Given labor shortages, supply chain issues, and expectations of same-day...
Although it may not be as objectively measurable as profits, a healthy company culture is still an essential and often underrated component of running a successful warehouse and supply chain. However, knowing that your company could improve and actually implementing the right changes in an effective way are two very different things, especially if you have little experience in cultivating a positive warehouse culture.
By keeping a few key tenets of positive workplace culture in mind, you could see a significant return on your investment in your workers without having to sacrifice time, money, or even substantial effort. Making concerted efforts to improve the company culture in your warehouse could reap substantial and worthwhile benefits for your business.
Brown Integrated Logistics is committed to Building Partnerships, Bridging Solutions and Bolstering our customers’ Success as we DELIVER our core values. At Brown West, we take that a step further. We have an additional commitment to SERVE our partnerships with clients.
Brown uses the acronym SERVE to make our core values easy for every associate to remember. It stands for Safety First and Always, Earn Trust, Respect Every Person, Value Partnerships, and Embrace Excellence. Every Brown West Employee knows these values and lives by them every day.
One of the most frustrating things a worker in any industry can be told is to “do things differently” without any indication of what that looks like. Accordingly, one of the most important aspects of improving company culture in a warehouse is setting clear and measurable goals for what needs to be done each day and what is expected of productive workers.
Of course, to set clear goals and expectations for your warehouse, you first need to have a bird’s eye view of how various processes interact and an understanding of where pain points might arise and what individual team members can do to resolve them quickly. Having assistance from a skilled third-party logistics provider like Brown West Logistics can be crucial to ensuring that all the moving parts of your supply chain run smoothly, making it much easier for your employees to understand and execute their roles.
Another key factor in building a good workplace culture is understanding that change, no matter how well-intentioned or ultimately beneficial, is often uncomfortable. Every task inside a warehouse plays a role in numerous interlinked supply chain processes, so a single change may have rippling effects throughout your entire business.
Predicting those kinds of ripples and adjusting for them in advance is one of many essential services that a capable 3PL provider could provide for your business. With the basics handled for you, your role as a decision-maker can focus more on reviewing how your warehouse culture contributes to and influences your operations from top-to-bottom and making changes that maximize positive effects across the board while minimizing additional pain points.
No matter how many processes, procedures, and modern business practices you put into your organizational strategy, your warehouse floor will only be as productive and profitable as the people working on it. Therefore, your top priority when improving company culture should be communicating with your employees about what they believe could be improved.
Furthermore, that communication should go both ways. Offering clear feedback on employee performance and tangible rewards for going above and beyond could make your employees more motivated to perform to the best of their ability.
With a 3PL provider handling the logistics of your business that might otherwise occupy a substantial amount of your workday as a warehouse manager, you could have the time you need to work meaningfully with your employees and get the most out of them.
Reach out to Brown West Logistics today to learn more about how we can help improve the company culture in your supply chain.
Great company!
By: William Perry
Client Description: 6 years I've been driving for Brown and 28 years as a owner; they've been a great company!
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