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9 years ago

SUMMER 2012

Distributor's Link Magazine Summer Issue 2012 / VOL 35 / NO.3

118 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

118 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK IF YOU REALLY TRUST THE WAREHOUSE - PART 1 OF 2 continued from page 10 At this point the existing systems should still be in place, but the sampling results can be used to develop specific programs for enhancing the numbers. Reinforce this with psychological incentives (thanks in public, discipline in private) for everyone involved and make sure that both staff and management are participating in the program. Post all findings using graphical charts, initially by the types of errors and anonymous labels such as “picker,” “packer,” “office,” “sales,” etc. Use these results for training on both an individual and group basis. While similar statistics could be gathered simply by having the checker record and quantify the who, what and when of any errors that occur this function will ultimately be eliminated if 4% checking is more accurate than 100% checking. How can this happen With greater focus during the checking and by examining sealed orders with the same scrutiny as a customer errors introduced at every level of the operation (sales, stocking, picking, packing, shipping) will be noted. Meanwhile start tracking the output of the pickers in context. Warehouse picking is best measured by the “line” (remember that most of their time is spent in traveling) while conveyor picking or other fixed location order fulfillment is measured by the “piece.” The objective is for you and everyone else to become comfortable with about a 97.3% confidence level that what you are finding in terms of both quality and quantity is “truth” and accurate. A good time frame should be at least two months, more if there are monthly or seasonal peaks and valleys. Extending Participation With the current checker/packer also recording any discrepancies encountered when, including the who, what and when it will be a simple matter to repurpose this individual to become the random checker. If Management just doesn’t trust warehouse to get things right. The only way to eliminate this fear is to start with your beliefs and then develop the program a piece at a time. everyone already trusts their observations then the new technique will become accepted. Adding some additional tasks and responsibilities to this individual’s work day uses any time saved more effectively and similarly sets the stage for future progress. Given that the checker should be conversant with both checking and packing they may be the ideal individual for initiating any Pick-Pack techniques. Therefore at some point it will be necessary to train another individual to take over the random sampling position. In many operations this can even become a rotating job so that everyone has hands on experience with what constitutes a high quality order…from the customer’s perspective. This is the time to begin setting goals for moving the statistics in a positive direction, awarding the people with incentives such as food, treats, time off, etc. Tangible acknowledgements for positive behavior will be far more effective than money at this point. Introduce and emphasize the new “Perfection Program” as measured by a “Percent of Perfection.” This is far better than the more common “error rate” and it reinforces something that most warehouse people have never had in their lives. If 70% got them an acceptable “C” in school then it’s going to take a lot of confidence building to bring them up to a new standard. This will require full participation. One way of gaining their attention is by soliciting input from everyone on ways to raise quality to new levels while tracking the results. Implement their best ideas and post all information and results in an easily understandable format and language. Customer involvement can be achieved simply by adding a note to any carton that is inspected to get the recipients involved in reporting problems to you or a named quality assurance individual who can respond quickly and maintain records of the encounter. Depending on the group dynamics and reaction this step can be concurrent or an add on at any time. Realistically at the minimum you will need another month to gain acceptance and build trust both in house and with the customer base. Physical Steps Still nervous about trusting the personnel to get the right materials in the right box Hedge your bet with simple bar code labels. These can be produced in house using any ink jet or laser printer or perhaps this labeling already exists either as a vendor printed code or UPC in a standard location on master cases (side) and inners (top flap). please turn to page 126

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 119 SUPERIOR BOLT: A QUALITY COMPANY When people are asked what qualities they look for when choosing companies with whom they to do business, they list convenience, speed of service, quality of materials, and honest, personalized customer care at the top of their lists. If you are looking for the fastest, most convenient quality service when purchasing fastener, Superior Bolt and Nut Manufacturing Company of Phoenix, Arizona is the company you want at the top of your suppliers list. Their clean modern ISO 9002 certified factories can handle any size order large or small. Parts are available in several finishes including Hot-Dipped Galvanized. They also manufacture and inventory anchor bolts for a variety of DOT specifications. The products produced at Superior Bolt and Nut Manufacturing Company meet the highest industry standards. In addition to their custom manufacturing capabilities, Superior Bolt and Nut Manufacturing Company Superior Bolt Manufacturing Company 4202 E. Elwood Street, Suite 16, Phoenix, AZ 85040 Tel: 602-841-8100 Fax: 602-841-6700 Email: sales@superiorbolt.com www.superiorbolt.com maintains a large inventory of “quick ship” blanks that are ready to be cut and threaded to your specifications and shipped to you in less than 48 hours. What makes Superior Bolt and Nut Manufacturing Company unique They can manufacture your specials FAST! Superior Bolt and Nut Manufacturing Company can manufacture and ship your special order in as few as two weeks. They also specialize in hard-to-find and hard-to-manufacture parts. Superior Bolt and Nut Manufacturing Company is proud to have John Roach as its General Manager. John Roach, among the best in the industry, has a strong reputation for honesty and integrity based on his 40 years in the industry. Providing quality products and customer service is Superior Bolt and Nut Manufacturing Company’s primary goal: 100% customer satisfaction - 100% of the time.

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