Fastidious. That’s the word I call a produce manager who is so neat, so organized, so detail-oriented that everyone thinks that he or she takes things too far. I should know, I worked for someone like this while working up through the ranks.
At first, everyone on the crew despised how picky he was. We cringed at the to-do list routine he commanded that we follow.
In the long run, however, we loved him for being so — fastidious.
When I eventually ran my own store, I carried this routine with me. At first my crew gathered around my desk. “What? A list? We’re grown men. We already know what to do,” they said.
“Every crew needs a daily plan,” I said. “Get used to it.”
In fact, every produce crew needs direction. Ineffective effort is money wasted. For example, if you order willy-nilly, you’ll have too much or not enough. If you put the load away randomly and not in a specific order and routine, you’re going to end up with mismanaged, aged inventory and slow productivity.
A produce manager must get — and stay — organized.
What else is affected by disorganization? Safety, health department violations, poor sales, slipping gross profit, increased shrink, overspent labor dollars, frustrated employees, poor morale and unhappy customers.
I touched upon this recently: an organized, daily routine is key. The system I learned was simple enough. In a nutshell, this is it:
- Arrive early. Get a few empty boxes on a cart and take along a legal pad. Then walk around every table and every display. Quickly straighten each display while you cull the department.
- As you walk the department, note what needs attention that day. On the legal pad I write these headings: Sanitation needs. Rotation Needs. Merchandising Changes. Other Notes.
- Jot down what needs done under each heading. You need to rotate constantly, but some displays listed absolutely, positively must be rotated. Some things must be scrubbed that day (scale pans, rack chrome, mirrors, table bases), and some merchandise changes must happen each day. It’s a must to write down expectations. Insist that everyone picks up after themselves.
- Hold the crew accountable to complete each task, every day, at minimum.
- Order closely and only what is necessary until the next delivery.
- Demand that your cooler and backroom area stay organized. As much as possible, store every item in the same place each day. Code-date the cooler for FIFO (first in, first out) rotation. Ensure that items are handled with care, so clerks can quickly and easily identify product (i.e., different apple or pear varieties) to ensure that nothing gets mixed and everything is easily accessible.
- Make it a routine to keep debris picked up, trash dumped, pallets neatly stacked and the floors regularly swept and mopped — every morning and throughout the day.
- Scrub the prep area each day and every time it gets used.
- Adopt the mantra, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” This means any tool, any knife, your sign kit and more. Demand that everyone follows this direction. It may only take 5 minutes to sweep the floor, but if it takes 20 minutes to find the broom, that kills productivity. Your labor dollars are better spent elsewhere, like keeping your produce department looking sharp.
- Keep your desk orderly. Post only current schedules (and your to-do list, of course) and current marketing direction. Communication is key. Don’t let your desk get messy.
Is there more? Of course. You know your routine, be it breaking down and air-stacking bananas, doing the daily leafy greens crisping, trimming, sorting and everything else.
However, every day presents its own set of challenges. By training, identifying and sticking to a strict routine, your to-do list will become more manageable with each passing day. Just don’t let up, and don’t allow complicity to undo your good routine.
Your supervisor, your store manager, your bottom line and your crew will (eventually) love you for adopting a consistent, organized and fastidious routine. Your customers will also notice as well and reward you with increased sales.
Besides, nothing feels so good as when each completed task is scratched off the list.
Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years of experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.