It is not just about listings and numbers to run thousands of products. It is all about coping with the clutter of day-to-day activities and making it all look easy. Sometimes it seems like pressure when you have 10,000+ SKUs to manage. But how to make it through the storm. Not by making each detail work manually, but by installing systems that will enable you to remain on top, smoothly.
Hurdles always–it is true. Even a good day can become a stressful one because of the sheer amount of items you have to handle. But all that does not need to hold you back. You can simplify your operations, maintain things under control, and transform SKU mess into an operational success with proper tools and processes.
Step 1: Organise the product Listings.
Everything is a matter of organisation when you have to deal with a large catalogue. When you keep your listings in spreadsheets, emails, and notepads, then you are already preparing to get yourself confused. Get organised first. Structure is important whether it is by brand or by product type or by important features such as size, material or colour.
Suppose you are searching for a needle on a hay-stack. That is what an unarranged list is like. Begin by using the Product Information Management (PIM) system- a software that stores all of your product-related information in a central place, which is very simple to update and retrieve. By having a PIM, you are not only controlling thousands of SKUs; you are doing it with the push of a button, and it will be the same, whether on a PC or a mobile platform.
Step 2: Take Advantage of Bulk Uploading and Templates.
There is no need to add each SKU one after another, when the bulk uploading is within your reach. You are no longer obliged to add hundreds of products one after another. Online marketplaces can be uploaded in bulk on the use of CSV files or Excel templates. It is the equivalent to a short cut to the queue.
Take the templates of these sites. They are programmed in such a way that you do not skip any important information, such as names of the products, prices, SKUs, description or pictures. Do not simply fill out the boxes, consider it as an easy puzzle, where the pieces fit perfectly when in the right place.
Step 3: Installing Inventory Management Tools.
Thousands of products do not necessarily have to be a nightmare to track them in real-time. The game-changer is the inventory management systems. They allow you to follow stock, keep track of low inventory and keep restocking on your heels.
Such systems are not only updating stock levels. They automatically account for your inventory in different markets. This implies the elimination of overselling and stockouts. When it is out of stock in one marketplace, you know earlier than your customers do and you can correct it in no time.
Step 4: Manage Your GST Registration for Smooth Operations
Handling SKUs is one thing. But managing legal compliance? That’s another. To sell legally on most platforms in India, you need a **GSTIN**. If you don’t have one, you can forget about listing your products on major marketplaces.
The steps to register GST are as follows:
Step 1: Visit the GST Portal
Visit the official GST site (www.gst.gov.in) and choose New Registration.
Step 2: Enter Business Details
Enter your business name, PAN, business type and contact. You also will require your Aadhaar number to be verified.
Step 3: Submit Documents
Post documents such as your business address proof, identity proof, and bank / bank details.
Step 4: Verification
You will get an OTP on your mobile once you submit your application. Check your information, and your GSTIN is coming your way.
Step 5: GSTIN Activation
When the registration is approved, your GSTIN is turned on. This figure is essential in billing, tax returns, and law requirements. Your legal online selling gateway.
Note: The registration process of GST usually consumes a duration of 3-7 days provided there is no huddle. But it might take more time based on the details.
Step 5: Verify Your Online Marketplace Account with the help of GSTIN.
The second thing that you should do after receiving your GSTIN is check your marketplace account. Sellers must give their GSTIN before being able to begin selling through platforms. This would make sure you are working within the law structure and would also allow you to get more services such as Cash on Delivery (COD). The verification process may appear to be a formality but this opens the doors to more customers and higher credibility.
After checking, you will also have access to the tools on sites such as Flipkart Seller Hub, such as the management of inventory, product updates, order tracking, and customer insights. Verified GSTIN will access a huge market of 50+ crores of customers and reach more than 19,000 pincodes across India.
Step 6: Automate and Utilize Analytics.
Automation is the friend when you have to handle thousands of SKUs. Automate stock alerts, inventory replenishment and analytics. The tools enable you to have a view of how products are doing, those that are not doing well and in making restocking decisions.
Automation does not mean that it is going to take your job away, it is just that it is going to be a little easier. Automation of activities such as pricing, stock notifications, and listings of products can be performed. You are not supposed to be a micromanager of the business, but a business person.
What You Just Need to Do is Organize Your SKUs.
You do not necessarily need to be overwhelmed. With the appropriate systems, it is very much possible to manage thousands of SKUs. It could be inventory management system, GST registration or any other automated tools, but it is here where the trip to running your business without hitches begins.
That is why, get your GSTIN nowadays, optimize your product listing and use your e-commerce business to flourish. You are going to manage your SKUs, but you are not going to rule them, so you will get to the full extent of your e-commerce business.
