RAS...


Rent-A-Supervisor
Companies are going to have to do more with their distribution centers while using fewer resources.  Distribution operations are expected to provide increased customer value while at the same time they are required to cut costs.  Times are changing!  Profit margins are shrinking and competition is getting more sophisticated.  Any business that does not recognize this will probably not be in business too much longer.

If you are currently searching for a Warehouse Supervisor or Manager, you should ask these questions: How will I select the person to lead our warehouse personnel into the future? What are my expectations of this person and what training will I provide to ensure he or she will meet these expectations?  Who will supervise our warehouse and oversee millions of dollars in inventory until this new supervisor is hired and trained?

The selection you make in choosing a new supervisor will produce one of two results: It will either improve the current situation or make it worse. Which result are you realistically expecting? 

There are several factors that you should consider before answering the previous question. Length of time this position has been vacant.  How much time and money have you already spent searching for a supervisor? Why is it vacant?  Was the previous supervisor terminated for lack of performance? Last but not least, what does it take to run your warehouse? Most companies do not address these factors when hiring a new supervisor.  They rely on the old method of trial and error when filling these positions.

When a warehouse supervisor position becomes vacant, a company can expect it to take about two to three months to hire someone to fill it.  Depending on the sophistication of your operation, it can take as long as six months for the new supervisor to learn and understand your processes.  A company  cannot realistically expect their new supervisor to have an impact for six to nine months. That is, "If they are the right person!" If they are not, the entire process begins again.

This means your facility will operate in some level of chaos for at least six months. Millions of dollars of inventory will be left up to whom? Customer satisfaction will be in whose control? Who will your sales personnel notify when an order is shipped incorrectly?  Total Logistics Solutions has a remedy to this problem. "RAS", Rent-a-Supervisor.  TLS is not an employment service, "We are warehouse professionals!"  The RAS program we offer is a completely different program from that of the usual temporary employment agencies. Our supervisors have years of experience with supervising warehouses.  All of our staff has been Managers at a corporate level.  That means they are the people who hire warehouse supervisors. This is an added benefit to you.

How does the program work? First, a Warehouse Professional (or Professionals) is dispatched to your distribution center.  While they serve as a temporary supervisor, they also work with you to correct any operational issues.  After all issues have been resolved to your satisfaction, TLS will document these processes and procedures.  This documentation can then be used as training material for your current warehouse staff as well as your future supervisor.  With operational deficiencies being resolved and a clear training schedule in place, your future warehouse supervisor can focus on the task at hand and not waste time dealing with old issues.

Once the documentation steps are complete, we will then assist in the hiring process. Having a working knowledge of how your facility should operate we can ensure your new supervisor has the experience necessary to improve upon the existing operational structure.

We then provide hands on training to the new supervisor. Most supervisors are thrown into a position without any training or assistance from upper management. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that improvements do not progress the way we would like. 

Last but not least, after the program is complete, we provide quarterly evaluations on the status of your warehouse and your new supervisor. These evaluations last for one year after the final date of your program.

Now the big question is why should you even consider this? There are several benefits to the system, such as:

1.   Problems in your warehouse are corrected faster. 

2.   The transition for your new supervisor will be more manageable.

3.   There will be documented procedures and a training program for all of your warehouse employees.  

4.   The program gives you the opportunity to focus on hiring the right person and not just the best available at the time.

How long will your current customer base last without an effective supervisor in your warehouse?

There are obviously more reasons you have for considering the "RAS" program. But the main reason is piece of mind! Contact Total Logistics Solutions immediately to discuss whether this is right for your company.