Douglas Pacey is one of our longest-standing members of staff. He’s been with Storm since 2010, long before the warehouse looked anything like it does today. Over the years, he’s seen it move locations, grow in size, and change to the increasing demands of the business.
As Warehouse Manager, Doug is key role in making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes, work that’s absolutely vital to ensuring clients receive their goods on time. From early morning prep to managing the flow of stock and supporting the team.
Doug shares what it takes to keep a busy warehouse running, how the operation has changed as Storm has grown, and why high standards matters more than ever when things get busy.
What does your role involve on a typical day?
As you can probably imagine, my day is quite structured, I typically start around 7:30 in the morning, this gives me time to open the warehouse, and prep for the day ahead. Also, during this time, I will compile my daily lists for the expediting team to action on their arrival, for me it’s the best time of day to do this as the busy warehouse operation is yet to begin. Once my team arrived, I will predominantly look after the emails that come throughout the day, this will include a multitude of different tasks, including sending orders out, estimations, issues that has arisen from the previous day and labelling orders that’s ready to leave. Other than this it will be hands on deck to help the team in whatever job requires most urgent attention. At 3:30pm, we will have a clear up and I will concentrate on administrational tasks of the current day.
What challenges come with managing a busy warehouse?
I feel that with our Warehouse at Storm the challenges are like most other warehouses but are often heightened due to our focus on our attention to detail, photographic evidence and differing requirements for each client.
Space and layout are a constant juggle, especially with the differing quantities and sizes of products we can get in on any given day.
Keeping a meticulous record of all our stock as it goes through different stages at different paces is very challenging but believe we have a team that handles these challenges exceptionally.
How has the Warehouse changed as Storm has grown?
When I first started in 2010, the warehouse was situated where the headquarters is now and we had minimal space and much less clients and orders as we do now. Ever since then, year on year we have progressively gotten bigger as a company and we have had to adapt the warehouse to meet them needs, including moving premises three times. Over recent years we have had to add to the workforce which has meant all standards and practises have not only stayed meticulous but even improved as we grow as a company.
What do you enjoy most about working with your team?
Since Jamie arrived and more recently Michael, I was initially concerned about expanding the warehouse domain due to the fact I had predominantly worked on my own for several years. However, even though we each have our own way of working, our different approaches complement each other, and the team are extremely understanding of how the company and in particular my own working practises may differ from other places they have worked for in the past. It’s great to see Jamie improving his skill set day by day which was already at a high standard when he started, and I am sure Michael will follow suit. Its genuinely makes it a nice place to work daily when you have an exceptionally focused yet easy going team.
How do you make sure standards stay high when things get busy?
Something I learned early in my earlier career at the Hilton was that people would prefer to wait a little longer if the service and product are correct. This is something I believe can be brought to any industry. Although the pace will quicken it’s good to remember that quality over quantity if far more essential than speed. A good team communication is essential to make things run smoothly when things get really busy and believe we make this work as a team.
What’s something people might not realise about warehouse operations?
I would say when some people are exposed to our environment for the first time they are surprised by the number of factors and organization needed to keep an organised flow in getting products in and out. Although most people will just see a space full of boxes and pallets there are many factors that go into where everything goes. The flow, movement, zoning and access are all thought of constantly during a working day, not only to help the operations but also to comply with health and safety compliances.
How has working at Storm changed your confidence or skills?
When first arriving at Storm I made a clear objective to following as many instructions as possible and absorb as much information as possible, especially as this was a new industry for me. Having done this I believe, step by step I now continue to take ownership of the fast-paced warehouse whilst continuing to sharpen my decision making and technical skills.
What does being part of Storm for so many years mean to you?
It honestly means the world to me. With the help of all my colleagues I feel I have grown as a person in both work and personal life. For me its about a sense of belonging to what feels like a family that’s growing and progressing all the time. I’m proud to call Storm my place of work and hope this continues for years to come.
