Over the past few weeks, the health concern in the news has brought to light how documenting processes and procedures for things is critical for all involved.
While certainly not drawing a parallel to the matters of life and death facing professionals on the front lines of public health, it does show how having instructions helps people do things right, whether they are a rote behavior out of constant practice, or the first time someone needs to do something.
Humans are, by and large, fallible. Illness, meetings, travel, employment status…these things and dozens of others make the case for why writing things down supersedes and outlasts the people involved in processes.
Government agencies considering mitigation against companies for penalties will make note of whether or not a compliance manual or handbook existed at the time of the infraction. The lack of written guidance usually means no mitigation, whereas written and documented procedures that were somehow not followed, but had a corrective action plan implemented voluntarily will usually see the greatest mitigation.
The supply chain has a myriad of moving parts that must operate in synchronicity to succeed. For us at Flex, we have built our processes around the needs of our customers, from receiving times, pick times, shipping cut-offs, reporting and management. By meeting with clients before we handle their business to document the process, engage and empower our leaders and employees to meet their needs, we know that the business should remain with us for a long time.
To find out more about Flex Logistics and whether or not our services and your needs align, contact us today.