Back orders spike when data is late or wrong. Tickets pile up, vendor updates slip, and your planners feel the burn.

Many teams bring in virtual assistants to steady the flow. If you plan to hire virtual assistants, use the checklist below to get fit, speed, and accuracy without extra noise.

Define Tasks First

List the tasks that trip your team most. Common picks in IT supply chain work are vendor data cleanups, order status checks, shipment ETA follow ups, catalog updates, ticket triage, PO entry, and meeting notes.

Write the workflow for each task, step by step. Name the systems, fields, owners, and handoffs. Add screenshots. With this, you can match a candidate’s skills to real work, not a vague title.

Give a small sample task during screening. A 20 minute test on cleaning a CSV and updating a purchase order record tells you more than any resume. Look for clean formatting, correct field use, and short, clear notes.

Check Real Experience

• Ask for examples close to your stack. If you use NetSuite, SAP, or Odoo, look for hands on time with similar ERPs. If your team tracks orders in Jira or ServiceNow, ask how they manage queues and SLAs. Have them walk through a recent task in detail. Listen for field names, filters, and validation steps, not buzzwords.
• Check real outputs. Request redacted screens or exported logs that show correct item codes, dates, and status fields. Past work samples matter more than claims.
• Probe their data habits. A strong assistant explains how they avoid duplicates, keep item masters clean, and record changes. They should describe how they verify vendor updates before your MRP run.

Keep Data Safe

Your assistant will touch vendor lists, costs, and sometimes customer details. Ask about data handling from day one.

Confirm basic controls. They should use strong passwords and two factor authentication. Many firms align with ISO/IEC 27001 for information security, so ask how they store files, share credentials, and manage device access. If they use a password manager, have them name it and explain their practice.

Set clear data rules in writing. Define what can be viewed, edited, exported, or shared. Put limits on removable media. Require separate work profiles or devices for your systems.

Run a short privacy drill. Give a scenario with a misrouted CSV that includes vendor bank fields. Ask what they would do, who they would alert, and how they would document the issue.

Be Tool Smart

Look for practical skills with the tools your planners and analysts use every day.

Spreadsheets: They should be fluent with filters, pivot tables, text to columns, VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH, and basic data validation. Give a messy vendor price sheet and ask for a cleaned version with one SKU per row and current cost flagged.

ERPs and portals: Ask how they search orders, edit line notes, and run standard reports. Have them describe common errors a system throws, and how they fix them.

Issue tracking: If you route work by ticket, the assistant should know how to set priority, add context, and close with a useful summary. Ask for an example of a ticket note that helped a teammate move faster.

Communication: Clear writing is a time saver. Review their email samples. Are subject lines precise, dates correct, and next steps easy to see?

Use SOPs and Checklists

A good assistant sticks to the playbook and improves it over time.

SOP literacy: They should read and follow a standard operating procedure without extra handholding. Share a one page SOP for vendor setup and ask them to restate the steps in their own words.

Version control for process docs: Ask how they keep SOPs up to date and how they mark changes. Even a simple changelog shows care.

Checklists and templates: Repetitive tasks need checklists. Request two examples they built or used before, such as “Daily order status sweep” or “Weekly inventory sync”. Templates for vendor emails and meeting notes add speed and consistency.

Communicate on Time

Supply chains run on timing. Your assistant should match that tempo.

Response windows: Agree on response times for Slack or email. For example, quick replies for order hold tags, longer windows for catalog cleanups.

Status habits: Ask for a daily update before end of shift, with bullets for completed tasks, blockers, and handoffs. Keep it short and easy to scan.

Escalation sense: They should know when to raise a flag. Late ASN from a critical vendor, low stock on a B part, or repeat EDI errors need a fast signal with the right context.

Meeting support: Have them prepare agendas, log decisions, and capture action items with owners and due dates. Good notes cut repeat questions and help audits.

Track Quality and Speed

Set simple, useful metrics tied to the tasks you hand off.

Quality: Error rate on PO entries, match rate on vendor updates, and defect escapes to your live system.

Speed: Turnaround time on tickets, time to first response for vendor queries, and cycle time for weekly tasks.

Volume and coverage: Number of records cleaned, orders updated, vendors touched, or catalog items reviewed per week. Use rolling averages to smooth spikes.

Ask candidates how they have tracked their work before, and how they used metrics to fix the root of a recurring issue.

Test, then Scale

Start with a pilot. Pick two or three tasks that cause the most friction. Define success, write the SOP, and set a two week trial with daily check ins.

Review outputs together. Spot check entries in your ERP. Compare logs to source files. Ask what they would change to save five minutes per task next week.

If the pilot works, grow the scope in layers. Add related tasks that share data or systems. Keep the same format for SOPs and checklists so the process stays familiar.

Plan Backups

Document roles and backups. Write who owns each task, who backs them up, and what to do if a person is out. Keep the contact list current.

Record quick clips. Short screen recordings for rare steps beat long manuals. Store them in a shared folder with clear names.

Schedule a monthly review. Retire old steps, add new ones, and note system changes. Borrow a simple plan-do-check-act loop from lean manufacturing to keep small improvements moving.

Find Talent Fast

You can source by referrals, niche job boards, or remote talent platforms. The goal is a wide, skill based pool and a short path from shortlist to pilot. Databases that let you filter by ERP experience, ticketing tools, time zone, and language make shortlisting faster. Many employers prefer platforms where they can post roles for free, search profiles, and move straight to a test task without extra steps.

When possible, keep interviews short and hands on. A 30 minute skills screen with a real spreadsheet and a sample PO beats a long chat. Hire for fit with your systems and the way your team communicates.

Final Takeaway

Pick a virtual assistant who matches your stack, follows clear steps, writes clean notes, and treats data with care. Start small, measure quality and speed, and expand only after the work runs smooth. With this approach, you add capacity without adding confusion.