As reported in a prior posting, the board established a study group to investigate our order processing system. V/C Hinders, V/C Sweet, V/C Alter, P/V/C Robert Baldridge, SN, and Mary Catherine Berube met at headquarters in May 2009 to document how the current system works, establish benchmarks, define methods to achieve a range of shipment goals, and establish the cost required to implement these methods. Enhancements have been made including backlog visibility, visibility of the types of orders received, i.e., educational, Ship’s Store, exams, visibility on the number of days to ship an order, and e-mail notifications to members when an order is entered and shipped. The goal is to ship orders in five days from receipt. To meet the shipping goal will require improvements to the current system such as pre-kitting items prior to pulling an order, allowing headquarters staff to work overtime to meet order peaks, authorizing headquarters to reorder most inventory items, enhancing management and inventory management systems, and developing an online order processing and inventory system.
The order backlog has stabilized, but we will be facing another “spike” as we approach the Fall Governing Board.
We are definitely making progress and plan to continue doing so.
Dave Hinders
National Secretary
