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Thanks for the detailed review and sharing so many specifics on opportunities we have to improve.
Your review is very specific to our operation in Portland and that operation has had significant challenges after our most recent acquisition there. We have struggled to integrate the volume of activity with additional service well and clearly this put additional significant strain on you and your team members - and also our clients. We learned a lot of lessons from this acquisition, but it took too long.
Please know that I don't ever condone, nor support, not giving our team members the right tools to complete their responsibilities, which includes fixing trucks and repair equipment efficiently and effectively.
You're also right about training...our newest team member should not be the designated trainer for the new team members.
I am not sure when you left, but I visited Portland in April specifically to try to understand more closely some of the issues we were experiencing there and also met with local leadership on many of these issues. I am confident that we have the right leadership in place to address these items.
You outline some very specific items on improving in Portland and local management shares this in response:
"In regards to Training, we have never had a new person provide training. Any new TM’s were trained and shadowed by a Lead and/or veteran Team Member. We have only had a few new hires in the past year, and they have not been serving as trainers. With some new leadership in place this year, we have improved the training process for our regular huddles and meetings. We are also in the early stages for a 2018 training calendar. I encourage collaboration and sharing knowledge among all of my Team Members, but actual training would be performed by a Lead or higher.
Our challenges with an aging fleet, of various makes and models, are well known to the Leadership Team. We partnered with Penske to provide support for repairs and maintenance, and we have several other preferred vendors to help return broken vehicles to service as quickly as possible. [We] have been discussing which trucks need to be replaced for 2018, leaning towards the procurement of Non-CDL Trucks instead of larger CDL versions. Our courier vans and box trucks are in relatively good condition, and do not experience the breakdowns like [these] trucks.
We have also made many investments in [transportation]-related equipment this year, including cones, gloves, vehicle kits, nifty grabbers, brooms, and lots of shred bin parts (locks, wheels, etc). At each of our Town Hall meetings and most of our huddles, we also ask the field TM’s if any equipment needs to be replaced, of if they have any equipment suggestions.
There have been considerable strides in our dispatching efficiency since the beginning of the year, with the utilization of RoadNet and the onboarding of a Dispatch Lead. While it is true that some routes are slightly longer than others, this is not always avoidable. Team Members who finish a route early are re-dispatched to pick up additional stops from the routes which might be falling behind (traffic, truck breakdowns, etc). TM’s [handling another service] who come back early from a route are assigned work in the facility.
The routes average about 25-30 stops per day per TS. This is comparable to other shredding companies, and results in an 8-10 hour workday. There are many uncontrollable circumstances on the road that might impact return times to the record center. Additional headcount was approved earlier this year, and an additional team member was brought on-board a few weeks ago (after much seeking and interviewing). He is currently being trained, and will have a dedicated route within the next 2-3 weeks. We have also discussed options for creating a “bench” for [transportation specialists], which includes cross training several [transportation specialists] and keeping an evergreen requisition open online.
We have a newer Leadership Team that we are developing in collaboration with Human Resources. Some of the training tactics include scheduled 1:1’s each week with direct reports, the implementation of a Developmental Action Plan (DAP), discussions around Individual Development Plans (IDP), and many coaching sessions. We are getting better with our post-mortem approach for service issues or “mistakes”, which includes identifying root problems rather than applying quick fixes. This can be an uncomfortable process, especially for front line TM’s, as it requires greater accountability and deeper diving into individual actions.
I have discussed this feedback with [HR], and we are going to address these points with the Team during an upcoming meeting. We have had many successful Team Meetings this year that have resolved similar issues, and I’m confident that we can also resolve these concerns."
Thanks you again for your detailed review,
Rob
