Mark Mansell likens it to a game of Jenga.

The manufacturer offers their “best guess” on how long ordered equipment will be on backorder. Sometimes, those dates get repeatedly pushed. Other times, the device shows up on the dock before you ever get a shipping notification. Managing a warehouse full of equipment, at this point, becomes especially tricky — like handling a wobbling stack of blocks one at a time, carefully and intently.

“You have probably three times the amount of equipment that will fit in your warehouse on order, so you have to watch the supply chain as it comes in. And also, you have to try to get it out as quickly as possible, so when the next set comes in, you’ve got room (in your warehouse),” Mark, the Logistics Manager in Texas, says.

This scenario is just one example of the games that the supply chain issues have played with our normal way of doing business. One where phrases like “congested ports,” “container shortages,” “lack of labor” and “high shipping rates” have become commonplace.

“I’ve been in this business for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mark said. “We’ve had backorders from facilities burning, or trouble getting certain supplies at times, but you’ve never seen anything like this.”

In both Texas and Arkansas, communication, collaboration, and coordination have become more important than ever before for our Logistics teams to continue to move equipment, parts, toner, and various other supplies we take for granted. Both Mark and Arkansas Logistics Manager Tony Ashcraft have worked side by side and closely with their teams to not only survive – but thrive – during especially tough times. Their well-choreographed movements in the warehouse and out on the road are essential for not only delivery… but also delivering Raving Fans.

So what do Mark, Tony, and their teams do in the face of supply chain challenges? Problem Seek, Problem Solve.

5 Ways Our Operations Teams Solve the Supply Chain Crisis Every Day.

1. They Keep Track.

If watching inventory was important before, it’s absolutely imperative now. This applies to equipment, parts, toner, and so many of the things we don’t even think about, like shop towels and masks.

“You’ve got to make sure you’ve got a good eye on what is back-ordered and what is not, so you can make sure, for example, you have parts for technicians to make sure customers stay up and running,” Mark said.

In Texas, Roy Faries is currently developing a program in which the Sales Rep can see what they’ve sold, and what stage that order is in, to increase visibility and enhance customer communication.

2. They Move Fast on Equipment Coming In.

In a time when new equipment may take months to arrive, the loaner becomes an essential component for the time before the sold equipment arrives. When a brand new device hits our shipping dock or a used device returns to our shop, the MO is simply to move fast.

“When an older machine comes in, the guys in the warehouse immediately receive it, send documentation to the leasing company, remove the lease and the contract; then they get the equipment into the shop to verify that it’s still within our specs,” Mark says. “Then, we turn it around and put it back into our used inventory. When a sales rep requests that they get a short-term rental or loaner, we’ll prep it and do a normal install.”

When the new equipment arrives, the setup and delivery process repeats itself.

“As soon as that new device comes into the shop, we have a dispatcher contact the customer and let them know it’s here, and arrange a date for delivery. We try to make sure that once that equipment hits our dock, within 4 or 5 days, we’ve got it installed,” Mark said.

3. They Order ‘Just in Case.’

What Tony used to call “Just in Time” ordering (a device wasn’t ordered until the paperwork is signed), he now calls “Just in Case.”

“What we’re trying to do is improve our volume forecast. If we’ve got a sale on the table, just in case it goes through we better get an order in,” Tony said.

4. They Optimize Communication… and Cleanliness.

Tony notes two primary keys: Constant communication and consummate cleanliness. If there’s an empty palette sitting on the floor, he figures that’s a place where a new device could be placed.

“I try to keep the warehouse as clean and organized as possible. It can get really frustrating if you’re out there tripping over things, and the reality is, we’ve got to optimize the space we have available right now. We work better, morale is better when we optimize cleanliness and communication.”

5. They Consider This the New Normal.

Mark has been asked more than once… “when will things get back to normal?”

“We have to consider this as our normal for several years to come. If it’s a shorter term than that, great, but we’ve got to adjust our policies and procedures where this is our everyday thing. The bottom line? We want to continue to have our customers as Raving Fans. To do that, we’ve got to make it happen.”

Even if it means another round of Jenga.