Gifting at 500-plus headcount is a logistics project as much as a gifting decision, and most delays trace back to the same handful of avoidable mistakes.
The first is starting the address and sizing data collection too late. For distributed or hybrid teams, collecting current delivery addresses (and apparel sizes, if relevant) takes longer than anyone expects — start this at least three to four weeks before your target dispatch date.
The second is underestimating stock lead time on popular SKUs. Bulk quantities of a specific smartwatch colourway or a specific voucher denomination can run into availability constraints close to festival season, when every company is ordering the same handful of popular products. Confirm stock allocation with your vendor early, in writing.
Third, plan branding turnaround realistically. Custom logo printing or laser engraving on hundreds of units takes real production time — rushing this stage is where quality slips.
Finally, split large dispatches by region rather than shipping everything from a single hub on the same day, if your vendor supports it. It reduces courier bottlenecks and gets gifts to remote locations on time rather than last.