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Project Data
Client: Premier North American Outdoor Sporting Goods Distributor
Location: Nevada, United States
Timeframe: 3 Weeks
Key Project Factors: Management, routine, and staffing challenges were driving increased labor costs and negatively impacting productivity within the facility. Direct Augmentation of the client’s on-site leadership team and the implementation of performance management improvements was critically needed to support immediate and sustainable operational effectiveness. Continuum was tasked with ensuring business needs were achieved, operational initiatives were executed successfully and leadership teams were properly supported across the distribution facility.
The Challenge
Implementation of new systems and a gap in operational management and leadership within a client’s facility highlighted staffing challenges and was causing facility labor utilization and operational efficiency to decrease. Imbalances in start-of-shift and intraday staffing throughout the facility caused some areas to exhaust available work while others were simultaneously understaffed. Flow between upstream and downstream functions was uneven and hindered daily throughput and increased operational labor cost within the facility. Without labor management tools and reporting, visibility was limited for leadership to leverage to identify where staff was needed and how productive time could be maximized for direct Associates.
The Approach
Continuum designed and implemented customized Labor Management Staffing tools specific to the client and their facility’s operations to immediately drive balance across the operations. This was also then supplemented with a Labor Management System which used real time data to identify issues causing an imbalance in staffing and help “staff-by-performance” efforts within the building; putting high-performing Associates in the right positions the majority of their shift. Identifying the key metrics for success using these tools allowed leadership to transition associates to different operations where labor was required. By effectively realigning labor throughout the building, client leadership was able to improve facility flow and capitalize on lost labor utilization due to previous imbalances.
The Results
After developing and implementing these tools throughout the building, the client saw massive performance improvement within their direct functions driving a 23% increase in productivity. The client was capable of staffing operations appropriately using these tools as well as gaining insight into problematic areas before the facility was impacted through their Labor Management System and planning tools. Through the integration of both methodologies, the management team was able to utilize the tools and the system to make planned and real-time staffing decisions as volumes shifted throughout the day.
