Well it has been almost a month since the first time I turned the key in the door on my new adventure. Like anything new, it has taken a bit to learn where the light switches are and how things currently work. There is oh so much work to do to eliminate waste and organize the day to day functions in a logical well oiled machine.
I entered a world of 40 year old traditions steeped in "we really don't know why we do it this way" answers. Walking in I had the advantage of years of experience working for a number of other businesses. In addition, I possessed outside eyes and have quickly identified items that need drastic improvement. Let's face it, when a business today does not place most of its orders via E-mail rather by FAX, that is not the norm. Even E-mail is a foreign thought amongst some of the existing employees.
Stacks and stacks of paper with dates in the 80's and 90's fill the out of sight employee only places. The retail floor was littered with yellowed and obsolete "merchandise" in a shabby chic motif. One of my trusted mottos is "when in doubt throw it out" and it has rained king lately. Years of dust in the corners and that-el-do attitudes, are becoming a thing of the past.
We will never reach finite goals as continuous improvement is now the law of the land. Once a business believes that it has arrived, it begins to slide and all is lost. In my mind we will never be the best, thus we will always continue to strive to be better.
So... what's next? We are very close to launching a totally new functioning web site. I will post the site here when it is fully beta tested and on line. For now it will feature Harken products and running rigging, but we will continually be adding content as time allows.
I am hoping that all of you will at least give us a chance to become one of your suppliers. A chance is all I am asking for, as I know from that point on, I and my staff must earn your business each and every time we answer an E-Mail of or pick up the phone. If you consider our price or performance is unacceptable, I will fully understand. We stock or can get our paws on almost everything a boater desires, and if you are a P365'er I will see to it the best dressed boats in the marina are yours, without breaking the bank for either one of us.
For those of you that mentioned time... yes I do now work 7 days a week and yes I do see the two correct times on a broken clock almost every day. In the short term it is all hands on deck and general quarters sounds all day every day. As time goes on and we gain control of this little island I call a store, we will enjoy some sunshine streaming through the dirty Buffalo winter windows.
Please feel free to contact me at (716)-877-8221 and of course ask for me, or shoot me an E-mail at dale@obersheimersails.com
Good Sailing....
Dale Tanski