A pilot is usually described as a smaller first order, which misses the point. Feminine care pilot launch inventory exists to answer one question: which formats, pack counts and sizes actually move, and how quickly. If the batch is planned only as a cheap way to get product on a shelf, the information needed for a second order is never captured and the pilot has to be run again.
Why feminine care pilot launch inventory is a measurement exercise
Decide what will be measured before the cartons are packed: sell-through by format, the interval to the first repeat request, the size or pack count that runs out first, and the questions buyers ask at the counter. Each of those needs a field on a record, not a general impression at the end of the month. The batch is small because the decision is still open, not because the budget is small.
Keep the pilot on one dated specification. An OEM production specification fixes construction, the material list and the carton plan; a pilot that quietly uses two wrapper versions cannot tell a seller whether a difference in response came from the product or from the packaging. Freeze the version for the whole measurement window.
Sizing the pilot without splitting the run
The most common pilot mistake is offering four formats so the market can choose. Four formats split one material reservation into four short runs, each with its own wrapper file and carton plan, and produce too few units of each to measure anything. Two formats at most, with a written reason for each, usually gives a clearer signal than a wide assortment.
| Pilot decision | What it measures | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| One pack count | Repeat interval | One artwork file |
| Two pack counts | Pack preference | Two carton plans |
| Several sizes | Size curve | Several picking lines |
| A dated revision mid-pilot | Nothing usable | The measurement window restarts |
The final row is the one to avoid. Changing the artwork or the pack count during a pilot mixes two populations of buyers, and the earlier records can no longer be compared with the later ones. If a change is unavoidable, close the first window and open a second one with a new version identifier.
A record sheet that survives the pilot
Use one sheet for the whole window, with the delivery date, the specification version, the artwork version, the carton marks and the lot codes at the top. Below that, record by format: units received, units sold by date, repeat requests and the questions that came with a physical unit. Keep the fields the same every week so the rows can be compared.
- Delivery date and the carton marks from the pilot shipment.
- Specification version and artwork version identifiers.
- Units received and units sold per format, recorded weekly.
- Repeat requests naming the same format.
- Counter questions tied to a lot code or a physical unit.
The last field turns an anecdote into evidence. A comment about a wrapper is useful only when it can be connected to a production run; a comment about a general feeling cannot be acted on. Factory capability outlines which records a plant can supply to make that connection.
What counts as a reorder signal
A reorder signal is not total units sold. It is the combination of how quickly a format reached its reorder point, how many buyers asked for the same format again, and whether the questions received were about the product or about the version. A format that sold once to many first-time buyers and was never requested again is a different result from a smaller format that generated repeat requests.
Set the threshold in writing before the pilot opens: for example, a named number of repeat requests within a named number of weeks. A threshold chosen after the results are known is not a decision rule, it is a justification. Put it on the same sheet as the delivery date.
From pilot batch to production run
If the signal is positive, the next order is not a repeat of the pilot. It is a new dated version: the formats that moved stay, the ones that did not are retired, and the carton plan is revised to the volumes the second run needs. Retiring an unused variant matters because it still carries a wrapper file and a picking instruction.
Book the production slot against the revised schedule rather than against the pilot quantity. A run with a single retained format uses one uninterrupted line slot, while a run carrying pilot leftovers does not. The team can help turn the revised schedule into a clean production brief.
Where the pilot stock is made
Pilot cartons are produced in Guangdong and shipped from China; no plant, office or local depot is maintained in the test market. That lead time is part of the pilot design, because the interval between a reorder signal and the next delivery has to fit the shelf life of the measurement window.
Guangdong Nafei describes the producer and the production, carton and lot records it keeps. The seller holds sell-through records; both sides need the same lot-code vocabulary for a question about a specific pilot carton to be answerable.
Closing the window
Close the pilot on the date written at the start, even if the result is ambiguous. An open-ended pilot stops producing comparable rows and slowly turns into normal trading. Write a short conclusion on the feminine care pilot launch inventory sheet naming the retained format, the retired ones and the revised carton plan, then issue the next version.
A pilot that ends with one dated document is worth more than one that drifts on for a season. The conclusion becomes the reference for the next slot booking and for any later question about why a format disappeared.
Questions buyers ask before the first order
Why is a pilot batch a measurement exercise?
Because its purpose is to learn which formats, pack counts and sizes move and how quickly. If the records for sell-through, repeat requests and counter questions are not designed before the cartons are packed, the second order has no evidence behind it.
How many formats should a pilot carry?
Two at most, each with a written reason. Four formats split one material reservation into four short runs with separate wrapper files and carton plans, and usually leave too few units of each to measure anything reliably.
Can the specification change during a pilot?
It should not. A mid-pilot change mixes two populations of buyers and restarts the measurement window. If it is unavoidable, close the first window and open a second one with a new version identifier.
What makes a valid reorder signal?
The combination of how quickly a format reached its reorder point, how many buyers asked for the same format again, and whether questions concerned the product or the version. Set the threshold in writing before the window opens.
Where is pilot stock produced and who keeps the records?
It is produced in Guangdong and ships from China with no plant, office or local depot in the test market. The plant keeps production, carton and lot records while the seller holds sell-through records, and both use the same lot-code vocabulary.
