6 Effective Next-wave Strategies to Reduce Operational Costs

<< Previous page: #5: Implement daily “stand-up” meetings

6. Grow your supervisors and managers

The success of your efficiency/cost-control initiatives and customer service performance hinge on the strength of your first-line and mid-level managers. While promoting from within whenever possible is a best practice, insufficient development of managerial skills — knowing how to manage both up and down — is a weak link for more than a few companies.

Assuming that operations employees can transition to management roles based on intuitive leadership qualities and whatever management skills they may have absorbed during the course of their jobs is short-sighted. Adequate training and support enables operations-savvy individuals to realize their full potential and value to your company. Without this, they may be lost to other, more supportive companies.

Managerial development options include subsidizing or paying the fees for regional business-management courses/programs (with funding perhaps contingent on course performance); bringing in business-management faculty or training consultants; and creating internal training and mentoring programs.

Starting an in-house “university” program that's led by senior managers and conducted during off hours is one effective, inexpensive solution. Another is implementing regular “lunch-and-learns,” in which a senior manager offers insights about a key management skill or topic, followed by discussion. These formats should be interactive, not just lectures.

You'll be impressed by new managers' response to these programs and how their growing skills pay off in tangible improvements in your operation.

Curt Barry is president of F. Curtis Barry & Co., a multichannel operations and fulfillment consulting firm.