Change is difficult. Change is scary. Change is annoying. Change pushes us out of our comfort zone and we don't like that. I have talked about how scary change is to humans in previous post. No matter if you chose to embrace it, or fear it, in this world of supply chain, change is necessary to survive.One of the most dreaded changes we will face as professional warehouse managers is the announcement of a new warehouse management system (WMS). If you have ever lived through this experience I can assure you it is not a seamlessly easy process, but it does not have to be some black cloud of doom hovering just above all your set processes. Below you will find some tips that will help you through the rough seas of changing from one WMS to another.
Tip 1.
Have a Plan
The great American Benjamin Franklin supposedly once said "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." No words could be truer when it comes to a strategic change in a WMS. Committees should be formed, roles and responsibilities established, time lines should be set, training aids and materials created, implantation teams ready to go, new equipment purchased and tested and support staff in place. The WMS itself should be alpha and beta tested and all foreseeable bugs should be worked out before your warehouse personnel have a chance to look at the new system. Pulling the trigger to quickly and introducing a half completed system with no real time training schedule will only breed uncertainty and negativity in those who have to use the system. Set realistic goals and adjust accordingly as each goal is archived.
Tip 2.
Training, Training, and more Training
You have probably heard the saying "practice makes perfect". If you have ever tried to learn something new, you probably remember the first attempt to be clunky and awkward. You may also know that if you want to learn anything new, you must dedicate a minimum of twenty minutes per day to doing that specific task. Before you go live with this new WMS you must train your people on each of the processes that they will be using every day. This should be the fun part. Set time aside in your day to review the training material, then relax and enjoy the experience of teaching your staff. I don't recommend letting your people into the system to "play around with it" or "check it out". I recommend you give them guided steps to perform specific task and let them repeat these task at will. Roaming around a new system with out any guidance can leave one feeling a bit confused and sometimes frustrated. It would be like walking into some new massive department store looking for a potato peeler. Sure you could relay on past experience and maybe after some time of roaming up and down aisles of merchandise you would find your treasure, but wouldn't it be more efficient to have some sort of guide?
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
― Bruce Lee
Tip 3.
Be open minded to feed back
Once the training begins it will be human nature for those who use the system to point out its flaws. Don't get emotionally invested in this system. Listen to what your employees are saying about the new system and it's processes after each training session. Take that valuable information back to your IT team and see what can be done to correct potential issues. If you do not address the concerns of your staff I assure you they will find a "work around" and that could undermine your new system. They are the ones who will become the subject matter experts on this system over time. Remember the formula for success
Q x A= E
More about the Quality x Acceptance = Excellence formula found here:
(http://thepallet-jack.blogspot.com/2016/01/q-x-aexcellence.html)
Tip 4.
Flexibility
You may have planed everything meticulously. You may have spent hours training yourself and your staff. You may have poured every bit of your creative power and the powers of those around you in to this implementation. I am here to tell you, just as I was told, "You don't know, what you don't know." Problems will arise. Processes will fail. You must remain flexible when negative situations accrue. Pool your resources and solve problems when they happen.
Tip 5.
Patience
This tip should go without saying but you must have patience. Patience with the new system. Asking your old system and new system to talk to each other may have challenges. I tip my hat to those professional who dedicate their lives to make systems work. I am no "IT guy." I like most of you, are perfectly content believing that this computer is some sort of new aged magic and I care not to look behind the curtain to see how this magic is performed. I just want it to work, therefore I MUST be patient during the testing phases of my new WMS. Say to yourself, "I will learn this new system, and I will teach others". We all come from different walks of life, we all learn differently. Remember this while you are teaching your staff how to use this thing they have never seen before. Remember to be patient.
I hope you find these survival tips helpful. These come from me to you via the experience of living through this specific change multiple times throughout my career. In supply chain and warehouse management the only thing that stays the same is that everything will change!
Like what you read? Find my past blog post here:
http://thepallet-jack.blogspot.com/
Feedback is always welcomed!
My name is Matt Austin. I am a Professional Warehouse Manager. I greatly enjoy all areas of warehouse process improvement, and sharing ideas. Please feel free to contact me with any warehouse situations you may be experiencing for some outside perspective. Thank you for reading!
