# Stop Mis-Ships Before They Happen

Shipping the wrong item frustrates customers, creates extra work for your team, and eats into your profits. Descartes Peoplevox helps ecommerce brands prevent mis-ships by enforcing accuracy at every stage, from picking to packing to dispatch.

## Why Mis-Ships Happen

Mis-shipments usually occur when there are breakdowns in warehouse execution. Without structured processes and the right technology in place, even experienced staff can make mistakes.

**Common causes include:**

### Picking orders without barcode scanning or SKU verification

### Packing items without scanning or validation

### Skipping digital workflows in favor of manual shortcuts

### No final check before printing a shipping label or handing off to a carrier

### Lack of ownership or accountability on the warehouse floor

## The Real Cost of Shipping Errors

Every mis-shipped order turns into a return, a support ticket, or a refund. That means more costs, lost revenue, and customer frustration. And when it happens repeatedly, it hurts your brand reputation and reduces customer loyalty.

**Mis-ships can also:**

- Increase return rates and restocking workloads
- Raise shipping and handling costs
- Slow down the fulfillment of correct orders
- Reduce marketplace performance metrics
- Lead to negative reviews and lost repeat business

## The Solution: What Success Looks Like

With Descartes Peoplevox, every order is picked, packed, and shipped with confidence. Scanning and validation are built into your workflow. Your team receives real-time instructions, and the system ensures the right product is always placed in the right box.

Mis-ships are a monster cost. If you mis-ship a $2,000, 85 lb. item, it ends up costing an average of $400. As you can imagine, that adds up quickly. Based on our Q4 trend of improving picking and shipping accuracy with Peoplevox, we expect to reduce mis-ships to less than 1% of all orders... saving an estimated $50,000.

**Colin M**  
Managing Director, Big Frog Supply

## How Descartes Peoplevox Prevents Mis-Ships

Descartes Peoplevox creates a structured, mobile-first workflow where every scan confirms the correct item, and no order moves forward without validation. You get accuracy automatically, no extra steps needed.

### Barcode-Verified Picking

Staff scan every item as they pick. If it is the wrong SKU, the system flags it immediately. No mistakes, no guessing.

### Pack Checks Before Dispatch

At packing stations, items are scanned again to ensure the full order is correct before it is packed and labeled.

### Role-Based Accountability

Every action is logged by user, so you can trace errors back to the source and fix processes, not just outcomes.

### Real-Time Order Status and Alerts

Warehouse managers can see exactly what has been picked, packed, or flagged. That means faster intervention when errors do happen.

### Full Visibility Across Fulfillment

From the moment an order drops to the moment it leaves the warehouse, Peoplevox tracks it. Nothing moves without verification.

## Proof: See What Success Looks Like

95%

### Order Accuracy

35%

### Reduction in Operating Costs

3

### Orders Shipped 3 Times Faster

## Take Control of Order Accuracy

See how Descartes Peoplevox helps you ship the right items every time without slowing down. Get a personalized walkthrough from our team.

## FAQ

### What is a mis-shipment?

A mis-shipment occurs when the wrong product, quantity, or variation is sent to a customer instead of what they ordered.

### What does “mis-shipped” mean?

It means an order has already been sent but contains an error, such as the wrong item or missing pieces.

### What is the cost of a mis-ship?

Costs include return shipping, restocking, customer service time, and lost sales. High-value items can make the cost significant.

### How can I prevent mis-ships?

Use barcode scanning at both the picking and packing stages, enforce verification before dispatch, track accountability by user, and maintain full visibility with a warehouse management system like Descartes Peoplevox.

### Can I trace who made the mistake if a mis-ship happens?

Absolutely. Every action is tied to the user who performed it, giving you full audit trails and accountability.

### How long does it take to reduce shipping errors?

Most customers see major improvements in accuracy within the first few days of going live with Descartes Peoplevox.