Slobiq Business Toolkit · Download quick-start guide

Productivity and labor cost

Find out how much the team completes per hour and what labor costs per completed unit.

Divide completed units by total worked hours. Multiply hours by the hourly rate to estimate total labor cost, then divide by completed units. Cost per unit is unavailable when output is zero.

Compare periods with the same work mix. If you count only orders, avoid comparing that result with a rate measured in order lines.

Shift staffing planner

Estimate how many people a planned workload needs and compare that with who is available.

Divide planned units by the rate per person-hour multiplied by productive hours per person. Round the result up to a whole person.

Use a recent rate for comparable work. Review role coverage and required qualifications separately before setting the roster.

Shift results versus plan

Separate a volume shortfall from a change in the rate of work.

Subtract planned units from actual units. Divide actual units by planned units for the percentage and divide each volume by its own hours for the hourly rates. The percentage is unavailable for a zero plan.

If the hourly rate held but volume fell, look at the hours used before investigating a productivity drop.

Available shift capacity

See how breaks, downtime and staffing affect what a shift can realistically complete.

Subtract unavailable time from each person's shift and multiply by the number of people. Multiply the resulting hours by the rate and round down to whole units. Unavailable time cannot exceed shift hours.

If the rate already includes a particular break or delay, avoid deducting that time again. Check the main bottleneck before adding staff.

Contribution margin

Estimate how much a sale contributes after its variable costs.

Subtract the variable cost from the selling price. Divide the difference by price for the margin percentage, or multiply by units sold for total contribution. A price of zero gives no percentage.

Include variable costs such as packaging or transaction fees when they apply. Subtract period fixed costs separately to estimate an operating result.

Break-even volume

Estimate how many whole units you need to sell to cover fixed costs.

Divide fixed costs by the contribution per unit and round up. Multiply that volume by the unit price. If the price is at or below variable cost, a finite break-even volume is unavailable.

Use fixed costs and sales from the same period. Compare the required volume with your capacity and expected demand.

Weekly KPI review

Turn a short team meeting into a regular review of output, hours and follow-up actions.

1. Choose one metric and record its definition, unit and reporting period before setting a target.
2. Compare the latest result with the target and a similar previous period. Check volume, hours and work mix if they moved.
3. Agree on one follow-up, give a role responsibility for it and review the outcome at the next meeting.

Period — 2026-W45 · Metric — Orders per worked hour · Target — 8 · Actual — 7.6 · Follow-up — Review time spent at packing

Shift handover

Give the next shift a short record of outstanding work and decisions.

1. List the open work, blocked equipment or unresolved exceptions before the shift ends.
2. Mark what needs immediate attention and identify the role taking it over.
3. Ask the incoming shift to confirm the first action and the next time to check progress.

Shift — Afternoon · Open task — Recheck an unconfirmed pallet · Priority — High · Responsible role — Shift lead · Next step — Verify the label before release

SOP starter

Draft a repeatable procedure and make the checks visible alongside each step.

1. Observe a complete run of the process and write the steps as concrete actions.
2. Add a check for each critical step and say when to pause or ask for help.
3. Test the draft with a colleague unfamiliar with it, then record the owner and review date.

Step — 1 · Action — Check the carton against the order · Responsible role — Packer · Check — Quantity and item code match · Exception — Hold the carton and inform the lead

Skills and training plan

Choose training based on the skills the team needs to cover upcoming work.

1. List the skills needed for each role and agree on what independent work looks like.
2. Record current and target levels based on a task the person can demonstrate.
3. Choose a practical exercise, name the supervising role and set a date to review progress.

Role — Receiving operator · Skill — Verify a delivery · Current level — With support · Target level — Independent · Next training action — Check two deliveries with a trainer

Stock discrepancy review

Record and investigate differences between expected and counted stock.

1. Check the item, location and unit of measure before counting.
2. Record the expected and counted quantities, then request a recount if the difference remains unexplained.
3. Check recent movements and document the reason or escalation before adjusting stock.

Item — SKU-014 · Expected quantity — 50 · Counted quantity — 48 · Difference — -2 · Action — Recount and review the latest receipt

Action register

Keep improvement actions visible after the meeting that created them.

1. Record what happened and what can be observed or measured.
2. Turn the issue into one specific action with a responsible role and a due date.
3. Close the action when the result can be checked and bring overdue actions to the next review.

Issue — Late handovers · Action — Test a five-minute handover checklist · Responsible role — Shift lead · Due date — 2026-11-13 · Status — Planned