Promoting to Manager: Applying the Functions of Management at a Warehouse - Essay Sample

Introduction

Working in a managerial position for a company or an organization is a crucial task because it involves daily decision making and the provision of solutions to problems. This essay is a discussion based on a scenario of promotion from being a laborer at an Amazon warehouse as a packer to being a manager in a different station, managing packers, and supervisors. It discusses I would apply the functions of management such as planning, organizing, and staffing, in the oversight of the warehouse operations.

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Planning

A Warehouse manager at a big firm like amazon needs to have sufficient knowledge of how the Amazon warehouses are set up. The information acquired in the past as a packer at a warehouse is crucial in the development of the plan as one function of a manager. Amazon warehouse is commonly referred to as fulfillment center because of the long chain of employees, who receive inventories from customers worldwide and work with an innovative technology to ship products to them directly(Salas, Reyes&McDaniel &S.H,2018)The areas that I would manage under the planning function are the strategic plans of achieving the main goal of the company, of becoming a fulfillment center. The goal can only be achieved if all the employees and the supervisors, work together in unity. The culture of unity and hard work is finally reflected by the customers of the products. The second area under the planning function that I would exercise is operational tactics. Operational tactics would be centered on the daily running of the warehouse and the methods that we can apply as stakeholders to achieve daily goals such as packing orders according to their sizes more effectively and even faster. Manpower is important in a warehouse. As a manager, I would ensure the implementation of the planning goals by first getting to know the employees and the supervisors individually, their fears, aspirations and their backgrounds would encourage regular meetings where I would focus on the importance of achieving a mission as a team. I would ensure that there are active channels of communication, where the employees can give feedback at any given time. I would use the performance management system, towards the implementation of the palling functions. The system is important because it controls the manpower and the materials. Its elements are systematic in the understanding of employees and their performance. It provides a basis for an assessment of objectives and goals.

Organizing

The current warehouse structure of Amazon is complex. There are four stages in the warehouse, the picking, sorting, packing and shipping departments. Each department has a supervisor who is tasked with the duty of reporting to the manager, with the help of the CCTV's that are erected at specific places of the warehouse. Working in a warehouse that has many employees requires a good organization structure that can ensure effective communication and easy handling of inventories(Salas, Reyes&McDaniel &S.H,2018). The system is effective in ensuring compliance with the goals of Amazon. The system of management is effective but considering the current needs to cut management costs,and subdue competitions from companies like e-bays. The structure can be modified, to enable all the four departments to be under a few supervisors, who can easily work. The employees can be motivated to work under minimal supervision and automation of most services can make the management quicker.

In the warehouse operations, I would use departmentalization, to promote specialization. The packing department, for example, would specialize strictly in the packing, sealing of boxes, lining them carefully and ensuring that the machines for labeling boxes for shipment, are working well. The other departments would focus on the sorting of the items, making the warehouse effective in pursuance of the objectives of offering quality and timely services to the customers. The structure would use departmentalization to facilitate ideal control, assigning responsibilities and ensuring that the resources in the warehouse are utilized well.

Staffing

A fulfillment center requires human labor, which is effective and delivers quality services as required by the management of the organization. As a manager staffing functions at the warehouse would involve, recruiting, employees, analyzing their skills and checking and finding them suitable roles and departments. The warehouse is fairly large with 100 employees and 10 supervisors. There is an overstaffing of the supervisors because four supervisors can work well with a hundred employees when departmentalization is applied in the organizational structure. As a manager, I would reduce the number of supervisors. Being human beings, 100 employees can drop out of work, which can affect the flow of work, given the current huge demand for the products by the customers. I will encourage the supervisors to always keep in contact with interns and always record the employees who show dedication at work(Welp, Johnson, Nguyen &Perry,2018). The employees can be set as replacements for supervisors who are either promoted or leaves work. As a manager, I would employ the HR Processes. Human resource processes are important in any organization. They oversee planning and utilization of resources in the workplace, the planning includes the oversight of employment or recruitment into the workforce, hiring, training, induction of employees, evaluation and laying off of workers that are ineffective or no longer interested in working in the firm. The processes are key in the management of performance and employee relations

Leading

Leading is another important function I would perform as the overall manager at the warehouse leading involves the motivation of the workforce, by influencing them to pursue the bigger goal of the organization. It is more of making the employees want to achieve the goal by themselves rather than instilling fear through control. Leadership theories emphasize the similarity of all leadership qualities across all managerial fields. The theories analyses the traits of a leader as an individual and the expected roles towards the development of an organization. It lays out terms that guide a leader, towards the fulfillment of objectives and company roles. The situational theory of leadership, for example, is applicable in the management of an organization(Welp, Johnson, Nguyen &Perry,2018). It proposes that leaders depend on the situations facing them at the moment to make decisions. The theory points out that variables, team maturity, and market trends influence the leadership in any organization. The situational theory is applicable in my case as a manager at the new warehouse.It needs that I make decisions based on the team of the employees, their level of cooperation and understanding of the goals and the objectives of Amazon.

Control

Finally, control is a management function in any organization. As a new manager in the firm, I need to exercise control over several activities in the company. Control function as a manager is the corporation with other managers and supervisors, at all levels, to measure the progress, deviations and the need for correction, as the organization struggles to achieve the set goals.

By applying control at the warehouse, I will have the ability to have all the required information on progress on time and appropriately. It is a crucial functioning of a manager that enables planning to be successful. It will be important in the accomplishment of the target goals like becoming the most effective warehouse in the entire region and offer customer satisfaction. Control will enable the tracking of the labels hence the accuracy of the workers. It will also be a criterion of judging the efficiency of the structure of the organization that I am applying, including the departmentalization. Having control over all operations will enable me as a manager to ensure the effective utilization of resources such as the utilization of conveyor belts, machines, and packing materials. It will improve employee motivation because they can give feedback on the measures, their complaints and suggestions, the employees will feel like part of the system and will embrace the goals at an individual level. The control will bring order and discipline at the warehouse because there will be no issues of indiscipline that would not be punished by the disciplinary measures(Cassellas, Martinez, Vilaita &Munoz,2018). There is always a tendency of employees to abscond from work, leave early or even rise arguments at the workplace.Having control as a manager will enable the quicker realization of the issues, hence the development of a faster solution.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the transition from being an employee to becoming a manager is important because of the experience that one gains. It enables the transiting leader to apply the managerial functions appropriately, understanding the trends in the market, the motivation of the employees and adequately prepare the employees both physically and psychologically, towards the achievement of the company goals.

Reference

Salas, E., Reyes, D. L., & McDaniel, S. H. (2018). The science of teamwork: Progress, reflections, and the road ahead. American Psychologist, 73(4), 593. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-23205-022

Welp, A., Johnson, A., Nguyen, H., & Perry, L. (2018). The importance of reflecting on practice: How personal professional development activities affect perceived teamwork and performance. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(21-22), 3988-3999. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocn.14519

Casellas, R., Martinez, R., Vilalta, R., & Munoz, R. (2018). Control, management, and orchestration of optical networks: evolution, trends, and challenges. Journal of Lightwave Technology, 36(7), 1390-1402. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8258930/