Section 21 · Business Plan
Operational Playbook & SOPs
This section provides a summary of the standard operating procedures that will govern daily operations, designed to be replicable across multiple store locations.
This section provides a summary of the standard operating procedures that will govern daily operations, designed to be replicable across multiple store locations.
21.1 Daily Operations Checklist
| Time | Activity | Responsible | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 | Arrive at store; alarm deactivation; security check of premises | Store Manager | 15 min |
| 08:45 | Cash-up from previous day; float preparation; POS activation | Store Manager | 15 min |
| 09:00 | Store opening; lights, refrigeration, signage activation | Sales Assistant | 10 min |
| 09:15 | Check and replenish shelves from storeroom stock | Sales Assistants | 30 min |
| 09:30 | Receive and verify supplier deliveries; update inventory | Store Manager | 60 min |
| 10:00 | Normal trading; customer service focus | All Staff | Ongoing |
| 12:00 | Midday stock check on high-theft items; POS report review | Store Manager | 15 min |
| 17:00 | End-of-day shelf replenishment; promotional signage update | Sales Assistants | 30 min |
| 18:30 | Pre-closing stock count; POS daily report generation | Store Manager | 20 min |
| 19:00 | Store closing; cash reconciliation; alarm activation | Store Manager | 20 min |
| 19:30 | Daily sales report emailed to MD; premises secured | Store Manager | 10 min |
21.2 Inventory Management Procedures
Inventory is the single largest asset on the balance sheet and the primary driver of working capital. Effective management is critical to profitability:
-
Perpetual Inventory System: All stock movements (receipts, sales, returns, write-offs) recorded in real-time through the POS system, maintaining running stock balance for every SKU.
-
Cycle Counting: Rolling programme covers all SKUs at least once per month. High-value items (spirits above R300, premium wine) counted weekly. Discrepancies exceeding 2% by value trigger immediate investigation.
-
Reorder Point Triggers: POS generates automated reorder alerts when stock falls below predefined minimum levels. Fast-moving items maintain 2-week minimum cover; slow-moving items maintain 6-week cover.
-
Dead Stock Management: Products with no sales in 60 days flagged for review. Options include promotional markdown, return to supplier, or transfer to another location.
-
Shrinkage Reporting: Monthly shrinkage reports comparing system stock to physical counts. Shrinkage exceeding 1.5% of COGS triggers root-cause investigation and enhanced security.
21.3 Customer Service Standards
-
Greeting: Every customer greeted within 10 seconds of entering the store with friendly acknowledgment and offer of assistance.
-
Product Knowledge: Staff confidently recommend products across all categories, suggest food pairings for wine, and explain differences between spirit categories.
-
Age Verification: Any customer appearing under 25 asked to present valid ID before alcohol purchase. Refusal register maintained for all declined transactions.
-
Checkout Speed: Average checkout time does not exceed 2 minutes per transaction, even during peak periods.
-
Complaint Resolution: Complaints acknowledged immediately, resolved on the spot where possible, escalated to Store Manager within 30 minutes. All complaints logged for management review.
-
Clean Environment: Store floor swept hourly, refrigerators cleaned daily, professional deep clean conducted weekly.
This document contains proprietary and confidential information. Distribution without written consent is prohibited.