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Distribution supervisors supported with new training material

Tuesday 15 March 2011, 5:03PM

By Retail Institute

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The most recent addition to the Distribution suite of materials is the National Certificate in Distribution (Level 3). This certificate is the supervisory qualification for the distribution industry.

It covers managing health and safety; working with hazardous substances and dangerous goods; communicating effectively; handling complaints; leading a team; receiving inwards goods; controlling inventory; preventing loss; picking, packing and dispatching; carrying out administration work; managing your workload.

In general, staff in supervisory roles are responsible for managing daily operations in the distribution centre and typically oversee a team. This includes coordinating activities, from receiving inbound goods to managing stock to dispatching orders. It also includes signing off any relevant paperwork, capacity planning, liaising with other supervisors and managers, hosting meetings and ensuring the workplace is safe at all times. In many centres, supervisors play a hands-on role and help out on the floor on a regular basis. Additional duties include fostering an environment that promotes team work and accountability, and motivating employees. Because the workforce can be a linguistically and culturally diverse environment, this can often be a challenging task.

In order to develop the materials, Retail Institute conducted several industry visits to identify the common characteristics of learners, gain an insight into how their workplaces are set up, and determine the workplace competencies expected of them. This research highlighted the need for support and training material for distribution supervisors.

The majority of people in supervisory roles are promoted from within the organisation due to a number of factors, including experience, confidence and their attitude. However a number of challenges occur as a result of these internal promotions. Many individuals find it difficult to assert themselves and to assume the supervisor’s role. They find it difficult to step up to the supervisory role when they previously had a ‘best mate’ relationship with their peers. This can be a real challenge when handling difficult issues and disciplining staff.

For some supervisors, learning how to deal with people can sometimes be difficult. They don’t necessarily have the right people skills to instantly build rapport with the team members and establish trust. Another challenge is managing team confidence and motivation. Because the job can be quite repetitive, motivation and confidence often suffer, making this an ongoing challenge.

This shift in thinking often requires a certain degree of nurturing from managers. In the majority of centres, supervisors pass these issues onto their manager for resolution. Although managers are happy to intervene, they would like to see their supervisors taking more accountability in this area.

The National Certificate in Distribution (Level 3) is suitable for distribution employees working in a team leader, supervisory or management position, and those who have completed the National Certificate in Distribution (Level 2) and want to move on to the next level. It is reasonable to expect people to complete the programme within 1 year. To find out more about this programme visit:
http://www.retailinstitute.org.nz/qualifications/distribution-qualifications/