The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes the annual surge in customer demand, shipping volume, and operational complexity. For many retailers, this is the most profitable time of the year—but it’s also when supply chain breakdowns can do the most damage. A single delay, system failure, or inventory mistake can ripple across your entire business, costing you revenue and customer trust.
At EDI Options, we’ve spent decades helping retailers, suppliers, and distributors navigate the challenges of peak season. Here are five strategies to keep your operations running smoothly and your customers happy.
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1. Upgrade Infrastructure Before the Rush
Nothing grinds business to a halt faster than slow or outdated systems when orders start pouring in. That’s why it’s critical to prepare early.
At EDI Options, we’ve proactively upgraded The EDI OptCenter servers for better speed and reliability, maintained key systems, and archived database repositories to ensure transactions run at peak performance. Going into the holidays with optimized infrastructure means fewer disruptions and faster processing.
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2. Strengthen Carrier Integrations
Shipping delays are one of the biggest risks during the holidays. Retailers who rely on outdated or rigid carrier integrations often face bottlenecks they can’t control.
eCommOpt, our dedicated consumer shipping platform, now supports enhanced UPS Access Point handling, upgraded FedEx handling, and seamless connections with small-package carriers. These improvements give you more flexibility, so you can shift quickly if one channel slows down.
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3. Diversify Sales Channels
Today’s shoppers are everywhere—shopping on marketplaces, websites, apps, and beyond. Limiting yourself to one or two channels puts your business at risk if the demand shifts.
With new marketplace integrations in eCommOpt, you can expand your reach quickly and efficiently. Being everywhere your customers shop not only drives sales but also cushions your business against disruptions in any single channel.
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4. Gain Real-Time Visibility Into Data
The worst decisions are made in the dark. Without visibility, retailers risk overstocking, understocking, or mismanaging fulfillment.
That’s where SmartEDI Insights comes in. Our latest analytics platform delivers real-time and historical visibility into transactions, enabling smarter decisions on inventory, logistics, and customer demand. When you can see problems before they escalate, you can solve them faster.
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5. Leverage Strategic Partnerships
Retail success isn’t a solo act. The right partners can help reduce costs, simplify operations, and prepare you for holiday chaos.
This year, we’ve teamed up with innovators like GemFind (connecting jewelers to wholesale vendors), IgniteIPA (AI-powered digital workers to reduce routine overhead), and OBIS (a development partner in SmartEDI Insights). These collaborations are designed to give our clients an edge in efficiency and scalability.
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Final Word: Stay Ahead of Disruptions
The holidays will always bring challenges—but with the right preparation and technology, they don’t have to bring disruptions. At EDI Options, we’re committed to helping you keep orders flowing, data clear, and customers satisfied during the busiest season of the year.
This holiday season, let’s make “smooth and seamless” your new tradition.
