Merchandise Workflow

This page outlines ways to request swag. You request merchandise must be submitted at least 4 weeks in advance of in hands date for us to be able to accommodate your request. If your request is urgent, please reach out to the merch team via merch@gitlab.com to find out if an expedited shipping option is available along with business reason for rush.

If you are looking to host a giveaway of GitLab swag, please review the GitLab Giveaways process.

If you want to order swag for an offsite, TMRG, team giveaway, etc. Savanah at Boundless is your go-to person. She is aware of all our brand guidelines and can help you select fantastic items within your budget. Once you work with her to determine the item, she will reach out to the Design team for final approval on branding to ensure it adheres to our standards.

Here's how to work with Savanah for your project:

Email her at ssporer@boundlessnetwork.com
Include the quantity, total budget (must include shipping, tax, and customs fees), and ideas of items or brands (e.g. jacket, sweater, mug, North Face)
She will set you up with a Boundless account to see ideas and suggestions.
Savanah will send you a spreadsheet template to fill out with addresses. The information must be added in the provided format.
Work with Finance to create a PO and provide that to Savanah. The Boundless team will upload the invoice to streamline billing.

Internal GitLab Swag Ordering

GitLab team-member swag

If you would like to order something from the GitLab swag shop we have a discount code you can use for 30% off (found in the channel description). Please see the swag Slack channel to get code to be used in the store at checkout.
We have specific shirts available for customer meetings. If you feel you need one of these shirts please email merch@gitlab.com.

Stickers

- For larger **sticker orders** (stickers in a quantity of 100 or greater), do not go through the swag store but rather use our [Stickermule](https://www.stickermule.com/) account or ping `merch@gitlab.com`. Include address, date needed and order quantity in request.

Swag for customer/ prospects

Anyone can request to send swag to customers, prospects, candidates, or partners by following the process.
There are two giveaways options.
- Giveaway where we have the customer address and we want to send multiple items ot them/ their group: Use the Printfection Sales Swag link. This link is for GitLab internal use only and requires login with a @gitlab.com email address. If you have trouble signing into Printfection, email merch@gitlab.com for support.
- Giveaway where you want to share a link with a menu of a couple items roughly proceed at around $20 and the customer can pick the item they want. Email merch@gitlab.com for this swag link.
Questions about the order process should be sent to email merch@gitlab.com or in the #swag Slack channel. A merch team member will reply within 48 business hours.
Please review the following guidelines for what is appropriate to send based on customer deal size:

Deal Size, by License	Suggested Order
50-100	2 shirts, 2 socks, up to 20 stickers
+100-250	2 shirts, 2 socks or mugs, up to 200 stickers
+250-500	5 shirts, 5 socks or mugs, 5 DevOps or purple pens, up to 100 stickers
+500-1000	10 shirts, 5 socks or mugs, 5 DevOps or purple pens, up to 250 stickers
+1000	1 hoodie, 20 shirts, 8 socks or mugs, pens, max 500 stickers

Additional Items Available

The following items are currently available to be sent to customers based in the US. This restriction is in place to keep shipping costs low as we move through extra inventory.

Black Leather Power Bank, Collapsible Straw, Colored Pencils, Orange Squid Charger, Luggage Tag, notebooks, Packable Bag Baby Onesies: Baby onesies are available in the sales swag campaign can be sent to customers as needed/requested.
Orders placed for customers via the Printfection link are subject to change based on inventory availability and cost.
NOTE: Please keep in mind the list of countries we do not do business in. Please note we cannot currently ship to India due to COVID restrictions.

Biggest Closed Deals of the Year Custom Swag

Every now and again, we like to celebrate a big win. And, what's more fun than to do so with a customer. For the top five deals of the year we will create custom jointly branded swag for this select group of customers. We want to give them a little extra love and delight them for joining the GitLab community.

Please open an issue in the merch project and start an issue with the custom customer swag template. Let us know top choice of items you think they might like and include their logo and colors if you have them in the issue. We will work with design to create a custom, one of a kind jointly styled swag for the customer based on their interest and industry. We will need around 6 weeks to design and produce the order. The wait is worth it! See example here.

After you create the issue, will be in touch with timelines and next steps. Design has the general bandwidth to create one design, gather one round of feedback, and implement feedback using their discretion before going to production. We are not a design agency, we will only be able to accept one round of feedback from the internal team on the swag items.

Note: Do not let the customer know this is happening unless otherwise instructed. This is meant to be a delightful surprise.

Example of custom swag item. Can you guess the customer? picture-of-custom-hat

Swag for TMRG's

There are two main giveaway options for TMRG's. You can do a one time send or do a continuous giveaway/ storage plan.

One time giveaways:
- Are cheaper as there are no storage fees.
- Can support both internal and external giveaways.
Continuous giveaways/ long term storage option:
- Meant for groups wanting to send items to group members as they join the group.
- If you select this option the group lead will need to send out codes to new members and will be responsible for notifying the swag team if any inventory get's low and they wish to restock.
- If you choose long term storage the merch manager will check in every quarter to verify you would like to continue with your giveaways as is. If inventory get's below 5 items the merch manager will be in touch to close out your giveaway.

Start an issue using the bulk swag request template. Someone from the swag team will be in touch on the issue and possibly set up time to chat about the request depending on the complexity.

Note that if you do a continuous giveaway the spend will be allocated as swag is given out so you will need to budget accordingly. It costs $25 a month to host an item. Note a hoodie in men's will count as one and women's will count as another, same is true of any color variations.

Swag for Internal Teams

You will need to have the item in the budget and a finance tag before requesting swag. We need to know you have the budget allotted before we can support or any ordering can be done. We will verify with finance it exists before starting any research requests.
We cannot create custom logos due to bandwidth at this time.
Your giveaways must be for 25 items or more to get assistance from the merch team.
if you have met all of the above criteria, start an issue with your swag request in the merch project using the bulk swag request. Someone from the team will be in touch on the issue. Note we need 4-6 weeks for custom orders.

Giveaways

Giveaway Requests from GitLab Teams

The fulfillment team may be asked to support other teams at GitLab who are organizing a giveaway promotion.

Trying to organize a giveaway? Please follow the steps on the GitLab Giveaways page to start a giveaway.

Giveaway participants:

Please note we have a limit on how many times one person can be the recipient of a GitLab giveaway annually. The max number of GitLab giveaway redemptions per person outside of the company is 2 per year.

We also hold the right to block swag violators and cancel their existing and future orders. This might include people who share swag codes publicly, order more times than permitted and other offenses.

Fulfillment team Workflows for Supporting Giveaways

Create a New Giveaway campaign

This can only be used if you have admin access to Printfection. GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: Create a Giveaway Campaign

Go to Campaigns tab then click Giveaways
Click the + GIVEAWAY CAMPAIGN button.
Select "Single-use gift URLs (each link expires when redeemed)". We can no longer use reusable codes for external giveaways due to previous abuse.
Enter the name and press CREATE CAMPAIGN button.
Go to the Items tab in the navigation menu.
Click Add Items to Campaign and simply choose the items you want to offer in your Giveaway.
Click the Manage in the navigation menu and choose how many initial links you want to giveaway (you can always add more later).
Go to Settings in the navigation menu and update the GitLab branding (see the existing giveaway settings). You'll also need to specify a payment method on this page. Do not make any giveaways campaigns live that are not branded. See below on branding a giveaway. In the Settings tab, add the relevant campaign or finance tag in the PO section. This is required to start your giveaway.
Turn the campaign from Paused to Running in the top right navigation menu. And that's it, you're ready to give some swag!

Note: Once a redemption is complete you will have the option to cancel it from the 'Recipients & Redemption' section at the bottom of the 'Overview' page. Just use the 'Cancel' button next to the order. This cancelation option is only available until the order is processed, you'll want to review orders same-day or earlier if you want to cancel them.

Branding a New Campaign in Printfection

Set the background and header color to… Color: 5c408c
Select a header logo from one of the existing ones stored.
emails should be sent from merch@gitlab.com
Brand the email with our logo.

Create a new Giveaway Kit

This can only be used if you have admin access to Printfection. GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following trainings:

Giveaway kits in Printfection are an efficient way to create bundles of swag to send to community members because they allow you to set limits on item totals. For example, these could be utilized for Meetup organizers to place orders for a giveaway kit of t-shirts, stickers, and notebooks.

In Printfection, start by creating a giveaway kit with your desired items. For details, follow the documentation to start a new kit.
After creating the kit, use the documentation to create a giveaway campaign.
Kits can be added to giveaway campaigns just like a regular swag item, as defined in the documentation above.
When your giveaway kit is created, you can generate order links in Printfection. Send these links to the desired community member so they can self place their orders.
Note that whatever you name your giveaway campaign will be visible by the customer, so be sure to make it clear and accurate.
Important Note: Each giveaway kit link will redeem 1 single kit. If a customer needs more swag, consider sending them multiple giveaway kit links.

Generating Giveaway Links

This can only be used if you have admin access to Printfection. GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: Generating Giveaway Links

Manually Generate CSV File with Links

This can only be used if you have admin access to Printfection.

Login to Printfection.
Go to your giveaway campaign.
Click on the Manage tab.
Generate new links.
Make sure to download the CSV file of the freshly created links only

Please check out this video tutorial no how to generate new giveaway links.

Use Printfection Chrome Extension

Install the Printfection Link Generator Chrome Extension
Follow the steps to Integrate the Chrome Extension with Printfection Giveaways
Use the chrome extension as you are sending links to generate 1 link at a time.

Sending Giveaway Links

There are many ways to send links and document the use of giveaways. This outlines the best practices used by the fulfillment team team while supporting teams hosting giveaways

Sending Via Email

Generate giveaway links and download the CSV file
Use a mail merge to share unique link with contact list

Using Mail merge

Process updates coming soon

Sending Via Twitter DM

Download the Printfection Chrome Extension
Use the chrome extension to send unique links to each person via twitter. Consider writing a response template to keep outreach consistent.

Using Mass Twitter Direct Messages

Process updates coming soon

Closing Out Completed Campaigns

Follow the steps to delete your campaign in Prinfection. It is up to the giveaway DRI to have an exit plan for all giveaways and associated item. All items are expected to be gone from our warehouse 30 days after the giveaways has ended. DRI will need to budget for remove or linger items or storage.

Swag for GitLab owned or sponsored events - see details on Events page

Event Swag (for FM, Corporate and Community): To request GitLab swag for an event you are attending see instructions below. Process depends on department and event type.

Swag for Speaking at or Hosting GitLab Events

GitLab team members can request a merch order for an event they are speaking at or hosting by emailing the request to merch@gitlab.com.

Please use the following email template when placing a merchandise request:

Hello Merch Team,

I'd like to place the following GitLab merchandise order:

Reason for Order:

Item Name:
Size, if applicable:
Quantity:


Name for the order:
Shipping Address:
Email Address:
Phone Number:


Regards,
YOUR_NAME

Requesting guidelines

- The event must be 3 or more weeks away for all swag and material requests. Rush shipping is not an option.
- NORAM Field marketing handles all swag requests within their team. Email krogel@gitlab.com for questions.
- Community Relations email merch@ for any new swag requests. Let us know what you want, when and where you need it. We have a list of approved items with Nadel you can order from. Any new items must be approved by brand team for brand consistency - Nadel will email all final designs to brand team for approval.
- Not in Field Marketing or Community Relations? You can place small event swag orders by emailing `merch@gitlab.com`. Include the date needed, shipping address and items / volume desired. The request will be approved on the back end by the community team. All requests must be made 3 or more weeks out. You can expect a response within 5 business days.
- Paper/Print Collateral: In order to be [efficient](/handbook/values/#efficiency), we do not make custom print assets for events. We avoid printed materials because they are instantly out of date and to help support the efforts to reduce waste.
- We have an event kit with a [banner and table cloth](/images/events/GitLabPopupBoothMarch2019.pdf). Contact `events@gitlab.com` if you would like to borrow this setup. You will be shipped this set along with a return label. (please note this offering is on hold due to COVID)
- If you have any issues with your order please email `merch@gitlab.com` with your concerns.

Returning Swag to Warehouse (post event)

If you have items that need to be returned to the warehouse please contact merch@gitlab.com to get a return label created. Returns are only accommodated if you have a very large number of high value items (50+) or a reusable booth setup (banner, tablecloth, backdrop) that need to be returned. We need at least 2 business days notice to create a label and you must have a finance tag/ budget to store the item to get a label created. You will also be responsible for notifying the vendor your items are arriving, their specs if they are new and the volume they should expect.

External Swag Requests

If you would like to get some GitLab swag for your group or event, email your request to merch@gitlab.com (managed by the corporate events team). In your request include:

expected number of guests
best shipping address
phone number
type of swag you are hoping for
name and date of your activity

We will suggest swag based on your request and what is in stock. Note: It is recommended submit your request for swag at least 5 weeks in advance from your event date or we may not be able to accommodate your request due to logistics and shipping times.

Note: due to COVID shipping and in person gathering restrictions our outbound swag capacity is limited for the time being. We are taking very few bulk swag requests for the time being.

Swag Providers We Use

See the swag vendors we use doc. Email merch@gitlab.com for more info on how to place orders with said vendors.
Please direct swag vendor suggestions to merch@gitlab.com

New and Replenishment Swag Orders

Corporate handles the creating and ordering of all new swag. All swag designs should be run past the brand team (Luke) for approval before going to production.

If you need swag for an upcoming campaign please start an issue in the Corporate Marketing project using the 'BulkSwagRequest' template and corporate will be in touch on issue to complete request. Note: at least 6 weeks to produce anything new and 2-3 weeks to reorder current designs.

Suggesting new items or designs

You can suggest new designs in the swag Slack channel or email merch@gitlab.com. All previous requests have been noted and are begin worked on for the future.

Merchandise Handling Overview (for Admins)

Corporate Events and Brand manage the merchandise store. This includes:

Adding and removing items to and from the store
Fulfilling orders
Maintaining inventory levels
Responding to store support requests
Supporting GitLab teams with giveaway requests
Tracking and refunding swag that has been lost in shipping
Accounts overview

Shopify is our storefront vendor

URL: https://shopify.com — Use gitlab.myshopify.com if prompted for the store address.
Login: See 1Password secure note for details (only to be used with explicit permission from the events team due to security requirements)
Account permissions: Staff account is required to access the admin. Staff accounts can only be created by the store owner
Note: The number of staff accounts for our current subscription is limited to 5.

Printfection is our main inventory vendor for general merchandise

URL: https://www.printfection.com/
Account Permissions: print, manage, admin
Login: You will need to request one at merch@gitlab.com
Note: We cannot use shared accounts due to the tracking and granularity we need.

Stickermule is our main inventory vendor for stickers

URL: https://www.stickermule.com
Login: see 1Password secure note for details

Other current vendor accounts include: Nadel, Panda Bear Creative, WASD Keyboards.

You can see the items we've ordered from Nadel on this Google sheet, visible to GitLab team members

Shopify and Printfection Integration

When a customer visits the GitLab Store, they see available products on the front end Shopify store. Event/ Brand managers manage customer orders using Shopify's backend, and fulfills/ships orders on the Printfection backend.

Shopify/Printfection Zapier Integration

All the orders received via shop.gitlab.com are automatically forwarded from Shopify to Printfection via the Printfection-Shopify Zapier integration. On Printfection, we manually process orders and fulfill shipments.

Merchandise Admin Workflows

The fulfillment team has daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to complete for merchandise.

Where to Find Merchandise Notifications

Notifications from Shopify and Printfection are sent to merch@gitlab.com.
GitLab team members often use the #swag Slack channel to ask questions about merchandise and orders.
When communicating with contributors, users or customers regarding swag, use the merch@gitlab.com email alias.

Please bear in mind the list of countries we do not do business in.

Daily Tasks

Daily Task 1: Fulfill Swag Store Orders

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following trainings: CA Training, Merchandise: Daily Swag Store Tasks and Daily Merch Tasks Video tutorial

Step 1: Fulfill Shopify Orders

GitLab uses Shopify as a customer facing online store and backend order fulfillment. Fulfilling orders in Shopify serves to send the actual notification that an order has been processed, including the invoice for the customer.

Login to Shopify
Navigate to 'Orders'
All new orders will appear highlighted with the yellow Unfulfilled tag
Before fulfilling orders in Shopify, begin the Printfection order fulfillment process. It is important to confirm that Shopify and Printfection orders are the same before fulfilling.
Select all order you'd like to fulfill by clicking the small checkbox on each order.
Click on 'actions' -> fulfill selected orders
Make sure that the default "send a notification" option is selected and press the fulfill button

That's all, the customers should receive their confirmations automatically.

Step 2: Place Printfection Orders

GitLab uses Printfection as both a vendor and a warehouse. Fulfilling orders in Printfection means that Prinfection will pack and ship items to the customer.

Login to Printfection
Navigate to the Collection Orders and choose "Shopify Store Orders."
Go to the Manage tab
Make sure that all unfulfilled orders from Shopify are shown in Printfection and that everything is okay.
If an order appears in Shopify but not in Printfection, follow the workflow to manually add an order
Press the "Place Orders"

That's all, Printfection will handle the rest.

Note: Printfection sends email confirmations to the customer when the order is placed, processed, shipping, and delivered.

Daily task 2: Process Merch@, Swag Channel Questions, and Common Swag Order Issues

Merch@ and the #swag Slack channel are the most common places that community members or GitLab team members will ask questions about swag. Use this chart to determine the best action on how to solve each inquiry.

If you are ever unsure about the status of a swag store order, please reach out to support@printfection.com via the merch@gialb.com email alias and include the order number.

Ticket/Question Topic	Action Steps
An order was placed, but we're out of stock for that item	Send the Out of Stock Email Template to the customer from merch@gitlab.com or via slack message with a $15 discount code
A GitLab team member wants to send swag to a customer or community member	Share the Swag Requests Process Link
A GitLab team member wants to add special swag to a customer or community order	Offer our current swag requests processes, and suggest they discuss with their manager if they can purchase and expense additional items
Someone shares a great idea for new swag	Ask them to document their ideas and send to merch@
A order from the swag store never arrived	Check the status of the order by searching both Shopify and Printfection using the user's email address. If the package was shipped at least 1 month before and as not been delivered, assume it is lost and follow the Delayed and Lost Merchandise Shipment process. If the package was shipped within one month, ask the customer to wait for 1 month before taking action. If one month has passed, share a $30 discount code. If you need additional information, email the Printfection warehouse at support@printfection.com.
A customer reports their swag is stuck at customs	Follow guidelines in the Customs Issues for Shipments Outside of the USA
Someone is wondering about when items will come back into inventory	Refer them to the most recent swag order epic or issue for the most up to date information
StickerMule reaches out about delivery issues with sticker order	Coordinate with customer via merch@gitlab.com on case by case basis to provide necessary information to Stickermule and UPS
Someone reports their discount code doesn't work	Confirm where the customer received the discount code. Reshare the code and a direct link. If the code still does not work, generate a new discount code and share via email.
A vendor sends a general email or fulfillment update	For updates sent automatically from Printfection, Stickermule, or Shopify, apply the `vendor-update` macro to solve the ticket

Common Order Problems

Delayed and lost merchandise shipments

From time to time it may happen that the package never arrives to the customers. Customers usually send inquiries via merch@gitlab.com, however, keep an eye on Twitter, the #swag Slack channel and other related threads.

If the customer's package has been in transport over 1 month, take the following action:

First, ask the customer to reach out to support@printfection.com(for swag store orders) or help@stickermule.com(for sticker orders) and ask them to inquire about their order status. Use the 'Ask Customer to Contact Printfection email template using the 'Swag::Ask Customer to Contact Printfection' macro.
If instead you would rather reach out to Printfection for updates, uses the 'Printfection Order Support' email template using the merch@gitlab.com alias from your Gmail account.
If Prinfection support determines the package is still in transit and Printfection believes the order will be delivered soon, Printfection will let the customer know to continue to wait, and will provide updated shipping information.
If the customer reaches back out to the swag team, ask them to wait at least another 2 weeks for their order before assuming it is lost.
If Printfection determines the package is lost or determined undeliverable, they will direct the customer back to the swag team.
In this case, follow the Refunding Orders process and send the lost order email template.

Customs Issues for Shipments outside of the USA

Since all swag in the store ships from our warehouse in Denver, CO, USA, customers outside of the US may have issues with customs tax payments upon delivery of their package.

Swag used in the swag store and in giveaways is sent from a warehouse in the USA. GitLab is not responsible for costs related to taxes and customs required to receive swag. These costs are at the responsibility of the customer or recipient of the giveaway.

If a customer orders swag and reports the swag is being held at customs in their country, follow these steps:

The customer will likely email merch@gitlab.com and ask why their order hasn't arrived yet. This is most common with orders that have a $0 invoice or value, since they are flagged for review as 'gifts' at many customs stops.
Look up the customers order via their email in Printfection. In the order, you can see a tracking number from USPS. Check the status there. If you cannot determine the location of the package from USPS, check the tracking page for a local tracking number. Copy and past that local tracking number into Google to search international shipping agencies for the location. Here, you will likely see the status reads as 'held at customs'. This language will vary by nation and shipping agency.
If the order is stuck in customs, you need to generate an invoice for the customer.
Log into Shopify and find the customer's order.
Click the 'print' option and save the page as a PDF to your computer.
Respond to the customer's ticket and attach the invoice. Advise them to reach out to their local post and share the invoice so they can confirm the receipt of the swag.
If you need support in doing this, or if the customer reports they cannot communicate with the shipping agency, ask Printfection via the support@printfection.com email if they can provide the local shipping agency with the invoice.

Until the customs statement is created, the following strategies can be used to avoid customers paying the tax.

At checkout in the Shopify store, customers can choose Expedited or Priority Shipping and email merch@gitlab.com for reimbursement of shipping costs.
If a customer reports their swag cannot be delivered due to a customs issue, the fulfillment team can place a new order via Printfection and choose the 'Ship By Date' option to insure delivery.
For large orders of swag, or orders with multiple items, customers can break up the order into multiple, smaller orders. This may prevent packages from being stopped for customs tax.

Swag Email Templates

Out of Stock

Thanks for placing an order in the GitLab store!

We're sorry to report that since placing your order, our <out of stock item> has gone out of stock.

We've gone ahead and cancelled your order and processed and necessary refunds.

Please use the discount code <link discount code> for a future purchase in the GitLab swag store.

Thanks!

Lost Order

Dear {Customer Name},

I'm reaching out regarding your recent order from the GitLab swag store. Unfortunately, due to shipping and handling issues, your order has been lost.

I've gone ahead and refunded you the cost of your initial order.

Please use this discount code `link discount code` to use on a future purchase

Thanks for your patience and let us know if you have any questions,

Sincerely,
{Your Name}

Ask Customer to Contact Printfection

Thanks for reaching out about your Swag order!

Can you please email our warehouse, Printfection, at <support@printfection.com> to inquire about your order status? Please include your order number and email used to purchase in your email to their support team.

If they determine your package is lost, please forward their email to our team at <merch@gitlab.com> and we will get you set up with new GitLab swag.

Thanks for your patience!

{Your Name}

Printfection Order Support

Hi Printfection team! I need some support in finding the order status of order number `enter order number`. Can you please let me know any updates on this order's shipping status, or if it has been lost or returned to the warehouse?

Thanks!

{Your Name}

Weekly Tasks

Weekly Task 1: Inventory Check

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: CA Training, Merchandise: Update Shopify Store Inventory

The Printfection inventory is our single source of truth for merchandise totals. Since many campaigns pull from the same Printfection inventory, our Shopify storefront does not stay up to date on its own. Right now, there is no way for our storefront to know about inventory use outside of the store campaign, so we must do a manual update.

It is required for the fulfillment team to compare Shopify and Printfection inventories 1x per week to avoid out of stock orders from being processed. This is a high priority for products with low inventory.

The fulfillment team can review the weekly Printfection inventory email reminder that gets sent to the merch@gitlab.com email domain every Monday. This email has GitLab's Printfection inventory numbers organized in a spreadsheet. Fulfillment can filter the spreadsheet format by the amount of Printfection items in stock. (recommended you filter low to high) Once the fulfillment team has a good sense of what is out of stock, or low in stock, the fulfillment team can update inventory or proceed as needed.

Update Shopify Inventory Using Printfection

Log into Printfection
Click on the Inventory tab
On the Inventory page, click on Inventory Levels
The data column titled 'Physically Available' is the most important data point. This represents the number of that item that currently available in the warehouse
Log into Shopify
Click on Products. This page will show an overview of the inventory available for each item.
Compare each item's inventory in Shopify with the Physically Available inventory information in Printfection.
If inventory totals in Shopify differ, click on each item and edit the inventory totals. Click save after each item update.

Monthly Tasks

At the end of each month, the fulfillment team should follow the steps to Report use of Bulk Swag to finance for appropriate billing.

The GitLab accounting team has access to Shopify and Printfection. Accounting manager Kim S. runs monthly reports for the swag store.

Previous month reports can be viewed in this google folder accessible only by GitLab team members.

If the fulfillment team needs more information about how to access reports in Shopify and Printfection, please follow the steps in this video tutorial.

Reporting on Use of Bulk Swag Orders

In most cases, it makes financial sense to place large orders of commonly used items in Printfection, like t-shirts. Since multiple teams use this swag inventory, we need to run a monthly report for the finance team so they can allocate budget based on use. This report should be run and shared via email with the finance team at accountingops@gitlab.com on the first day of every month by the fulfillment team.

The fulfillment team should process this report on the first of each new month. The calendar Monthly Swag Report Reminder is available to the GitLab team and is integrated with Zapier to generate a new Zendesk ticket on the last day of each month. This ticket includes a link to the monthly swag report Google sheet, and serves a notification to the fulfillment team that the report must be processed.

Teams/Campaigns that most often use Printfection inventory:

Community Team, for community giveaways, meetup kits, and code contributions
Swag Store, for purchased items
Sales Team, for customer orders
Social Team, for giveaway campaigns

Note: this process is not necessary for all items, and should only be used for bulk orders. Please see the current bulk inventory items in the monthly bulk swag reporting spreadsheet

To pull usage data for specific swag items:

Create a new month tab in the monthly bulk swag reporting spreadsheet
Review Printfection for all campaigns and giveaways that are using the bulk swag and add them to the reporting spreadsheet.
In Printfection, navigate to Reports -> Run a Report
Click the 'Run Items Report' button in the 'Item Usage' section
For each campaign listed on the reporting spreadsheet, run an item usage report. Do this by editing the report parameters to include the campaign name and dates to reflect the prior month. Edit the start day to represent the previous calendar month, then click 'Generate Report'.
Download this report to your computer and save it as 'Campaign Name - Bulk Swag Use'. Repeat this step for all campaigns using the bulk swag.
After all reports are generated, navigate to the Monthly Bulk Swag Reports Google folder and create a new folder. Name the folder 'Month Year'. Upload all bulk swag reports into this folder. Confirm that the folder is accessible by accountingops@gitlab.com.
Complete the reporting spreadsheet. For each campaign, add a link to the Google folder where the report as been uploaded. Add a campaign finance tag for all campaigns where you know the tag. The Shopify Store orders is always swag_ownedevents_swagstore, the Sales Order Kit is always 'swag_ownedevents_saleskit', and community relations campaigns are always swag_community.
Send the reporting spreadsheet to the finance team via email at accountingops@gitlab.com

Additional Admin Merchandise Workflows

Common Printfection Workflows

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: CA Training, Merchandise: Edit, Resolve Issues, and Delete Printfection Orders

Printfection Collections

Printfection's Collection campaign is a way to easily collect orders, review them, and then place them all at once. You can manually key-in orders, import orders from a CSV file, or allow other parties to place orders through a hosted landing page.

Create a New Collection Campaign

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: Create a Collection Campaign

Go to Campaigns tab then click Collections
Click the +COLLECTION CAMPAIGN button.
Enter the name,
Select the option that turns on External Ordering (this option will provide you a link that allows users to place orders for this campaign).
Press CREATE CAMPAIGN button.
Go to the Items tab in the navigation menu.
Click Add Items to Campaign and simply choose the items you want to offer in your Collection.
Go to Settings in the navigation menu and update the GitLab branding (see the existing giveaway settings). You'll also need to specify a payment method on this page.
In the Settings tab, add the relevant campaign or finance tag in the PO section. This is required to start your collection.
Turn the campaign from Paused to Running in the top right navigation menu. And that's it, you're ready to give some swag!

Last, but not least, you'll want to review the orders from the Manage page within your Collection campaign. Here you can change, update, or remove orders. Review your totals, fulfillment cost, and other details. When you're ready hit Place Orders and place them all at once!

Restoring Users in Printfection

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training:CA Training, Merchandise: Restore Users in Printfection

When Printfection users become inactive on the platform, their accounts need to be restored. This happens most often when the GitLab sales team tries to use the sale swag campaign.

Hover over your profile image and navigate to the 'Manage Users' section
First, search for the user in the Active User List using their email. If their account shows here, they can access Printfection.
If you do not see their account in the Active User List, scroll down to the Disabled User List. Search for their account using their email in this list.
To restore their account, click on the blue 'RESTORE' button. Make edits to their account based on the permissions you'd like to grant. Most often, GitLab team members should only have the 'request' permission enabled.
Communicate via slack with the GitLab team member and have them retry logging into Printfection.

Canceling any external order on Shopify and Printfection

You can always cancel the pending/processing orders. All the orders including the orders via Shopify Collections using Discount Codes can be canceled.

From your Printfection home page go to the Shopify store orders collection.
Under the Manage tab, search for the order you want to cancel.
Click Delete order button.
You are done. The order won't be fulfilled by Printfection

Please note that you should always change the status of the orders in Shopify as well.

From your Shopify admin page go to the Orders page
Click on the order you want to change
Press More Actions button in order to see the drop menu options
Select Cancel order option

Manually Add Orders to Printfection

If orders unfulfilled orders appear in Shopify but are not in Printfection, you might need to manually add the order to Printfection before fulfilling the order.

Before manually adding orders, use the search tool in Printfection to check for orders that are unfulfilled in Shopify. Sometimes, a user will fulfill orders in Printfection without checking Shopify. If you find that an order has already been fulfilled in Printfection, simply fulfill the order in Shopify.

If you cannot locate the order in Printfection, you'll need to manually add the order.

Login to Printfection
Navigate to the Collection Orders and choose "Shopify Store Orders"
Go to the Manage tab
Click the "Add Order" button
Click the "Add an Item" button to add items from the GitLab Shopify store to the order. Use the original order from Shopify as a guide to choose the correct product and size
Use the original order from Shopify to copy all relevant customer information into the Printfection order. Be sure to include name, shipping address, and email address
Click the "Save Order" button then the "Place Order" button
Complete the workflow for fulfilling the order in Shopify

Removing Products from Printfection

Items can be archived from the Printfection warehouse when the inventory is 0 and the item is removed from active kits and campaigns.

Log into Printfection
Navigate to the Inventory tab
Select the 'Archive' button for any items you'd like to remove from the warehouse.
You can verify/view all archived items in the 'Archived' inventory tab.
You may be prompted to remove the items from related kits and campaigns before it can be archived. Remove the items from active kits and campaigns, then try to click the 'Archive' button again.

Finding Tracking IDs

The Tracking ID is usually assigned by Printfection 2-3 days after the order is received. Sometimes, users may request their Tracking ID.

Please follow these steps if the user requests the Tracking ID:

Look for the requester's name/email
Go to the Printfection Reports page
Search for the order using the name/email
Copy the Tracking ID
Confirm that order's details match the requester. You can double check this via Shopify:
- Search for the same order/person in Shopify
- Compare if the items, full name, email and the dates are correct
Email the Tracking ID or the full Tracking Link to the requester
- You can always open the full Tracking Link by clicking on the Tracking ID.
(Optional step) Assign the Tracking ID to the requester's order in Shopify:
- Find the order in Shopify
- If you already fulfilled the order in Shopify, click Add tracking button and paste the ID.
- If the order is unfulfilled in Shopify, mark it as fulfilled and then add the Tracking ID

Creating External Order Links

External order links are an efficient way for GitLab team members to place swag orders. For example, the Sales team uses an external order link for Sales employees to send merchandise to customers and prospects.

External order links can only be used by users with the @gitlab.com domain, so they are not an efficient tool for wider community orders.

First, create a new collection campaign. Navigate through Campaigns -> Collections -> + Collection Campaign to create a new one.
Name your campaign and click the blue 'Create Campaign' button.
Add items to your campaign by clicking the 'Items' tab and selecting swag from the inventory. When adding an item with variable sizes, choose any size as a place holder. When customers access the order link, they can select/edit sizes and qualities.
Next, on the 'Overview' tab, scroll down to the section titled 'External Orders'. Toggle this setting to 'On'.
You can make additional edits to the External Order form by clicking the 'Settings' tab. Here you can make changes to the UI of the external order link.
In the 'Overview' tab, you'll see the external order link you can send to GitLab employees where they can place their order. You'll have to manually approve orders in Printfection in order for them to be fulfilled.

Archiving Items

If you've used all your swag, follow the steps to archive your items.

Naming Items in Printfection

Many teams at GitLab use Printfection to manage swag for giveaways. Since we all share one Printfection platform, naming conventions are essential to keep swag organized.

Use the following naming convention for items that are reserved for a specific team or program. This swag is ONLY available to the team included in the naming convention.

Team Name - Item Name

Use the following naming convention for items that are available for company wide giveaways at GitLab.

Item Name - Giveaway Option

If an item does not have a clear naming convention and you aren't sure if it is available for use, always ask in the #swag Slack channel before using the merchandise.

Common Shopify Workflows

Removing Products from Shopify

Log in to Shopify
Open the Products page
- Click on the product you want to remove
- Scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the delete button

For more information, see this official guide

Refunding Orders

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: Refund Shopify Orders

Sometimes orders need to be refunded to the customer. An example of this could be if a customer places an order for an item that is out of stock. Refunds are processed through Shopify.

Find the order in Shopify
Check Paid notes to see the total amount paid by the customer
Click 'Refund'
Add a reason for the refund. This is an internal note
Add the total amount for refund
Click the 'Refund' button to process the refund to the user
Find the user email address on the order and send them an email via the merch@gitlab.com email address. Explain the reason for the refund and include a link to a discount code to be used on a new order.

Creating Shopify Discount Codes

In order to create a coupon code on Shopify, please check out this video tutorial.

Downloading CSV Order Files

In Shopify, you can download a CSV file of orders. This file can be used to manually upload orders into Printfection if the Zapier integration is broken or there is an issue with inventory levels.

Navigate to Shopify -> Orders
Use the filters at the top of the page to set restrictions on what information should be included in the file
Click the 'Export' button and choose '50+ orders matching your search' for the 'Export' category and 'CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet programs' for the 'Export As' file type
Shopify will send an email to merch@gitlab.com with this CSV file. If you do not see the email come through the Merchandise Zendesk view, check the Suspended Tickets view.
Remember that downloading CSV files from Shopify involves customer's contact information, including email, phone number, shipping address and billing address. Before sharing the data with a third party (e.g. via e-mail), the fulfillment team should review emails, Slack messages, or GitLab issues with at least 1 other fulfillment team member to reduce the risk of incorrectly sharing personal information

Ordering New Swag (for Admins Only)

Tracking Swag Orders Using GitLab

Consider using GitLab Epics and Issues in the Merchandise project to track swag orders each month. Here is an example from the swag order from March/April 2020.

Choosing a Vendor

Please consult with the brand team on best vendor for giveaway type and budget. Email merch@gitlab.com for support.

As a general rule, consider using Stickermule for sending stickers, since the Printfection inventory is limited. If Stickermule doesn't work for you, then use Printfection instead.

If the merch shipment includes:

only stickers -> always use Stickermule
a small number of items (depending on Printfection inventory) -> use Printfection
a large amount of stickers and other merch -> consider using both Stickermule and Printfection
items that Printfection doesn't print -> refer to our vendors list for the best fit

Creating, Replenishing, and Ordering New Swag Items

The Marketing team aims to create swag that is "small batch, limited edition and themed for the community to collect." To uphold this value, swag store items are frequently swapped out and replenished with new and different swag. Follow these steps to create new swag items for the Shopify store.

First, review the Corporate Marketing Swag handbook page. Keep these swag requirements in mind while planning and brainstorming new items.
Consider brainstorming with other GitLab team members in the #swag channel. Post a poll or a open an issue in the merch project.
Review the GitLab press kit logos to ensure the artwork you choose aligns with the company brand.
View the Printfection Catalog for item inspiration.
If you cannot find and item you like in Printfection, consider using another vendor to fulfill the order. Note we pay an additional cost to host items in their warehouse they do not produce.
After deciding on a product, collect the following information: Item Cost, Size/Dimensions, Weight, and Color Options
Open a Brand and Design Issue issue. If you are asking for approval of a swag mock up, use the Requesting Brand Review issue. If you need a new design created for your swag, open a Requesting a new design issue All new swag requests must go through the Brand and Design team for design/artwork consistency.
Share final artwork with the vendor. At this point, you are ready to request a quote for the total order from the vendor.
Open an issue in the GitLab Finance project using the general_vendor_contract_request template. This template should be used for new swag orders with both new and existing vendors. Name the issue with either Swag Store Merchandise Request- New Vendor or Swag Store Merchandise Request- Existing Vendor.
On the finance issue, be sure to use the correct finance tag. If the order is for merchandise for the store, use the tag swag_ownedevents. If the order is specific to community team use, use the tag swag_community. For both new and existing vendors, upload the quote to the issue for approval. For new vendors, upload any necessary contracts to the issue. Obtain all necessary approvals on this finance issue prior to placing any swag orders.
When filling out the issue template, don't be worried if you don't know how to fill in most of the information. This issue template is not meant to be used for spend approvals, but it is the best current iteration. Focus on Step 1, 4, 6, and 10, and leave the others blank.
After receiving finance approvals, work with the vendor to place an order to be shipped to the Printfection warehouse. Be sure to request pre-production samples to be sent to your home or a teammates home for review before place orders for new swag items.
Follow steps to add products to Shopify and create send orders to Printfection.

Replenish Printfection Inventory

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: Replenish Inventory in Printfection

The fulfillment team should watch inventory levels for products in Printfection and order more inventory when inventory is low. Replenish orders typically take 2-3 weeks until items are physically available in the warehouse.

Log into Printfection
Click on Inventory
On the Inventory page, click on Replenish Inventory
Click the green 'Replenish Inventory' button
Choose the 'Print' tag option
Give a name to your print order that describe the inventory you are ordering
Click the 'Start Replenish Order' button
Add Printfection items to the order. Specify the quantity for each item. Notice that some items have a minimum order number. Be mindful of total cost of items and try to order items in bulk, as the price per item decreases for larger quantity orders
Add the appropriate finance or campaign tag to the order in the PO section. If ordering for the swag store, use swag_ownedevents
Follow steps 8, 9, and 10 in the Creating, Replenishing, and Ordering New Swag Items workflow
When you've received all necessary approvals on the issue, completed your replenish order by clicking the 'Buy Items' button.

Ordering on StickerMule

StickerMule is the preferred Vendor for orders that include only stickers, or orders that include a large number of stickers. StickerMule orders for the Community team should be placed with the Corporate Marketing credit card.

Examples of events where you might order stickers in large quantities from StickerMule include:

Hackathons
Conferences
MeetUps

Log in to StickerMule
Navigate to the 'Reorder' tab
Select the sticker you'd like to order based on stickers created from previous orders. New stickers can be created, but if possible, it is faster to reorder an existing sticker.
Existing stickers vary in size, but most are between 2.64"x3"
Stickers must be orders in batches of 10
Follow steps 8, 9, and 10 in the Creating, Replenishing, and Ordering New Swag Items workflow
Enter sticker quantity and process Stickermule order using the corporate marketing GitLab card.
Send orders to the wider community member, Meetup organizer, customer, or Printfection warehouse. The Printfection warehouse address is: 700 W 48th Ave, Denver, CO 80216
When adding shipping information, add the project title or finance tag to the Company line so that orders can be tracked.
If shipping to Printfection, follow steps in Printfection to create a 'Send' inventory order.

Send Items to Printfection Warehouse

GitLab team members can use the Unfiltered YouTube Channel to watch the following training: Creating Send Orders

Printfection does not produce all items we sell in the store. To ship items from another vendor to Printfection, you must create an 'Item Research Request' and a 'Send' inventory order. Refer to Printfection's guide on customer sourced orders for more information. If you need to ship a package to the Printfection warehouse, please ping @emily in the #swag slack channel for the address.

Add new Item to Printfection

Log into Prinfection
Visit the Item Research Request page Note that this is intended to trigger a search by the Printfection team, but instead we're using it to register items that will be coming from another warehouse or vendor.
Add the item name, description, and select that you'd like to 'stock these items'. If you're adding custom swag for your team's giveaway, please title the swag as 'Your Team Name - Item Name'.
Add the item type, color, and quantity shipping to the warehouse. You can ignore the target cost-per-item unless you know the value, then it can be entered.
Click the 'submit item research request' button
Email support@printfection.com or our current sales rep with photos of the item.
After the item is added to the Printfection portal, continue to creating a send order.

Creating the Send Order

Log into Printfection
Click on Inventory
On the Inventory pate, click on Replenish Inventory
Click on the green 'Replenish Inventory button'
Choose the 'Send' tab option
Add items you'd like to send to Printfection by clicking the 'Ship to PF' button, then click 'Save and Continue'
Enter the total quantity of items you're sending, then click 'Save and Continue'
Enter name for Customer-Sourced Shipment and click 'Start Replenish Order'
Confirm your order and click 'Get Packing Slip'
On the packing slip page, there are 2 pieces of information to include. Since we are shipping from a vendor to Printfection, ignore the steps for printing the packing slip and adding it to the package. Instead, make an estimate of how many boxes will be shipped to Printfection and add it in the 'How Many boxes are you sending' section. If you have only 1 tracking number, add it to the form as well. If you have more than one, you'll need to email all the numbers to support@printfection.com or to our account rep.
At this point your order is placed. Continue communication with the account rep to confirm delivery of package and processing into the Printfection warehouse. When the items are processed in the warehouse, they are ready for use.
Please note that holding items in the Printfection warehouse costs $25 per month per item. This $25 charge is applied the same way whether you're storing 100 socks or 1,000 stickers.

Adding Products to Shopify

Gather item inventory data from Printfection and Product Vendor. You will need: product description, title, weight, high resolution image, SKU, and Size IDs (if item has variants). Most information can be found direction in Printfection within each item view. If items are missing, follow up with the product vendor via email.
Log in to Shopify
Open the products page
- Click the Add Product button
- Fill out information about the item. Include the title, size description, weight, and size variants.
- Use non-gendered descriptions for clothing items. For example, 'box cut' may be used to describe 'unisex' or 'mens' shirts, and 'fitted' may be used to describe 'womens' shirts. Consider adding a note to the description to make this clear to the customer. For example, add a note saying '(You may have seen this cut shirt sold as 'Men's/Unisex')'
- Include the SKU and Size ID numbers, found in Printfection.
- Upload an image for the product. Be sure it is high resolution. Shopify suggests using images with 2048 x 2048 pixel resolution for square product photos.
- Fill out the price for the item.
- Select "Shopify tracks this product's inventory"
- Check the product availability and select Online Store.
- Before saving the product, please check search engine listing preview
- After saving the new item, navigate to the Collections tab and select the 'catalog' collection
- Add the new item to the catalog.
- In order for the new item to show on the Shopify store, you may need to edit the UI of the Shopify store. To do this, choose the Online Store tab. Navigate to Themes -> Customize -> Home Page. Edit the number of rows and products per row to include all catalog items. A maximum of 25 items can appear on the home page at 1 time.