Optoro & nGROUP: The Power of Partnership

To Kate Vitasek, influential global commerce innovator and expert on vested outsourcing partnerships, it truly takes two to tango. Not only do supply chain operations require outside partners in order to operate at peak efficiency, those partnerships are better and more effective when each side is vested in the outcome.

nGROUP is a big believer in Mrs. Vitasek’s work. Our goal with all of our clients is to move beyond that word, “client.” We aim to create a truly beneficial, cooperative relationship where each side — each partner — is consistently pulling in the same direction to achieve outstanding results.

Our work with Optoro, a leader in reverse logistics, is a perfect example of that idea of a vested partnership.

Working with Optoro

Our relationship with Optoro began in 2018. The main focus of our partnership has been Nashville, TN, location of Optoro’s main DC. Working hand-in-hand with Optoro’s leadership and management, we built a customized temporary labor outsourcing solution that boosted production in their e-commerce packing operation by a whopping 22%.?

By cutting the number of steps in the cycle from 14 to 11, Optoro and nGROUP’s engineers shaved 15 seconds off what had been a 90-second process. Just like that, Optoro was shipping more product out the door at a lower per-unit cost.

If our partnership had simply achieved those results, both Optoro and nGROUP would have been over-the-moon happy. But we didn’t stop there. Not by a long shot.

Optoro Recovers From Disaster

Just after midnight on March 3, 2020, Optoro almost lost everything.

A massive storm cell over the central United States started spewing out tornadoes as it churned along. One of those twisters became an F-5, the most powerful type of funnel cloud. It touched down in multiple places throughout central Nashville, and then skipped out into the surrounding neighborhoods.

Dozens of homes and businesses were utterly destroyed. Lives were lost, families were uprooted, and entire companies found themselves without a workplace to return to. Among the businesses affected most severely was Optoro.

The F-5 tornado made a direct hit on Optoro’s DC. The building was smashed to pieces in moments.

The next morning, Optoro’s management was on the scene to survey the destruction. They quickly saw the building was a total loss. For a brief moment, Optoro was literally left without a business to run.?

But not even nature at its most powerful could defeat Optoro, especially with help from the partnership they had established with nGROUP.

nGROUP management and leadership were on the ground with Optoro almost immediately. Together, we found a suitable alternative site for relocating the operation. While Optoro moved salvageable equipment to the new site (and acquired replacement equipment for what had been destroyed), nGROUP began the process of moving the people.

Our teams reached out to employees right away, notifying them of the situation. We stayed in constant contact, keeping the whole workforce in the know as Optoro worked to get the replacement site up to speed. Within days, the new facility was ready to open, and nGROUP started bringing back as many people as could fit.

Because of our vested partnership, both Optoro and nGROUP had the maximum incentive required to get things running again as quickly as possible.?

Because of our mutual tenacity, and our shared passion for making sure Optoro’s operations suffered as little disruption as possible, the turnaround we achieved was stunning.

In just 10 days, the Optoro operation in Nashville went from completely destroyed to operating above prior capacity.?

Optoro’s resilience was astounding, and their ability to pivot quickly was astonishing. At nGROUP, we’re used to smashing targets and conquering objectives. Even so, we’ve never seen an organization respond so successfully to such a tremendous onslaught of trouble.

One of the most remarkable benefits of this rapid turnaround was that Optoro was set up to receive the influx of new demands for their reverse logistics services when supply chains went crazy a few weeks later in the pandemic. Optoro has always been a leader in sustainability and green initiatives, and companies needed them more than ever in 2020 to help curtail waste and re-direct inventory smoothly.?

Celebrating Optoro and the Future

Labor management shouldn’t just be about recruiting, or lowering costs, or even boosting production. Real labor management is about re-assessing how you deploy your labor, and re-focusing on the smartest ways to get the most out of your people.

In the same way, a relationship with a client shouldn’t just be about billable hours and maximizing revenue. A real relationship is based on partnership, and the most successful partnerships are vested partnerships, like the one formed between Optoro and nGROUP.

The co-owner of Optoro sent me a message a few weeks ago containing those words. While they may be over-the-moon with the results nGROUP has helped make possible, we’re thrilled to know Optoro sees themselves as a more capable operation now.

“We continue to be in awe of what the nGROUP team has accomplished over the past year. We absolutely couldn't have done it without you guys, and it's been a pleasure working with such a resourceful, flexible, and positive team. ... I think there’s lots of strong potential ahead. Good luck, and thanks again for being a great partner.”

Optoro and nGROUP have formed a lasting, beneficial partnership that enables both our teams to get the most done. Beyond just expanding Optoro’s production capacity, the work we did together to recover from the disastrous tornado is the true ideal of partnership brought to reality.

That’s what comes from a genuine partnership based on real labor management. Congratulations to Optoro on all their success! We’re proud to be in the game with you as you grow your business and continue to be an industry leader in reverse logistics technology.?

David Hair is co-founder and CEO of nGROUP. With decades of experience in the supply chain, David helps nGROUP and partners create strong, lasting, beneficial partnerships. His passion is helping supply chain leaders come to grips with labor management headaches so they can get more done without breaking the bank.