When the order list stops being manageable by hand.
FILTERING AND SORTING
Filter the orders list by status and work through Processing only. Everything else is noise on a busy day.
BULK ACTIONS
Change status for many orders at once. Useful, but check what you selected: marking fifty orders Completed sends fifty emails.
PRINTING
A PDF invoice plugin lets you print packing slips in bulk from the orders list. At volume this saves hours.
PROCESS
Establish an order: pick, pack, record tracking, mark Completed. Doing the same steps in the same sequence prevents mistakes.
Use private order notes for anything unusual. They become the record when a question arises weeks later.
ADMIN PERFORMANCE
The orders list slows as it grows. Reduce items per page, and archive very old orders if your plugin set supports it.
WHEN TO GET HELP
If order processing consistently takes longer than everything else, that is the process to fix or delegate first. It scales worst.
