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From the Publisher: January/February 2006 |
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Written by Sue Fredericks
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Thinking Outside the Big Box
I recently attended a manager’s workshop on how to
become more effective. The group was totally random with people from
all different industries including banking, communications, and
foodservice. While I fully expected to come away with great insights I
didn’t expect to find case studies that would relate directly to our
industry’s challenges.
One particular exercise centered on creating synergies or third alternatives to the challenges we face in our businesses. We broke into groups to share our challenges and to brainstorm solutions. At the end of the allotted time, one person was asked to present his challenge so we could work on it as a group. The gentleman who was chosen owns a lumber supply store and his challenge is BOX STORES!
I think I was the only person in the room who could understand where he was coming from, but the lack of background knowledge made the other participants more creative. The usual responses of providing better or enhanced service, stronger relationships and delivery service were put forward, but the other less traditional answers had much more value. Because the respondents were not from his industry, they approached the challenge from the perspective of customers and how they would like to be treated.
Some of the really valuable suggestions included: advance telephone or Internet ordering with the order and invoice on the dock when the customer arrives; a reminder service for staple items; a mobile unit that could travel to construction sites with the staple items such as screws, nails etc.; a building supply centre just for women; and my favourite – become a box store.
This concept was a little bit out there, or was it? What if he partnered with the other kinds of businesses that are just departments in a box store? Lets say he and his local garden centre, lighting store and plumbing centre formed their own cooperative business venture. Perhaps he could rent space to the other businesses, or maybe they could find a spot where they could all share space. I know the area where I live has a lot of vacant warehouse space that would make great ‘market-like’ retail settings.
Or do they need to be physically altogether? Could this be a virtual store where they co-market their goods and services, but don’t actually share space? Maybe the cooperative store is online, and the bricks and mortar stores stand separately.
Will this gentleman follow through with any of these concepts? Who knows? But the point is that he stepped outside his mental Big Box by sharing his problem with other creative minds. Sometimes we are so close to the problem, and so immersed in it everyday, that we need to step back to gain some perspective. Attending networking events and workshops gives us a much-needed breath of air, and additional insight, and more importantly some extra grey matter.
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