Peak Performance: Enhancing Operations at an eCommerce Sports Nutrition Fulfillment Center

Introduction

Region: Mountain Region – USA
Industry: eCommerce - Sports Nutrition

Our client is an eCommerce business specializing in sports nutrition products. Founded by a team of athletes, they identified a growing demand in the market for high-quality sports nutrition options, catering directly to consumers. With a B2C model, the company operates 24/7, fulfilling orders across three shifts each day. 

Roles: pickers, packers, receivers, kitting, and general warehouse workers

Problem

Our client, who had built a long-term relationship with their previous staffing agency due to their quick communication and competitive pricing, was prepared to continue their partnership going into their peak season. However, when taking a closer look, they uncovered inefficiencies they had assumed were unavoidable in staffing. They found they had low fill rates and significant issues during weekends when order volumes peaked. A crucial concern was the disruption to the unique culture they were trying to build. HR and facilities leaders were hesitant to bring in temporary labor that did not align with their cultural values. These issues created bottlenecks in their operations and threatened their ability to meet customer demands effectively.

Solution

Traba provided our client with a comprehensive solution that went beyond just addressing operational inefficiencies. Using a data-driven vetting process ensured workers were strong fits by referencing the database of prior work and thousands of worker ratings. The “matching” system uses ratings from past supervisors: this includes skills like RF-gun, and traits like attention to detail. 5-star workers with a high historical reliability were prioritized for interviews with Traba and placed on shifts. 

Traba’s hands-on “backfill” process ensured near perfect fill rates during peak season, with a 95.9% fill rate across all shifts, an increase of ~11% in comparison to previously.  Workers were trained by our client and subsequently assigned shifts, entering a quality “labor pool.” When a scheduled worker calls out, workers in this pool are automatically notified, offering the shift to claim. This, coupled with Traba’s national team operating 24/7, ensured that trained labor was consistent during our client’s busiest peaks.

Finally, our client enjoyed the 100% digital solution offered by Traba (no paper timesheets). Our timekeeping product has three parts: a digital clock in kiosk, punch time adjustments based on worker geo location, and an AI-driven fraud detection system. Our client had 5 separate shifts with 3 start times during peak. This level of precision and accuracy was vital in maintaining records, while promptly resolving time disputes.

Peak Season—Lessons Learned

Partnering with Traba allowed our client to streamline their operations and achieve higher efficiency, especially during their critical peak season. By leveraging our digital tools and worker data, Traba enabled them to cover major demand swings with pre-trained labor, reducing turnover for consistent roles and increasing output for customers, without sacrificing their unique culture.