Mentors and Shadowing

The ability of the storeroom operators

The ability of the storeroom operators to promptly collect and release the delivered goods is necessary for the storeroom ordering process, where reports are issued, returned, and received. To make moving delivered inventory around the storage simple, receipts and documents must be accessible. A report on the organization of receipts is provided, including information on inspection, comprehensive inspection, storage, and the excellent receipts that have been validated in the storeroom.

Implementing new technology

A new system that automates the ordering procedures in the storeroom and makes inventory management and tracking simple must be developed and implemented by management, storeroom operators, and IT specialists. To implement new technology, the information on the changes and the complete process must be communicated to the work team, to ensure success of the new technology.

The flow of information in the storeroom

The flow of information in the storeroom takes the shape of mentorship where experienced workforce provides guidance to the less experienced workforce in the storeroom. Only management and the IT experts can be considered as the possible mentors. The management being the decision-making body clearly knows the mission and vision of the storeroom and the desired ordering process for the entity. IT experts have the knowledge and experience in the new technology being introduced in the storeroom ordering process, they are in a good position to provide guidance to the success of the digitalization of the ordering process that enable smooth flow of inventory in the storeroom.

Mentoring the storeroom operators

The storeroom operators must be mentored on the proper ways of implement the digitalization of the ordering process since it is the workforce that handles all the operations. The storeroom operators get their instructions and funding from the management, they should use the guidelines provided by the management to achieve the set objectives and missions in the storeroom. The IT experts being the ones that developed the new technology has the knowledge of how best that technology can be implemented and also succeed. The storeroom operator must take all the directions provided by the experienced workforce to achieve the needed success and increase the competition in the given market.

Shadowing the management and IT experts

Shadowing occurs when the storeroom operators actively follow and participate in the activities or processes that are just carried out by the management and the IT experts. The storeroom operators must spend more time observing the IT experts on the job, this help implement the new technology with each and every member of the company as a team. The storeroom operators can explain their problems and ask questions to the management and the IT experts concerning the operating system and the new technology in the ordering process and together as a workforce in an organization helping each other develop a strategy and discover the problems they may encounter in the future. Through team building activities the company can achieve shadowing by setting goals and objective to be completed by the small created teams of the mentors and the mentees.

The role of mentorship and shadowing

When all the workforce come together in the company to see the implementation of the new technology, mentorship plays key role in passing down of knowledge and skills to increase efficiency in operation. Shadowing also helps incorporate the new technology into the operating system of the storeroom enabling for better record and receipt keeping and flow of inventory in storeroom. The inventory will be easily managed and tracked as a result of the automation of the ordering process due to the easy access of records and receipts.

References

Roan, A., & Rooney, D. (2006). Shadowing experiences and the extension of communities of practice: A case study of women education managers. Management Learning, 37(4), 433-454.

Willis, S., McArdle, P., & O'Neill, P. A. (2006). Learning the house officer role: reflections on the value of shadowing a PRHO.