The Employee: Stephen Johnson

Location: Tyler

 

For all intents and purposes, Director of Operations Justin Harper was joking. After a load of equipment arrived sooner than expected, the East Texas warehouse team found themselves in a scramble. A local school district needed this equipment ASAP, so it was all hands on deck as the team started to unbox devices.

As Stephen Johnson, the parts coordinator, walked through the warehouse, Harper jokingly asked if Stephen wanted to “learn how to come set these things up?” Stephen laughed back with a reply, “ya’ll don’t want me touching that equipment!”

What ensued next is just one of three major reasons Stephen’s Created Raving Fans out of his teammates in the shop and in the warehouse.  Here’s a snapshot:

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Stephen embraces learning.

It wasn’t a few hours after the joke in the warehouse that Stephen tapped on Harper’s door. In a serious manner, he told Justin, “You know I was joking about that earlier. I’d love to learn more about setting up equipment.”

So that’s exactly what he did. Justin says that this willingness to step out of his own comfort zone (the parts room) makes a tremendous impact on the productivity of the team. Case in Point: Elysian Fields ISD’s equipment was set up and delivered without a hitch.

“I’m very interested in the mechanical side of the copiers and what the technicians do,” Stephen said. “As a hobby of mine, I fly my first-person view quadcopters, so mechanically and electronically I consider myself very efficient. I saw something that I could learn how to do, and better the overall productivity of our team.”

Stephen shows the numbers.

Simply put, the parts and supplies inventory had a literal zero-percent variance rate over the past three periods. It’s a commendable feat that means whatever is in the system is decidedly on the shelf ready to be accurately handed off or shipped at the right time.

“That just comes down to ensuring accuracy,” Justin said. “That’s making sure that the item that is ordered is the one that’s pulled and shipped or handed to the right tech. And the same with parts.”

Stephen says it comes down to babysitting all the parts and supplies in his office area and double-checking purchase orders and sales orders with an always-careful eye. 

Stephen delivers (literally).

With a background as a truck driver, Stephen isn’t the least bit hesitant to fill in when needed to assist with deliveries, even though it’s not technically in his job profile.  Recently, Justin visited with him the night before to ask if he could help out the next morning getting equipment to a local school.

“He didn’t blink. He could have easily said, ‘I’m really swamped,’ or ‘it’s 100 degrees out there,’” Justin said. “But that’s what really stands out to me about Stephen, is his willingness to step up. His personality attitude is great, he jokes, and he has fun. Whatever is needed, he’s happy to do it.”

Stephen, meanwhile, brags on his coworkers Wesley, Roy, and Michael, for showing him the good habits needed to be successful in the back of the house.

“The only way a good team works is if everybody pulls their weight, but also goes above and beyond when necessary to make sure the team is successful. I’m not by myself back there. I see us as a group, trying to achieve great things every day.”