FALL 2017
Distributor's Link Magazine Fall Issue 2017 / Vol 40 No4
Distributor's Link Magazine Fall Issue 2017 / Vol 40 No4
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72<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Robert Footlik<br />
Robert B. Footlik, PE is a retired Professional Industrial Engineer. With over 50 years’<br />
experience as a Warehouse and Logistics Consultant to a wide variety of clients including<br />
Fastener Distributors, Bob has a wealth of valuable information for our industry and he is<br />
willing to share it. While Footlik & Associates is now closed, his expertise is still available<br />
to his friends and our readers. For friendly advice, a second opinion or just to start a<br />
conversation, he can be reached at robert@footlik.net.<br />
WELCOME TO MT 442-542<br />
DISTRIBUTION AND WAREHOUSING<br />
The following is based on a real course...<br />
As you read this think of yourself as one of the<br />
students who is being challenged to learn about not<br />
just the course material, but also how to think, act and<br />
succeed in the workplace regardless of your chosen<br />
career. Keep in mind that most of your classmates have<br />
been students all their life and totally oblivious about how<br />
“things” move in any economy. This course is a journey,<br />
regardless of the specific curriculum.<br />
Week One:<br />
Introduction to the World of Logistics<br />
“Good evening class and welcome to a very unusual<br />
adult learning experience. We will be exploring a wealth<br />
of topics involving logistics, distribution, warehousing,<br />
life and your careers. At this moment for our purposes<br />
most of you know absolutely nothing useful about these<br />
subjects and over the next 16 weeks you will become<br />
more expert than you could ever imagine.”<br />
“Your education thanks you for signing up and<br />
attending night school. What you may not have realized<br />
is that this is the very best way to learn. All the faculty<br />
is here because they want to teach and we have practical<br />
experience, everyday adventures and passion that is<br />
wholly missing from most tenured professor’s lectures.<br />
Just like you I am here because I want to learn. So we<br />
will be working together to achieve this goal.”<br />
“May I direct your attention to the plaque on the wall<br />
next to the door way. Yes, that is indeed my Father’s name<br />
on the dedication. That means the university received a<br />
donation to fund this room, but more importantly in our<br />
context it means that what goes on in here has wider<br />
leeway than any class you have ever attended. This leads<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
to our first exercise in learning and layout.”<br />
“I hate the way this room works! Do you agree? How<br />
shall we make it better?”<br />
“OK, everyone up! Grab your things and please<br />
reconfigure the table and chairs into a configuration that<br />
will facilitate communication. Flat rows of seating facing<br />
forward is for kids, not adults who want to learn from each<br />
other as well as their facilitator.”<br />
“Excellent, you have created a “U” shape so we<br />
can face each other. One more point and then we can<br />
get started. Inevitably students want to know how I<br />
will be grading their efforts. Quizzes and tests will be<br />
mostly nonexistent except for the “Dreaded Oral Exam<br />
Midterm” and the even more ‘’Dreaded Open Source Final<br />
Examination.” There will not be any way for you to study,<br />
cram or otherwise prepare for these tests at the last<br />
minute. Every element of the course builds on previous<br />
material. So unlike most courses as of this moment every<br />
one of you has an “A.” All you can do is lose it.”<br />
“Those who are on top of their Email should have<br />
performed the first assignment before coming to class.<br />
We will not be following any real textbook, even the one<br />
you bought. Your learning will come mostly from selfstudy,<br />
the Internet, YouTube, personal experiences and<br />
much more. The text is strictly a supplement and there<br />
will be suggested chapters to read…if you want to learn<br />
more. Each chapter has questions and answers that you<br />
can use to evaluate your comprehension and retention. I<br />
don’t need the answers, you do.”<br />
“As a reward I have arranged for the Trade Association<br />
that paid me to develop this text to provide a final<br />
examination of your self-study. If you pass there will be a<br />
certificate issued attesting to your new skill set.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 172