By BCI
14 February 2023
If we know anything about today’s consumers, one thing is for sure: they appreciate promptness. Once they click purchase, they trust implicitly the company they’ve patronized is doing everything it can to reduce the time between checkout and delivery. So when that’s not the case, customers take notice.
That’s why fast turnaround is critical to staying competitive in today’s cutthroat era of e-commerce. At BCI, we’ve nailed down just what it takes to create a reliable culture of speed without sacrificing quality — here’s what you need to know.
The steady surge in e-commerce has fueled demand for corrugated packaging solutions that help ship products quickly and safely to their new homes. But suppliers across the corrugated industry have grappled with labor shortages and fulfillment disasters, leaving companies (and their customers) to wait impatiently as the supply chain struggles to regain its footing.
For companies that have yet to evolve and rise to meet the challenge, fast turnaround has become an organizational challenge largely embedded in outdated corporate structures and cultures. But BCI has deftly navigated this perfect storm of challenges, leveraging our vast experience and commitment to service and excellence to solve the riddle of fast turnaround.
It comes down to this: building a culture designed to meet the customer’s needs first — one that supports efficiency — and a supply chain system designed to add value to the customer’s journey, all without compromising on quality.
In a 2021 study published in the Journal of Business and Management, researchers found that effective leadership communication drives improved performance from top to bottom. So executives take note — clear performance expectations plus providing employees with the tools and resources they need to deliver results on time and on budget equals consistently efficient, reliable results. It’s simple.
To take this idea one step further, when leaders use the power of communication to emphasize valuing the customer needs first, it can become the driving force behind increased efficiencies and reliable delivery timetables, uniting the whole organization behind a shared understanding and purpose.
At BCI, fast turnaround, happy clients, and excellent ROI for our partners are ingrained in how we operate. Here are some things we’ve learned along the way.
Without a North Star, the organization flounders under the weight of confusion and ambiguity. Leadership must set the tone by clearly defining the customer needs as their highest priority and then focusing their team’s efforts towards ensuring those needs are met. Additionally, leaders must define reasonable expectations with consumers, finding ways to fulfill their needs without overpromising and under-delivering—be realistic about deliveries and deadlines.
There’s nothing worse than an inefficient process that can’t keep up with customer demands. So at BCI, we’ve invested heavily in hiring experts and building an infrastructure designed to succeed — from rethinking our supply chain process to optimizing labor productivity every step of the way.
While other companies sank under the weight of new challenges and changing industry demands, BCI invested in assets that eliminated future delays. Instead of maintaining the status quo, we evolved and acquired high-performing, high-quality facilities that helped eliminate the pressures of a shoddy supply chain. In addition, we invested in the best talent, continuing to build on our ability to offer services others in our industry either won’t or can’t.
Knowledgeable, empowered employees are more likely to move swiftly and deliberately, so investing in their growth and giving them a stake in the process is critical to success. BCI is proudly employee-owned, and we’ve built a culture of trust where our team of over 850 employee-owners is given a license to lead, empowered to offer solutions, and given space to own the results.
Finally, leaders must be willing to take ownership for the failures and successes of their teams. When employees see leaders who take responsibility and value high performance, it creates an environment of accountability and trust — something that’s essential to developing a culture of fast turnarounds.
At BCI, we have the experience and expertise to help our partners navigate any challenge. Our commitment to service excellence allows us to design and execute solutions tailored to each customer’s needs—all with an eye for fast, reliable, customized results. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help meet all your corrugated needs with unmatched efficiency and attention to detail.
