UniPro Senior Vice President Supply Chain Tom Raftery had an opportunity to speak with the editor of NetNews to give us a candid look at the supply chain issues plaguing our industry. In this edition of NetNews, Tom offers his thoughts on how you can navigate this crisis. 

NetNews: Thank you, Tom, for taking the time to address this critical issue. We’re entering the third year of supply chain disruption. While many of our Members have been successful in addressing key concerns, what can they do to prepare themselves for another potentially challenging year ahead?

Tom Raftery: Thank you, Pennie. The Membership has certainly been creative, adaptive, and resilient as a result of the pandemic. That is the key again for this upcoming year, try to have plans in place to pivot quickly, as most Members did for the sudden Operator shift to carryout during COVID. Now is a proper time to audit, update or implement current operational procedures, such as a throughput analysis, food safety standards, or best practices. We can assist the Membership with any of these or other objectives.

Another area is the Member fleet. Backhauls can be a very good revenue source and can also help control inventory levels. Know where the vendor products are shipping from and if there are opportunities to pick up the product using their fleet. Several Members on the Peachtree program are also acting as a for-hire carrier, hauling products for other Members or vendors and customers outside the normal scope of business. Be creative in planning out the scenarios for the coming year.

NN: As if supply chain disruptions haven’t created enough disturbance to our businesses, driver and labor shortages are another issue distributors are facing. What steps can distributors take to mitigate these challenges?

TR: This has obviously been a major topic recently. Be creative and go outside the normal channels of labor recruitment, such as local college and high school job fairs, even local penitentiaries. Review or implement incentive-based programs such as a bonus to employees for referrals, sign-on bonuses, incentive pay programs at the warehouse and driver level, a monthly luncheon, or even a simple contest for performance with prizes. If there is an opportunity to offer flexible hours, do so. Something as simple as providing a clean, well-maintained, dedicated tractor to a driver can make a difference.

One word of caution, sign-on bonuses can become tricky. A few Members have seen newer employees collect the bonus payout upon completion of the time period and then leave the company to go do the same thing at another company. Consider partial payouts over a short period of time. Think of ways to make your organization THE PLACE to work.

NN: What are your thoughts regarding autonomous labor in fleet and warehouse management?

TR: I had a recent dialogue with a company that offered robotics for picking and even property surveillance. The technology is amazing yet currently very limited in ability within the warehouse. It is also very expensive. We do have Members that are using warehouse automation platforms at certain levels with success.

On the topic of driverless fleets, I personally don’t see that becoming common within the next couple of years. Yes, the technology exists today but safety is still the number one challenge. 60 Minutes recently did a feature story on this very topic on over-the-road trucks. The truck performed as planned but a driver was still present as a safety precaution. Automotive News also featured an article with a list of trucking companies, their abilities, and plans moving forward. You can find this at Autonews.com. This will be interesting to follow as more advancements are put in place.

NN: Can you let us know what resources UniPro has available to help Members continue to provide products and quality service to their customers despite these current conditions?

TR: Yes, there are several resources available to the Members. Twice a year, we hold Peer to Peer calls via Zoom, centered around operations and logistics. This is a forum for Members to speak amongst themselves about the challenges they face, their solutions and successes, and to openly share ideas. I moderate the one-hour call and topics are sent out in advance of the discussion.

Another source is UniPro eXchange. Here, Members can post a quick question and it is visible to all Members to offer a response. My team and I are also available to help answer any questions the Members have related to supply chain.

We also have partnered with over 60 companies that can assist the Members with operational programs such as unloading services, facility design, WMS applications, forklifts, batteries, insect control, waste management, lighting, credit card processing, and fuel management to name a few. We are planning to add more programs that can also be offered to Operators in addition to our Members. Finally, IFDA is a great resource of information.

NN: Great information, Tom! This is certainly a topic that we will continue to address to help our Members navigate these challenges. Thank you again for your time and keen insight into the driver and labor shortages that our Members are facing.

Tom may be reached by phone at 1.800.366.7723 x7546 or via email at raftery@uniprofoodservice.com.