Worked at well known Lamp Store (years ago). The issue was sales people complaining how long it took us to get a fixture from the back warehouse to the store front. Sale people knew what kind of fixture it was, us warehouse people had to look it up, find the proper bay, then find the SKU number on the box. When the manager asked “how we can shorten the time to get the product to the customer?” I suggested that us in the back don’t care what kind of fixture it is (down light, chandelier, etc…) we only needed the SKU number. So how about we just re organize the warehouse to be SKU number base, and not fixture type base?
She said that was not feasible, as the warehouse was too big (it was TINY! 6 bays about 8’x12’) Prior I worked in some huge warehouses. I said I could get it done in a day or two by myself and during the transition I could point out where stuff was for the other warehouse guys to bring out front. Manager huffed and puffed and said “Fine! But if this doesn’t work, it’s on you.”
Within one day I had it organized numerically, the other warehouse staff loved it, and our time to get product out front was less than a minute.
No thanks, not a peep from the manager.
Two weeks later, the regional manager was coming in, and the store manager reminded me, if the RM didn’t like it, it’s on me.
The RM saw how we were organized, how fast we were, and decided he was going to implement this to ALL the stores (150+ nationwide). He asked the store manager why she chose to go this route, and she citied exactly what I told her of why it would work, and how SHE had to convince us to do it. I wish I spoke up about it then, but instead I just finished my shift, got drunk and never went back.