One of my main jobs here at Shavonne is inventory.  We get a lot of calls with questions about why items are out of stock.  When we give our answer trying to explain why, some are still confused as to why their item was not shipped.  I am going to explain our inventory process and hopefully this will help you to understand.

First I want to let you know about inventory coming in.  When we receive a shipment from the factory to restock our inventory it has to go through several steps before it is ever put online to be available for purchase.  All merchandise must be opened, counted, written up on an inventory sheet, and then added to inventory to update the website.  While this may sound simple, trust me, it turns into a very lengthy process when you take into consideration that we are inspecting the merchandise for color variations, size discrepancies, defects in the finish, defects in the cut of the stones, and looking at the overall appearance of the item.  Only after this process is finished will the merchandise be available online for your purchase.  Sometimes we have to reject items that are just not up to the quality standards we have.  This will put that item back on reorder making it out of stock for another six to eight weeks.  Check back on the site regularly for updates on your favorite styles or use your wish list to keep up with styles you want to check on.

Our inventory system is set up to automatically adjust inventory for the items ordered online.  We do have wholesalers who order by fax or email and these orders have to be manually deducted from inventory after they are pulled.  I do inventory updates daily to try to avoid out of stocks.

From time to time you will have an out of stock item on your order.  We always stress first-in first-out, all orders are arranged on a clipboard by time and date, first one in is the first one out. Retail orders are filled from the same stock as wholesale orders.  A retail order may have been phoned in right before you placed your order and snagged up the last item available creating another possibility of why your item is out of stock.

We also offer a win-win program to all level 3, 4, and 5 wholesalers.  These orders are being pulled at the same time as all other orders.  Win-win orders have to be manually deducted from inventory also.  This plays a role in out of stock items.  On win-wins if there is not a full size range or low stock on items we try not to pull those items.  If it is a popular style however, it is necessary to put the item in the order because this program is based upon popular styles and sizes.

I hope this helps explain why out of stocks are sometimes unavoidable.  I strive to keep inventory up to date on a daily basis to avoid this situation and make sure your merchandise is available when you need it.  Please feel free to comment or ask any questions you may have.  Always remember “It’s a great day at Shavonne!”

Now begins the preparation of the all the surfaces of the ring. Companies similar to the Shavonne Corporation realize each step is of the utmost importance to create the finest quality. The “sprew” is now very carefully removed as to leave no uneven areas on the shank of the ring. Utilizing all the methods chosen to maximize the finished beauty for this particular ring style is a many step process. Initially it may require the use of the “barrel tumbling” machine to remove rough areas of any kind. Then the rings are further machine polished in a large “vibratory” machine.

Both these machines will contain special solutions to utilize materials called “media.” Each of these processes are managed by carefully trained technicians. When the final machine inspection is completed successfully, the rings will pass to the hand polishers. That’s right, hand polishers. Even after all these years, the hand craftsperson still is vital for that incredibly beautiful ring eventually you will see. Next we will investigate electroplating, usually referred to simply as plating. This is the final key to success as you will see.

Archeologists have identified Incan methods, Egyptian methods, Native American methods, ad infinitum – dating to several thousand years.  Even going back to the very early times in America, jewelry manufacturing  was basically done by the talented village blacksmith.  This was the one craftsman used to working with heated metals, much as he created horseshoes.

Historically the oldest societies worked basically with their hands and rough hewn tools.  Until the adaptation of the modern computer in the 1970′s, surprisingly little had been done to “modernize” jewelry manufacturing.  All manufacturing began to change in a rather spectacular fashion with the new methods of creating fine and fashion jewelry made available by using a computer.

Much of the exquisite work of today is still initially designed by talented individual designers with paper and pencil.  The remainder of the most beautiful creations are created entirely in the computer.  Utilizing full 3-dimensional imagery has elevated so much of what we see today. Ring designers, for example, keep in mind what will be required for the manufacturer to exactly recreate their design.  The most modern manufacturers’ sample division can furnish the designer a virtually rendered (VR) image which is generated using some form of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.  This VR shows a computer generated image of what the fashion jewelry item will look like prior to making a sample and has become invaluable to modern day creations for manufacturing.

Over the next 2 to 3 Fridays, I will go into detail about the fashion jewelry manufacturing process that fuels our retail and wholesale jewelry business.

I was just wanting to give you some information to help you (and me) out when sending in a wholesale return.

1. Before you send any merchandise back to us please make sure you call in to get a return authorization (RA) code.  Any one of the ladies that answers the phone can give you a RA code. If you fail to do this important step it will subject your return to a 25% restock fee.

2. Some information we need to know when you call in, is if you are returning win/win items, damaged merchandise you received in shipping, or damaged merchandise you exchanged out for one of your customers. We also need to know if you want to exchange these item or wish to have in-house credit.

3. Please make a list of all things you are returning to us and send a copy of it along with your return.  I use the list you send to compare to the list I make of the items returned.  If there are any discrepancies between the lists, I will call to sort them out with you.

4. You would be surprised at how many returns we receive with no information in them.  When I say no information I mean we don’t know who it came from or we don’t even have a number to contact the sender.  Always enclose your name, business name if available, full shipping address, and a valid telephone number. All returns are processed in between regular wholesale orders.

5. If you are returning win/win items make sure all merchandise is clean and the ring tags are only marked with the appropriate color-coded price markings.  A 25% restock fee will be deducted from your return if the items have to be cleaned or retagged.

6. When returning your package put all merchandise in an appropriate sized box with enough padding material to assure no damage is caused to the items during shipping.

As always, I try my hardest to make sure your return is sent back to you in a timely manner, but please remember that I am processing multiple wholesale orders as well as incoming shipments.  Thanks for reading and remember “It’s a great day at Shavonne!”

Wholesalers have asked for some tips on how to receive their order quicker and more accurate. I have outlined a few things that should help you better understand what it is I see on orders currently being submitted that creates confusion for me.

We usually receive three types of wholesale reorders: online, e-mail and fax.
The best way to ensure your wholesale order is filled accurate and complete as possible is to order online.

Online Orders

• Automatically takes items out of inventory.
• Calculates discount for an accurate total.
• Know availability of sizes and colors.
• Will know if an item is discontinued or available in color combination.
• Provides an area for notes.
• Special discounts only available online when logged in to your account.
• Estimates shipping date.

E-mailed and Faxed orders are always welcomed but may be inaccurate or incomplete due to some of these reasons.

E-mails and Faxes

I try my personal best to fill all orders accurately and on a timely manner, these are just a few tips to help you get better service from the Shavonne Wholesale Department, I sure hope these tips help you in the future.