Overview
Offboarding is not the same as regular device shipping or procurement. It involves coordinating with a former employee, arranging packaging and pickup, and handling uncertain equipment conditions.
This article explains why offboarding takes time, what challenges commonly occur, and how DOTS manages the entire process end-to-end, so customers do not need to intervene.
Why Offboarding Is a Special Logistics Flow
1. Limited cooperation from the end user
Offboarding requires direct communication with a user who is no longer employed or has recently been terminated.
Common challenges include:
Reduced responsiveness to emails or calls
Lower motivation to complete tasks quickly
Difficulty scheduling a convenient pickup time
This naturally increases the overall turnaround time.
2. Packaging must arrive before pickup can be scheduled
In most offboarding cases, the user does not have appropriate packaging for safe device return.
This means:
DOTS must ship packaging materials to the user
The user must receive them
They must pack all the equipment
Only then can we schedule the pickup
Each step adds lead time, especially when:
The user delays packing
Shipping carriers take longer than expected
A new pickup window is required because the user was not available
3. Returned equipment may be incomplete
Offboarding returns often arrive with partial or missing components, because users:
Lose charging cables
Keep peripherals accidentally
Ship only the laptop, but omit accessories
Forget items in drawers or home offices
This increases processing time and may require follow-up to clarify missing parts.
How the Offboarding Process Works?
1. Order Creation
HR/Admin creates an offboarding request in the Dots platform.
2. Employee Coordination (Key Step)
Dots automatically contacts the employee and manages the communication.
A pickup confirmation form is sent to:
Confirm address and contact details
Set availability for package delivery and pickup
👉 This step enables scheduling for the rest of the process.
3. Packaging Delivery
Dots coordinates shipping the packaging materials to the employee and confirms delivery.
Support is provided if the employee needs assistance preparing the equipment.
4. Pending Collection
Once packaging is delivered, the order moves to “Pending Collection”, meaning:
The employee has received the packaging
The process is awaiting pickup
5. Pickup & Shipment
Dots schedules and manages the pickup with the courier.
If a tracking link is available → progress is reflected via tracking updates
If not → Dots updates the order status and moves it to “In Transit” accordingly
👉 Order status and SLA timelines reflect shipment progress in all cases.
6. Exceptions Handling
Dots continues to follow up and manage scenarios such as missed pickups, unresponsive employees, or partial returns.
7. Return & Completion
Equipment is delivered to the destination and the process is completed, with status updated in the platform.
Note: Dots manages end-to-end coordination (employee, courier, packaging, and updates), so no manual follow-up is required from your side. Due to the nature of offboarding, timelines may vary.
Understanding Statuses (In the Dots dashboard)
Processing → Waiting for employee response
Pending Collection → Packaging delivered; waiting for pickup
In Transit → Pickup completed and shipment in progress
Confirmed → Equipment successfully delivered to the recipient/WH/Location.
Note:
If tracking is available → movement indicates progress
If tracking is not available → Dots status updates and SLA serve as the source of truth
Setting the Right Expectations for ETA
Offboarding is not comparable to:
Onboarding shipments, where DOTS controls the outbound flow
Procurement orders, which follow standard warehouse timelines
Instead, offboarding depends largely on user responsiveness and third-party shipping steps, which cannot be fully controlled.
Customers should avoid planning onboarding or urgent deployments based on expected offboarding returns unless they have confirmed all equipment is safely back in DOTS's possession.
Tips to Improve Offboarding Success
Notify DOTS as early as possible before the offboarding date
Communicate internally that offboarding returns may take several days to several weeks, depending on user cooperation and shipping times
Treat offboarding devices as non-guaranteed inventory until fully processed