Industry Insights: Aligning Action With Focus
When implementing technological innovations or developing more efficient processes, manufacturers and distributors can succeed by embracing automation and removing barriers to employee ideas.
By Kyle Forman
President
Krowne
When Kodak engineer Steve Sasson prototyped the world’s first digital camera back in 1975, company leaders were dismissive and they had him shelve the idea indefinitely. Of course, now we all carry a digital camera in our pockets. While our industry is very different from consumer electronics, the lesson still applies. Manufacturers and distributors that reject obvious innovations risk being replaced by more dynamic, forward-thinking organizations.
We have a mantra at Krowne: “action and focus.” Action without focus creates chaos, while focus without action leads to missed opportunities. Together, they are a force multiplier that elevates organizations to new heights. Implementing change, whether it’s a streamlined operational process or cutting-edge technology, requires both. Companies that struggle with change either do it rarely or historically have not succeeded in implementing it effectively. One common mistake is promising clients positive reforms — better supply chain visibility or more accurate order fulfillment — before actually fixing the issues. There is no faster way to degrade trust in your brand than not executing planned change. Do the work first; make the commitments after.
Fortunately, today’s technology landscape offers abundant solutions. Better enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems enable manufacturers to take a holistic approach to managing and controlling their manufacturing processes. By arming us with verifiable data and operational insights, ERP systems help us get away from the “this is how it’s always been done” mindset that often undermines efforts to grow while maintaining consistent quality.
Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) integrations eliminate many manual tasks that are laborious and susceptible to human error. Automating basic and repeatable processes allows our industry to continue elevating our people to more fulfilling and complex tasks, which is why Krowne is investing so heavily to integrate AI into our business. We’re already seeing massive improvements in the speed of the ordering process and fulfillment, accuracy of inputs, and the overall flow of business. Those kinds of efficiencies will only get stronger as they become more widespread. I also encourage everyone to pay close attention to the great work being undertaken by the FEDA Future of Distribution Council, especially its subcommittees devoted to better establishing product and shipping data standards and measuring the effectiveness of transportation management systems. To have these systems work, you need clean, reliable data, and that is exactly what they have created.
Technology is a great enabler of innovation and process improvement, but it’s only part of the equation. Too often, business leaders alter the rules without first understanding them, leading to operational turmoil or other breakdowns. Our employees are our best resource to gain that understanding, but we can lose months — if not years — before their ideas finally get to the right person if we make it too cumbersome for them to provide feedback. Leaders should create simple channels that allow those ideas to surface more quickly. If that means a new employee in shipping wants to send the CEO an idea, great! That might get the solution implemented faster. The best part is that you will receive more feedback and solutions when your team sees you are turning suggestions into action.
In an industry defined by expertise, logistics, and relationships, companies that combine disciplined focus with decisive action will be best positioned to propel their organizations and people to new heights.