My First Month at TMG Support

Intro

To get started, this is my first article, so please do get in touch if you enjoy reading this and what else you would like me to write about (you can contact me on LI or on @avbriggs on Twitter).

This first post is about my first 30 days at TMG Support. TMG Support provides dependable and cost-effective third-party logistics (3PL) operations, including storage, fulfilment, mailing and distribution.

A bit about what I do

I joined TMG Support in early July 2019 following a change of ownership. The new owners wanted to be able to support the team without making possibly damaging changes to a successful and cohesive unit, and without losing any of the existing team in their original business.

My role was to come in and learn the business from the bottom up, identifying any areas where extra support is required or where efficiency improvements could be made. The role is completely hands-on, and focused on the wellbeing, performance and development of the team with some initial strategic planning. We are a small team with every individual critical to the continued success of the business. With that level of specialism comes an element of risk, if for any reason one of the team was suddenly unavailable, and also concerns around personal development and the curse of being so good at your role that the business can’t afford for you to not be in that position – no matter how you feel about it.

My experiences so far

So far I have sat down with the team as a collective and as individuals where we have discussed what things are good about the business and their roles, and what they feel could be better and what are the challenging aspects of their roles, where they can be better supported and what they want out of their roles going forward. And just as importantly, talked to them about who they are as people, being open about myself and my goals and creating a collaborative environment where they can do the same when they feel comfortable to do so. I’m very pleased to say that everyone seems positive about the future of the company and their part in it.

In regards to the day-to-day, I’ve met with customers, talked through the service offerings we provide and what they feel we do well and anything they feel we could improve on. And our customers join us in the collaborative style we employ as a team, asking how they can work better with us and what do we need from them. I’ve been in the warehouse putting together boxes, putting labels on parcels ready for dispatch and loading and unloading pallets and goods; I’ve given quotes to potential new customers; I’ve made quite a few cups of tea; I’ve set up customer and supplier accounts on our ERP system; I’ve introduced a weekly meeting where the whole team spend just a few minutes sharing what is going well, any urgent news and collaboratively finding solutions to any challenges we may be facing; I’ve loved every minute of it.

Great people, trust and flexibility

I am learning something new every single day, whether that be that a manufacturer has a different interpretation of height and width, so the product they provided was a completely different ratio to what we were expecting, or that different badges require different lengths of time on the heated printing press for personalised replica football shirts. I am learning all this from sharing experiences with the great team here, who are from varying backgrounds and yet every one of them has made me feel welcome and supported. We all trust each other to do what needs to be done and be the best we can be, and that is from every single member of the team right the way to the Managing Director.

As interesting and fun as this is, we all work really hard, and the risk of burn-out is very real, and so we are all encouraged to look after ourselves first and foremost. Having that trust to get the job done, but also knowing that if I need to ask for help then it will be there, no matter how big or small, means I feel happy and ready to turn up every day and do a great job. And this has the added benefit of making me happier at home!

What’s next

I’m really excited for the future, both personally and for the business, as I get more involved with the development of the brilliant team here, working more with our outstanding customers and connecting with new customers in the future (check us out on our web page or LI if you’d like to know more about the solutions we offer). I’m also looking forward to writing more about my experiences and the things I learn along the way – so please check back in the near future to read more!