Jetpack MIQ Best Practices

The most successful MIQ users develop a disciplined framework for deciding when to accept auto-generated transfer plans versus when to edit them based on market conditions the algorithm can’t yet anticipate.

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The Decision Framework: Trust vs. Edit

Understanding when to trust MIQ’s recommendations versus when to manually edit transfer plans is the foundation of effective MIQ usage.

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When to Trust MIQ Auto-Generated Plans

MIQ’s algorithm excels when historical data accurately predicts future demand and no major disruptions are planned. Trust MIQ When:

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When to Edit MIQ Transfer Plans

Manual intervention is warranted when you have market intelligence or strategic priorities that the algorithm can’t anticipate from historical data alone. Edit MIQ Plans When: The key principle: Trust MIQ for what has happened in the past; edit for what you know is coming that hasn’t happened yet.

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Strategic Editing Approach

When you determine manual editing is necessary, follow these principles to maintain MIQ’s optimization benefits while incorporating your business intelligence.

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Make Incremental Adjustments

Avoid completely overriding MIQ’s recommendations—instead, make targeted incremental changes. Best Practice: Adjust MIQ allocations by 10-20% rather than completely rewriting the distribution plan. Example:

• MIQ Suggests: 500 units to West Coast FC, 300 units to Midwest FC
• Your Edit: 600 units to West Coast FC (+20%), 200 units to Midwest FC (-33%) due to planned West Coast promotional campaign
• Why It Works: Preserves MIQ’s overall optimization logic while reflecting your market intelligence

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Document Your Reasoning

Track why you make manual adjustments to evaluate accuracy over time and refine your editing approach. What to Document:

• Date of WRO and transfer plan edits
• Which FCs you adjusted and by how much
• Business reason for the edit (e.g., “Q4 holiday campaign targeting California”)
• Post-distribution results (did your edit improve performance vs. MIQ’s original plan?)

How to Use It: After 3-6 months, review your documented edits to identify patterns:

• Which types of edits consistently improved results?
• Which edits underperformed MIQ’s original recommendations?
• What market signals accurately predict when editing is beneficial?

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Hover Over the “Why” Before Overriding

Before editing any allocation, hover over the information icon (ⓘ) next to the SKU in the transfer plan to understand MIQ’s reasoning. What the Info Icon Tells You:

• Historical order origins for that SKU
• Current inventory levels at destination FCs
• Recent velocity trends
• Rebalance point considerations

Understanding MIQ’s logic helps you determine whether your edit addresses information the algorithm lacks or whether you’re contradicting data-driven insights that may be more accurate than your intuition.

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Planning for Seasonal Changes and Promotions

Seasonal demand shifts and promotional campaigns require proactive transfer plan management to ensure inventory is positioned correctly before demand surges.

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Creating a Seasonal Planning Calendar

Develop a 12-month calendar identifying periods when MIQ transfer plans will likely need manual adjustments. Example of a Seasonal Planning Calendar: Best Practice: Review your seasonal calendar quarterly and identify upcoming periods requiring MIQ transfer plan edits 8-12 weeks in advance.

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Coordinating Promotional Campaigns with MIQ

When planning regional marketing campaigns, align your MIQ transfer plan edits with campaign timing. Promotional Planning Workflow:

1. 6-8 Weeks Before Campaign: Create WRO with sufficient inventory to support campaign demand
2. Review Auto-Generated Transfer Plan: Evaluate MIQ’s suggested allocation
3. Edit Transfer Plan: Increase allocation to FCs serving campaign target regions by 20-40%
4. Coordinate with Jetpack Care: Notify your Jetpack Care team of the campaign and confirm receiving timeline
5. Monitor Results Post-Campaign: Track whether your edited allocation performed better than MIQ’s original suggestion

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Coordinating with Jetpack Care

Major replenishments, product launches, and seasonal ramp-ups benefit from proactive coordination with your Jetpack Care team.

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When to Contact Jetpack Care

Reach out to Jetpack Care before creating your WRO in these scenarios: Best Practice: Schedule quarterly planning calls with Jetpack Care to review upcoming product launches, seasonal events, and MIQ performance metrics.

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Information to Prepare Before Contacting Care

When reaching out about MIQ strategy, have this information ready: For Major Replenishments:

• Total units and pallets expected in the WRO
• Desired ship date and arrival date at Hero Hub
• Any SKUs requiring special handling (HAZMAT, fragile, lot tracking)
• Marketing campaign timing if applicable

For Product Launches:

• Launch date and target markets
• Expected order volume by region
• Marketing campaign details (channels, timing, target demographics)
• Preferred FC stocking strategy

For Performance Reviews:

• Recent transfer plans you edited and why
• Current split shipment rate
• Any FC-specific stockout patterns
• Questions about rebalance point calculations

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Evaluating MIQ Performance Over Time

Develop a systematic approach to measuring MIQ effectiveness and refining your editing strategy.

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Key Performance Indicators to Track

Monitor these metrics to evaluate whether MIQ is optimizing your fulfillment network:

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Quarterly Performance Review Process

Every Quarter:

1. Export order data for the past 90 days
2. Calculate KPIs listed above and compare to previous quarter
3. Review documented transfer plan edits and their outcomes
4. Identify patterns: Which FCs consistently need more/less inventory than MIQ suggests?
5. Schedule Jetpack Care call to discuss findings and refine MIQ strategy
6. Update seasonal calendar based on performance insights

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Common MIQ Pitfalls to Avoid

Learn from common mistakes to maximize MIQ effectiveness:

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Pitfall 1: Over-Editing Transfer Plans

The Mistake: Manually editing every transfer plan because you “know your business better than an algorithm.” Why It’s Problematic: MIQ analyzes thousands of data points across your order history—insights that are difficult to replicate with intuition alone. Over-editing negates MIQ’s optimization benefits. Best Practice: Start by trusting 80% of MIQ recommendations and only editing the 20% where you have specific market intelligence the algorithm lacks.

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Pitfall 2: Ignoring MIQ’s Reasoning

The Mistake: Editing transfer plans without reviewing why MIQ suggested the original allocation (not hovering over info icons). Why It’s Problematic: You may override data-driven insights with intuition that contradicts actual order patterns. Best Practice: Always review MIQ’s reasoning before editing. If the info icon shows order origins that contradict your assumptions, trust the data.

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Pitfall 3: Failing to Account for Lead Times

The Mistake: Creating WROs too close to seasonal peak periods or promotional campaign launch dates. Why It’s Problematic: Even with MIQ, inventory needs 7-14 days to move from Hero Hub to destination FCs. Late WROs result in inventory arriving after peak demand passes. Best Practice: Build an 8-12 week lead time into your seasonal planning calendar, accounting for manufacturer lead time + WRO receiving + MIQ redistribution time.

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Pitfall 4: Not Monitoring Post-Distribution Results

The Mistake: Editing transfer plans without tracking whether your edits improved performance vs. MIQ’s original recommendations. Why It’s Problematic: Without feedback, you can’t refine your editing approach and may repeatedly make suboptimal adjustments. Best Practice: Document every edit and evaluate results quarterly. Stop editing in scenarios where MIQ consistently outperforms your manual adjustments.

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Pitfall 5: Treating MIQ as “Set and Forget”

The Mistake: Assuming MIQ requires no ongoing strategy or coordination with Jetpack Care. Why It’s Problematic: MIQ optimizes based on historical data, but your business evolves—new products launch, customer demographics shift, marketing strategies change. Best Practice: Treat MIQ as a strategic partnership between your market intelligence and Jetpack’s algorithmic optimization. Quarterly reviews ensure MIQ adapts to your evolving business.

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The MIQ Success Formula

Successful MIQ usage balances three elements: 1. Data-Driven Trust: Accept that MIQ’s algorithm processes more data points than humanly possible and trust recommendations when historical patterns apply 2. Strategic Override: Recognize scenarios where your market intelligence predicts demand shifts the algorithm can’t anticipate from past data 3. Continuous Refinement: Track performance, document decisions, and adjust your approach based on results over time

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