Make your New Year's business resolutions

Dec. 1, 2007
With the coming of each New Year, most of us make personal resolutions, deciding to make all kinds of changes. This is a good thing, as making promises

With the coming of each New Year, most of us make personal resolutions, deciding to make all kinds of changes. This is a good thing, as making promises to yourself means you're thinking about reaching an objective.

Do you also make business resolutions?

Resolutions, obviously, can be made at any time. However, there seems to be a psychological impact to making formal resolutions at the beginning of a new year, as we become determined to start anew to have a better year. There is a sense of optimism and opportunity.

Here are some resolutions you might consider adding to your New Year's business resolution list:

  • Train and retain. While finding qualified drivers, mechanics, and warehouse personnel is vital, keeping them is just as important. Training, retraining, and opportunities for growth can help companies stop losing workers to competitors.

    Invest in figuring out ways to make for a happier and more engaged workforce so you can retain your investment in your valuable human resources.

  • Consider RFID (radio frequency identification), basically small electronic devices that transmit information wirelessly, using radio waves. This emerging technology already is being used for more accurate inventory management throughout the storage, handling, and distribution processes. This increases supply chain efficiency, which helps reduce costs.

  • Investigate using systems that remotely monitor the temperature of refrigerated transportation equipment. This, in effect, keeps watch on the condition of products being transported, minimizing the possibility of perishable goods spoiling.

    Consider the competitive advantage of having the ability to track and record refrigeration status — operating conditions, temperatures, set points, and alarm conditions — from pick-up to delivery and being able to provide detailed records for shippers.

  • Think about incorporating telematic systems into your operation. These systems, which basically combine computers, wireless telecommunications, and GPS (Global Positioning System) technologies, can remotely monitor vehicles and drivers in real-time. This provides the opportunity to improve your management of operations and assets.

    With customers looking for ever-increasing service levels, telematics can enable you to monitor the movement of goods, and thus provide complete “mission reports.” How's that for a differentiator?

  • Contemplate joining the “environmental trucker movement” and help improve air quality, reduce energy consumption, and lessen the nation's dependence on foreign oil by using alternative fuels and hybrid-powered vehicles.

    You may be interested to know that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides tax credits for purchases of medium- and heavy-duty hybrid vehicles.

    Think about the good public relations you can get by promoting your company's move toward “green.”

  • Research the fuel savings that can be achieved by spec'ing and retrofitting aerodynamic features on your vehicles and using anti-idling devices.

To enhance savings further, hold regular meetings with drivers, providing them with practical tips and advice on safe and economical driving techniques. Establish fuel-saving incentive programs that reward those drivers who squeeze the most miles per gallon out of their fuel tanks.

For New Year's business resolutions to be successful, several things must be done. First, resolutions must be realistic, achievable, and possible. Setting your expectations too high makes it more difficult to meet them, leading to increased discouragement, in turn leading to less motivation in the future.

Write resolutions that explain clear and specific purposes and goals, along with a step-by-step plan on how to achieve them. Post this on bulletin boards and distribute copies to all employees.

Research finds that people who make and write explicit resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't.

Assign responsibility for implementing each resolution, pick a date for reporting results on the resolutions, and hold people accountable.

Making — and keeping — New Year's business resolutions can help your company get re-energized for a year of improvement and greater accomplishments.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

About the Author

David Kolman

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