January isn’t quiet. It’s simply the only time most fulfillment operations aren’t operating at redline.

That makes it the ideal window to run a controlled operations test, conduct a meaningful shipping audit, and validate whether your shipping tech can actually support growth at scale. For many companies, this is the only moment in the year where large-scale testing, audits, and process changes can happen without putting customer delivery at risk.

Instead of reacting to volume, January allows operations, logistics, and supply chain leaders to deliberately test systems, analyze shipping data, review shipping invoices, and identify cost, process, and technology failures before the next peak.

Below are seven practical ways to use January’s slower weeks to stress-test your fulfillment stack, shipping process, and carrier relationships.

1. Run a Peak-Level Operations Test to Validate Real-World Readiness

The most effective operations test is also the most revealing: replay your highest-volume days on purpose.

What to do

• Pull one or two peak days from Q4 based on shipping transactions and shipment volume.
• Build a test batch in your OMS or WMS that mirrors:
  • Total order and shipment count
  • Single-line vs. multi-line parcel shipments
  • SKU velocity and package weight distribution
  • Packaging profiles that influence shipping fees
• Release waves during a normal January shift using your actual shipping software and automation rules.

What to measure

• Orders released vs. shipped by hour
• P50 and P90 order cycle time (order → label creation → shipment)
• Lines picked per labor hour and pack station throughput
• Manual intervention, system delays, or process failure points

Why it matters

This operations test validates operational readiness not in theory, but in practice. It shows whether your shipping process, automation, and team can support growth without heroics. It also helps determine how weight, package configuration, and order mix impact costs, speed, and carrier performance at scale.

2. Conduct a Shipping Audit Across Carriers, Services, and Rates

January is the right time to conduct audits, not surface-level reviews, but a structured shipping audit grounded in invoice data and delivery performance.

What to do

Using Q4 and early Q1 data, evaluate by carrier × service × zone:

• Shipping rates and total shipping fees paid
• Time-in-transit performance
• Late deliveries and shipments delivered late
• Exceptions: delays, address issues, damage, or lost packages

Layer in:

• Carrier invoices and shipping invoices
• Parcel and freight shipments
• New vs. repeat customers
• Product type and package characteristics

What to look for

• Services billed as expedited but delivering like ground
• Lanes where UPS, FedEx, or other shipping carriers consistently miss delivery commitments
• Accessorial fees that appear inconsistently or without justification
• Instances where refunds or claims should be filed but were never pursued

Why it matters

A shipping audit provides transparency into what your business is actually paying for, and where money is leaking. It creates a data-backed foundation to adjust routing logic, renegotiate carrier contracts, pursue refunds, and hold carriers accountable for late deliveries.

3. Run a Parcel Invoice Audit Using Software and Automation

A parcel invoice audit is where most businesses uncover hidden savings.

Industry data shows that as many as 80% of carrier invoices include discrepancies, ranging from incorrect fees to billing errors tied to late delivery or incorrect shipment details.

What to do

• Gather shipping invoices and carrier invoices for parcel shipments.
• Validate:
  • Billed shipping rates vs. contract agreements
  • Accessorial fees, surcharges, and fuel charges
  • Duplicate charges or incorrect weight and address data
• Use parcel audit software or in-house reporting technology to organize and review invoice data at scale.

Why it matters

Manual audits are time-consuming and prone to error. Automated parcel invoice audits use software, machine learning, and reporting technology to identify errors, contract violations, and overcharges that human reviews often miss.

This is one of the fastest ways for companies to recover money, improve payment accuracy, and streamline the shipping process.

4. Stress-Test Shipping Tech, Label Creation, and Automation at Scale

Your shipping tech must perform under pressure, especially during label creation.

What to do

In a test or staging environment:

• Simulate 2–3× peak-hour label creation volume
• Stress test rating, label generation, and tracking APIs
• Mix parcel and freight shipments across carriers and services
• Validate automation rules, fallback logic, and failure handling

What to measure

• Response times for rate calls and label creation process
• Error rates and timeout frequency
• System behavior during partial carrier or API failures

Why it matters

This operations test reveals whether your shipping software scales efficiently or becomes a bottleneck. Discovering failure points now prevents real-world delays, customer complaints, and missed deliveries later.

5. Perform a Freight Audit and Validate Edge-Case Shipments

Peak season exposes edge cases: heavy freight, multi-box orders, international shipments, and complex accessorial fees.

What to do

• Build test scenarios covering:
  • Freight vs. parcel shipments
  • Oversized and high-weight packages
  • Cross-border shipments with customs and duties
• Validate:
  • Carrier selection logic
  • Freight accessorial fees
  • Invoice accuracy against contract terms

Why it matters

A freight audit ensures freight carriers bill correctly and that contract errors don’t quietly inflate transportation costs. It also helps identify responsibility for delays, damage, or billing disputes before payment is issued.

6. Combine Warehouse, Shipping, and Invoice Data to Identify Bottlenecks

The most valuable insights come from combining data sources.

What to do

Create a unified view of:

• Order intake and fulfillment timing
• Label creation and shipment timestamps
• Carrier pickup times and delivery outcomes
• Shipping invoices and payment timelines

What to look for

• Delays between picking and label creation
• Missed pickups tied to process timing
• Invoices that don’t match operational reality

Why it matters

Accurate data is the foundation of an efficient shipping audit. This view enables leaders to identify where costs, delays, and errors originate, and which process changes will actually move the needle.

7. Dry-Run Your Peak Playbook as a Final Operations Test

January is rehearsal season.

What to do

• Document your peak playbook:
  • Staffing plans
  • Cutoff policies
  • Carrier mix and shipping rates
  • Exception handling and escalation ownership
• Run a scaled simulation using real operators, not engineers, in a staging environment that mirrors production.

Why it matters

Operations tests verify stability, recovery, and maintainability. They ensure the system, team, and shipping tech are ready for real-world pressure, not just theoretical success.

Final Thought

January is not about planning decks, it’s about proof.

Running a disciplined operations test, performing a comprehensive shipping audit, and validating your shipping tech with real data gives operations leaders clarity, leverage, and control. Done right, these audits and tests don’t just prevent failure. They unlock measurable savings, efficiency, and confidence before the next peak arrives.