Workplace Blog

A Day in the Life of... a Warehouse Manager

Posted on January 12, 2016

In case you though we've forgotten all about our A Day in the Life of Series, you would be relieved to know we haven't! After last week's A day in the life of... a Finance Manager, today Ben has granted us access into his daily work routine. Morning @8.30am First through the door, our warehouse team opens up the premises so that the company can open for business! My first priority is to designate the orders which have been placed late the day before and overnight, so that these can be prioritised before the days proceedings begin. Completing these tasks first sets us up for what ever challenges the day may bring. @9.30am At 9.30 we expect to have caught up with any carried over tasks. At this...

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A Day in the life of... a Finance Manager!

Posted on December 29, 2015

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year and as some of you might be already trying to get back on track, we thought a new blog post on our A Day in the Life of would be a good idea! So far we've covered A Day in the Life of... an Operations Manager. This week we are getting on with Steve, our Finance Manager. He agreed to share with us some of his daily work routine. Morning @8.45am ....I arrive at work give or take 5  minutes -, after hopefully negotiating the early morning madness that is Nottingham rush hour. Usually channel hopping between local Radio station to find out the news and sport. Then settle on some music as I near to work...and always very high volume @9.30am.... look at early morning e-mails , especially China and reply to questions or plan future deliveries. Answer any further e-mails and then prioritise reports and prepare f...

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Workplace Depot Gets a Visit from Elf on the Shelf!

Posted on December 15, 2015

Around the office, we’ve started to notice some… instances. Some of the staff have noticed a peculiar new visitor in our shelving warehouse, and they seem to be enjoying him greatly. Sitting impishly on our retail shelving, metal shelving, and even on our container shelving, Elf on the Shelf has made itself at home on the many, many, many shelves Workplace Depot has to offer. The Incidents Begin At first, we didn’t notice our new little visitor. He looked right at home nestled on top of our selection of storage shelving. After all our shelving is designed to handle 545 kg per shelf, and the elf’s...

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A Day in the Life of … An Operations Manager

Posted on December 10, 2015

This week we are offering you an insight into what the life of an Operations Manager might be like, in an industry where effective operations are paramount. We've asked Michelle, our Operations Manager to outline what her day to day tasks might include. Michelle has been with us for not less than 16 years this December! A Day in the Life of ... an Operations Manger Morning @8.45am .... Arrive, unless on the early shift in which case I would have already been here for an hour. First thing I do is log into to all the platforms I need for the day ahead so our order processing system, our website, and various emails Once these are logged in and ready all emails are checked and replied to @9.30am...Have a look at my contact management system to see who I need to speak to and why, this could be a call to check a customers order has been delivered ok, to chase a supplier, to discuss a quotation or just a general call to see how they are doing @11.00am...Deal...

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Christmas Tree Up! The Workplace Depot Gets Festive

Posted on December 03, 2015

December is here so this can only mean one thing. Getting the much awaited Christmas tree up becomes a priority! We almost made our own Christmas tree out of kick steps and kerb ramps and decorated with plastic chain, but managed to resist the temptation and opted for a 14ft Christmas tree with real branches instead. We thought we could get a little festive this year and spoil ourselves during the Christmas season. Luckily, Dee and Shantel volunteered to coordinate the entire process of putting the Christmas tree up. Decorations were ordered. Twice. Who knew we'd need that many baubles? Stepladders proved to be handy while trying to get the star top on. So did the cable...

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Stock Take Procedure - How to by WPD

Posted on November 19, 2015

Here we go... Christmas Holidays are fast approaching, so what better time to organize our stock take for the upcoming busy period if not now... said our keen Warehouse Manager! So we (the web team and the Finance Manager) had to give him a hand on a cold November afternoon and get things done counted in the warehouse.  We've put the high vises on, or at least intended to and cracked on. After carefully assigning us to teams, Ben gave everybody warehouse maps and to do lists.    Some of us were lucky enough to work inside the warehouse office...    Some had to g...

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The Importance of Breaks at Work

Posted on October 20, 2015

You are a dedicated employee and you enjoy your job. So, you sometimes skip lunch break and breaks at work because you want to do a great job. Well, guess what! You can do an even better job if you know the secret of and the importance of taking breaks at work. How Work Breaks Help Your Productivity According to a study headed by John Trougakos, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of Toronto, when employees take lunch breaks at work, they become less fatigued and have more energy to offer their employers. They also increase their ability to focus and problem solve. Trougakos’ study also found that taking time off during breaks and interacting with your coworkers made for a more positive work environment for everyone. A more positive work environment equates with less stress for you. Less stress leads to higher productivity and problem-solving abilities for everyone. ...

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Using Team Building to Develop a Successful Team

Posted on October 08, 2015

Building a great team starts with great leadership. A great leader has many positive attributes such as correcting the course when necessary, making tough decisions, and setting performance standards. Team building and leadership requires ego management, recognition, and continuous development among other things to work well over the short and long term. Businesses that invest in team building are often more successful and have enhanced rapport among team members. It also makes team members feel like contributors to the overall success of their team or company. Leadership’s understanding of team building and team building activities is essential to effectively fostering team synergy. Team building activities are a great way to develop and foster the health o...

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The Importance of Work-Life Balance

Posted on October 06, 2015

With today’s cutting edge technology, the work-life balance lines are starting to blur. When something big happens, it is available on social media almost immediately. If you are in any business where breaking news or important announcements come after standard work hours, you know the importance of being able to make the announcement as soon as it happens. In a world like this, distancing yourself from work can be quite the challenge. But maintaining a good work-life balance is important. Not only does it give you a chance to recharge, but taking a true break from work often makes you more focused when you return and you are more likely to work harder to accomplish set goals. Why Such an Emphasis on Work-Life Balance? Maintaining a good work-life balance goes beyond just the need to constantly be present in your work life with new technology. It can be the difference between h...

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Reasons Why Designing a Solid Office Business Culture Is Vital for Your Company

Posted on September 29, 2015

In order to lift your startup off the ground, you need to create a healthy business environment that could support your ascension. This is one of the most important unspoken rules that entrepreneurs should consider before embarking on a journey towards their unique dreams and goals. The people who support your growth are the key components that reshape your business from within. This is precisely why one should always strive to develop and preserve a solid office business culture. Understanding the Concept of Open Office Business Culture and Its Benefits Corporate culture is usually implied; it is developed in time, from the essence (cumulative traits) of the people who are hired by a particular company. Despite the fact that it employs individuals speaking different languages and sharing a plethora of diverse interests and passions, Google knows how to keep its workers engaged, focused and inspired. Google is well aware that...

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Big Companies that Started in a Garage

Posted on September 10, 2015

The modern society encourages us to push our own boundaries and write our success story from scratch, even when we don’t actually feel (financially) prepared to face this challenge. The idealized version of the American Dream gives us hope and fuels our greatest expectations and some big companies that started in a garage do too! Therefore, we boost our own motivation and perseverance through the power of the positive examples that are virtually everywhere.  Google, Disney, HP, Apple and Amazon are only a few of the most well-known, gigantic companies that started small, in even smaller, obscure garages. These prosperous multibillion dollar corporations owe their popularity and prosperity to their visionary founders who relied on their skills, talent and unique approach to doing business in their industry to take their garage business to a whole new level. #1 Amazon.com - Founded in 1994 by...

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Workplace Do's and Don’ts: Ways to Stay Energised

Posted on September 01, 2015

If you’ve been following our blog, you know that we’re always seeking to help you enjoy your time at the office. After all, for most employees having a career is like having a second home away from home, given that the average worker spends an estimated 40 to 60 hours per week on the job. Maybe you are one of those stellar employees who regularly works a lot of overtime during the week or around holiday seasons. Or, if you’re just joining the practice of working longer days (e.g., arriving at work early, skipping lunch break, and staying late), you’re probably looking for ways to keep yourself feeling fresh with energy during the day. So, here are a few suggestions for workplace do's and don’ts: 1. Do's: Stay hydrated. Keeping your system lubricated keeps you from feeling drained. Make it a habit to drink plenty of water throughout out the day. Not a huge fan of H2O? Try...

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