. Can your operation handle the post-peak increase in returns? Think beyond Black Friday itself. Returns can create a second operational spike. Returns notes Backup plan Write a short fallback plan for equipment, packaging and carrier failures. Give each action an owner and share it with the shift team. Do you know what happens if equipment, packaging or a collection fails? A simple fallback that everyone understands is better than creating one during peak. Backup plan notes Red does not mean panic. It means this area deserves a plan. Peak assumptions (optional) Expected peak date Normal daily orders If normal volume is zero, a percentage increase cannot be calculated. Expected increase Build my action plan 03 / YOUR ACTION PLAN Your operational readiness score Your readiness score does not remove the capacity shortfall. Address the dispatch gap alongside the operational actions below. Your priority actions Print / save readiness summary Choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print options. A PRACTICAL NEXT STEP Is packaging part of the problem? Packaging can affect throughput long before anyone thinks of it as a bottleneck. Cartons that need building, multiple sealing steps, awkward pack selection, excessive void fill and poorly positioned packaging stock can all reduce orders per hour. The Packaging Club works with ecommerce brands and 3PL operations to review packaging cost, pack speed, material use and operational fit. Talk to The Packaging Club about peak season packaging Talk to us about your peak packaging Planning custom packaging for peak? Custom printed and structurally designed packaging needs more lead time than standard stock formats. If you are planning a new pack, printed Christmas packaging or a different unboxing experience, start the conversation early. Discuss bespoke packaging Read the full Peak Season Preparedness guide Your figures and notes stay in this page. Print your summary before leaving or refreshing. Headroom Tight capacity Capacity shortfall You have capacity headroom Based on the numbers entered, your operation appears to have room to absorb your forecast peak volume. Packaging stock, carrier collections, labour, equipment and picking can still restrict output. Next, check the operational areas below. Your operation is running close to its limit Your forecast peak volume is close to your estimated dispatch capacity. There is limited room for slower orders, staff absence, replenishment, equipment problems or carrier delays. The readiness check will help identify where extra resilience may be needed. Your forecast volume exceeds current capacity Based on the figures entered, your operation may not have enough dispatch capacity to handle your forecast peak day. Identify where extra capacity can realistically come from. Estimated shortfall: {shortfall} orders per day. At {hours} productive hours, throughput needs to rise from {rate} to approximately {required} orders per hour: an additional {extra} orders per hour, or {increase}%. Current daily capacity: {current} orders. Peak plan: {hours} productive hours per day. {answered} of 12 areas rated. Complete all 12 to generate your score. 12 of 12 areas rated. Your action plan is ready to build. Well prepared Most areas appear to have enough capacity or contingency for peak. Pay attention to any amber or red answers rather than relying on the overall score. Some pressure points need attention Your operation has a reasonable base, but several areas may have limited tolerance for disruption. Focus on the amber and red areas before peak volumes arrive. Several constraints need attention Your answers suggest there are multiple areas that could restrict output during peak. Work through the red items first, then reduce the number of amber areas where possible. All 12 operational areas are rated green. Confirm the assumptions with your team and test the operation before peak. Resolve the dispatch capacity gap Close the estimated gap of {gap} orders per day. Test whether {required} completed orders per hour is achievable across {hours} productive hours, and confirm picking, labour and carriers can support it. Protect your limited headroom Run a realistic peak-volume test and agree contingency for staff absence, equipment downtime and missed collections. Peak readiness summary Date completed Readiness check incomplete: {answered} of 12 areas rated. No final readiness score yet. Capacity assumptions and result Operational readiness Notes Expected peak date Normal daily orders Expected increase Current productive hours / day Peak productive hours / day Completed orders / hour Current daily capacity Required orders / hour Additional orders / hour required Throughput increase required Not rated None Not provided Not applicable Capacity result updated: {status}. Action plan updated. Readiness score {score} out of 24. Please use realistic positive figures within the limits shown.