WINTER 2023

42 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

42 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Robert Footlik Robert B. Footlik, PE is a retired Professional Industrial Engineer. With over 50 years’ experience as a Warehouse and Logistics Consultant to a wide variety of clients including Fastener Distributors, Bob has a wealth of valuable information for our industry and he is willing to share it. While Footlik & Associates is now closed, his expertise is still available to his friends and our readers. For friendly advice, a second opinion or just to start a conversation, he can be reached at robert@footlik.net. ARE YOU READY FOR THE COMING STORM? When a wise sailor sees a storm approaching he does not just “batten down the hatches” to keep them from blowing away. Instead, a complete inspection and assessment of the vessel is performed to determine if it is seaworthy, safe and likely to survive what lies ahead. Astute Warehouse Managers are doing this now. With the predicted hurricane and tsunami of inflation and recession announced daily in print and electronic media, it is prudent to take a good look at your operations and facilities to discover what problems are likely to sink your profits…if not bankrupt the company. While increases in income are always welcome, we discovered during the Covid pandemic this condition is not assured. Savings generated by improved efficiency, new sources of revenue, avoidance of unexpected expenses and mitigation of legal exposure can have an immediate Return on Investment (ROI) and will continue to raise your income for years. Objective: Keeping Outside Problems From Becoming Indoor Catastrophes Start by getting some fresh air and exercise. Take a leisurely, focused tour of the area outside of the building. Weather permitting; add some steps to your Fitbit by walking completely around the structure. Look for deterioration that can be repaired before it turns into disaster. Tuck-pointing, caulking, patching CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE and weatherproofing are not an expense, they are a savings. Basic repairs are an investment in Preventative Maintenance. Just caulking around the windows and doors can save energy while protecting the sash, frame and hardware. Today’s tiny leak can easily become tomorrow’s disaster. Moreover, if you are really astute you will be looking for suspicious activity, graffiti, merchandise that has been tossed out a window, scratches or pry marks on doors, combustible materials, etc. next to the building and anything that looks out of place. Preventing theft and eliminating fire hazards do not have a tangible ROI, but the savings in aggravation is sufficient reason for making the inspection. The larger question of what you do with what is learned will depend on context. One manger found a box of company merchandise in the weeds. He removed the contents, inserted a brick and a note, “We know what you are doing, don’t come back.” Next day two people did not show up and subsequently, both profitability and morale were improved. Honest people hate to work with thieves and scum. The tour should also include the roof. Regardless of the climate, the overhead structure is what ultimately protects your investment in inventory, equipment and people. Clearing drains and gutters is probably not in your job description, but designating someone to do the work certainly is part of your job. CONTINUED ON PAGE 112