BM_FallStrategies2020-FINAL

Q&A

Strategies : What operations changed initially? What was your strategy for keeping lines of communication open with internal team members at the beginning of the pandemic?

Greg Lutz: We stepped up our housekeeping with added staff and frequent cleaning of common areas using CDC recommended cleaning chemicals. All employees were required to wear face coverings early on in the pandemic. We really worked hard to be sure our distribution staff felt safe in our environment. We regularly communicated one-on-one with our staff and posted updates at our entrances. We continue to stay in touch with our internal team members and our sales representatives out in the field so they have the most updated information to remain safe and healthy and keep serving our customers.

Strategies : How did Blish-Mize staff adapt to new working conditions and how will that improve the business in the future?

Gary Lutz: As a management team, we focused on keeping a consistent rhythm within the day-to-day operation. Our staff became very flexible during this process. We reassigned employees to jobs outside their comfort zone, including office staff who helped in our distribution center. This helped us prevent any backlogs during the day and keep a consistent flow of the work. Our staff did a great job identifying which employees could transition their roles and how to make it seamless. Everyone was happy to take on any task they were assigned. These newly learned skills had a very positive effect for many of our staff members and will be useful as they grow with our company.

Strategies: What has been your biggest takeaway during the pandemic from an operations perspective? How can we be prepared for the next big disruption?

Jonathan Mize: There will be much to learn after this is over. We will all need to study over the next 12 months if the crisis response was sufficient and what we would and would not repeat. Only from this careful analysis will we learn how to handle the next crisis—although we hope it doesn’t involve a shutdown of the economy. I encourage our customers to do the same, and we are happy to help in any way possible.

Starting on Page 18, read stories of how your peers have excelled during this time. If you have feedback for the Blish-Mize team or want to share your own story, send an email to Blish Connor at blish.connor@blishmize.com.

Hardlines Strategies • Fall 2020 5