Business Case
A rapidly growing jewellery retail chain operating multiple stores across Mumbai and Gujarat was experiencing customer dissatisfaction during billing due to incorrect weight information on jewellery tags. Errors in tag weight resulted in delays at billing counters and required manual corrections by the owner or senior managers at the head office.
As the business expanded with additional retail outlets, these issues risked increasing further. The goal was to streamline the jewellery inward, tagging, and dispatch process to reduce data entry errors and improve customer experience at the retail counters.
Current State Observations
To understand the root causes of billing errors, our team conducted a detailed study of the head office and back-office processes involved in jewellery purchase, tagging, and dispatch.
- Multiple handoffs between head office and back office created communication gaps and ambiguity during data entry.
- The jewellery inward and tagging process involved several movements between two separate offices, increasing the chance of data entry errors.
- Approximately 14% data entry errors were occurring daily due to miscommunication, misinterpretation of vendor receipts, and typographical mistakes.
Solution Synopsis
- A line flow concept was introduced by arranging staff sequentially so jewellery moved directly from one process to the next.
- Head office and back-office teams were consolidated into a single workspace to improve communication and reduce transportation waste.
- A standardized Vendor Inward Receipt format was introduced to eliminate ambiguity in supplier documentation and ensure accurate data entry.
- Quality inspection at source was implemented during the purchase stage to identify damaged items immediately.
- Daily management practices such as error reporting, daily meetings, and visual work management boards were introduced to monitor and reduce entry errors.
- Skill mapping and structured training ensured multiple employees could perform critical tasks, improving process reliability.
Outcomes
Process redesign significantly improved accuracy, efficiency, and customer experience.
Before
- Data entry error rate averaged 14%, causing frequent billing corrections.
- Multiple handoffs between offices created miscommunication and data entry mistakes.
- Customers experienced delays at billing counters due to incorrect jewellery tag information.
After
- Data entry errors reduced from 14% to 1.36%, representing a 90% reduction.
- The jewellery inward and tagging process was streamlined within a single office layout.
- Customer waiting time at billing counters due to incorrect tag weights was almost eliminated.
