**Order Follow-Up & Stock Availability Coordinator — IPS Merch**
IPS Merch is looking for an organized, proactive person to take ownership of assigned purchase orders across the company. You will keep vendors accountable, confirm stock availability, and make sure orders arrive by the customer’s required in-hands date.
**The work is straightforward, but it is important. We need someone dependable who treats every order and deadline seriously.**
**Part A: Order Follow-Up**
- Confirm vendors have received each purchase order and obtain a written order acknowledgment.
- Check acknowledgments against our POs, including quantities, product details, decoration, pricing, shipping address, and delivery requirements. Resolve discrepancies immediately.
- **Call the vendor on every assigned order** to confirm the production schedule, ship date, and required in-hands date.
- Follow up consistently and push orders forward through proof approval, production, shipping, and delivery.
- Identify delays early, secure a recovery plan, and escalate any risk to the deadline immediately.
- Negotiate with vendors when problems occur, including corrections, replacements, credits, and vendor-covered rush or shipping costs where appropriate.
- Obtain approval before accepting additional charges or changes to an order.
- Collect tracking, verify the order has actually shipped, and **mark it as shipped in commonsku**, recording tracking and shipment details accurately. Record partial shipments clearly.
- Monitor shipments through delivery and address shipping exceptions promptly.
- Keep commonsku notes current and provide a brief daily update on outstanding confirmations, upcoming shipments, and orders needing attention.
**Part B: Stock Availability**
- Check stock with vendors for requested products, colors, sizes, and quantities before orders are committed.
- Confirm availability directly with the vendor and document when it was checked.
- Verify inventory is allocated or reserved where possible, and reconfirm availability when orders are released.
- Flag shortages and backorders immediately, including expected replenishment dates.
- Find available alternatives and share pricing and timing for approval before making substitutions.
**What Success Looks Like**
- **Zero late orders.**
- **Zero rush production fees.**
- **Zero rush shipping fees.**
- Every assigned PO has an accurate written acknowledgment and confirmed schedule.
- Stock issues are identified before they disrupt an order.
- Every shipment is accurately updated in commonsku.
- Problems are raised early, with a proposed solution and clear next action.
**What We’re Looking For**
Clear spoken and written English, confidence calling and negotiating with vendors, strong attention to detail, and consistent follow-through. Experience in promotional products, printing, apparel, or order coordination is preferred; commonsku experience is a plus.
You must be comfortable with repetitive daily checks, managing multiple deadlines, and completing tasks without repeated reminders.
**Who Is Not a Fit**
This role is not suitable for someone who:
- Avoids phone calls or relies only on email to chase vendors.
- Needs repeated reminders to complete routine tasks.
- Accepts vague vendor answers without confirming dates and next steps.
- Waits until an order is late to raise a problem.
- Overlooks details or leaves commonsku updates incomplete.
- Gets bored with repetitive daily checks and follow-through.
- Reports problems without taking action to help resolve them.
