Devan Moonsamy 

As we approach a busier period of the year, we can anticipate a few snags in our supply chain. Whether it is from a supplier that always seems to be short staff over the holidays or the 4th wave having most people under the weather, unpredicted disruptions can jeopardise your business. 

It can be very difficult to save face when someone along the supply chain drops the ball. Besides angry customers and not meeting expectations we will risk losing business. Entrepreneurs are aware of the challenges that are tied with being efficient and reliable in the market. All it takes is one instance of lack of service delivery and you can forget about the growth of your business by word of mouth. 

Infact, the generation of influencers and enthusiastic keyboard reviewers have played a big role in unmasking businesses that drop the ball. But what about those that rely on other suppliers and are usually the ones that have to take the blame for the disruption in the supply chain? 

This is how you can prevent your business from being in jeopardy due to disruptions in the supply chain. 

– Start by ensuring the suppliers you select are within your vicinity. Ofcourse not all suppliers will be up the road but for most of the suppliers you deal with, try to ensure they are within the same city or within limited travel distance. This eradicates any possible issues of road blocks etc. The most important thing to remember is that most of the suppliers rely on their drivers to send out goods and if there are delays on the road due to road blocks or protest action it can’t be helped. But if they are around the vicinity that your office is based at then there is a less likely risk of experiencing major delays. But this might not always be the case. In this instance where a supplier is a distance away, indicate to your customer how many days it might to get the item. This allows them to plan adequately and make room for the possibility of any delays. 

– Try to be more open with your suppliers. Engage in conversation and remain in contact with the contact people to ensure you can keep track of your goods. Remember the more people you speak to at a business the better your chance of keeping track of your delivery. Be familiar with the person delivering your order. Paving the way with good communication skills can help when the driver runs into trouble. This relationship will help you because the driver would feel they are able to call you directly about any delays. 

– If you find that during the build up to Christmas shopping you are experiencing an influx in foot traffic at your store but your items on hand can’t meet the demand then it’s time to maximise online buying. Host online exclusive deals to assist you in meeting the customer’s needs. 

-Perhaps your supplier is based in a different province and that online exclusive deal can be available for people in that province as a delivery. For the others wanting to benefit from the deal as well, you could inform them of an expected time of arrival at your store and make the product available to them subject to delivery. This might work for smaller businesses. It can be adopted by bigger companies and managed correctly provided there is clear communication on availability. 

–  It is important to be honest with the customer. If they are waiting for their order to be processed perhaps keeping them up to date on the status of your delivery can help them plan better. When there are issues beyond your control in the supply chain it is important to be clear and upfront. There is no point blaming your supplier when you haven’t told the customer when the goods might be arriving. This is why it is important to set realistic campaigns for December because supply chain delays are a reality and it can hinder your flow of service.

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com

Devan Moonsamy 

One of the busiest times of the year can also be the most unproductive time of the year. Whilst many companies are rushing to place last minute orders to secure a fat commission for December, other companies not in the sales and services game might be experiencing a more relaxed end of the year. 

The festive period does provoke a sense of relaxation with everyone. Be it the decorations at the mall or the end of the year celebration in the office, the holiday mood just takes over. 

It has become even harder to get work done from home. If your dining room table has been the office since the dawn of work from home, then avoiding the background music from the Christmas movies being watched to putting up the Christmas tree – it makes it impossible to achieve results.

As a manager the pressure to ensure results are being shown in the festive period can be extremely stressful. It is essential to have the conversation around deadlines and expectations before the festive period kicks in. If you haven’t had it already, there still is time to get it done. 

But if you have had the talk and you are still struggling to get the results you need to wrap up the year, then here are a few ways to ensure your team has a productive December. 

• You should have a work schedule in place. Ensure that you have knowledge of all staff members who are on leave and those who will be filling in for the ones on leave. Having a plan that is transparent and accessible to all staff members is essential. This way if there is a lot of pressure at work and clients need assistance with queries, then staff know exactly who to turn to in order to assist them. 

• Inform staff working from home about the importance of managing their time. Use this as a chance to have check ins. Get your team members who work from home to clock in and clock out. It is important to maintain an honest relationship and tell them that you understand its December, but deadlines need to be met. But chances are the staff working from home feel the pressure because there is more demand to ensure work is being done. 

• December can also be a good time to check in with your team at the office to measure their performance. Check in with them on how they are handling the work load. This is also a great time to look at doing performance appraisals and performance reviews if you are not busy and haven’t done one yet.

• Set realistic deadlines. Factor in that in December many businesses stop operations before the first long weekend. This means ensuring you have sufficient stock of consumables and supplies. The last thing you want is your team to be making customers happy without having the stock or items on hand to provide for the deals. 

• Don’t micro manage. Instead of hovering over staff, demanding to see results and wanting to see they are meeting company goals, trust them. The aim of having team members working together it to ease the work load. This means trusting your team to meet the expectation of the business. Work with your team by encouraging them, guiding them and supporting them when they are meeting their deadlines or struggling to meet them. If they finish before time reward them. If they are falling behind find ways to help them. 

December can be a challenging month with the festivities and public holidays in play. It is important that the discussion around deadlines and expectation occur early to prevent any miscommunication and disappointments.

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com

Devan Moonsamy 

It goes without saying that they are always people around us that get to a meeting without any preparation. Whether it’s forgetting to check their emails for any updates before a meeting or needing to review a product and prepare their input on it, some people in the work place never feel the need to prepare adequately. 

Recently, an Australian reporter made headlines for missing one of his emails prior to an interview with singer Adele. The email contained a review of her latest album and the interview was set to be around that. 

In South Africa, we are also no strangers to unpreparedness. Let’s recap a few years ago when then President, Jacob Zuma was delivering a speech where he couldn’t pronounce a number with many digits in it. This not just lead to him become an internet laughing meme but also highlighted the need for government officials to reassess their preparedness prior to public speaking. 

Being unprepared shows us that this person is not professional and they are disrespectful to the people around them. It is important to acknowledge the responsibility we have to attending a meeting. Infact, due to most meetings being hosted on an online platform it becomes difficult to assess if someone is prepared or not for a meeting. 

Working from home may have been the answer to companies keeping the wheel turning but it can be sited as a challenge for staff members thinking they can ‘wing’ it and no one will know. Working from home may be a contributing factor to unpreparedness as staff might not feel the need to prepare for a presentation as they would in a normal office setting. This being said we should look at how to improve the participation and engagement of staff using the online platform. 

Here are a few ways to call out unpreparedness and to encourage better meeting prep: 

– When you are hosting a meeting online with your team be sure to include all members in the discussion. Ask each person for their input on the subject and task your team with areas they need to get information on. This will allow you to identify who is doing meeting prep and also assist you in getting a spectrum of ideas on a subject. 

– If a team member is supposed to be hosting a meeting but they seem unprepared, instead of calling them out then and there, speak to them after their presentation to understand what prevented them from preparing better. Maybe they don’t have the resources or they didn’t properly understand what was required from them. 

– If you notice a habit of unpreparedness within your team it’s time to host a meeting on the importance of preparing for meetings and client interactions. The last thing you want is for a client to tell you how unprofessional and unprepared a team member of yours was. The same must said for the way meetings are hosted over the phones. We can’t be telling clients to hold on while we grab a pen. This should be in front of us and we should be ready to take down notes from our clients. 

-In light of being prepared, perhaps issuing meeting checklists could be the solution to preparing for a meeting. It is important to have team members understand why agendas are sent, why the minutes of a previous meeting are important and when and where to host these meetings. It does do a great deal to go back and have a refresher for staff on the do’s and don’ts of meetings. 

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com

Devan Moonsamy 

In light of recent discovery of a new variant of Covid-19 in South Africa, businesses might be panicking as the dreaded 4^th wave grows momentum. Plans for an economic recovery during the festive period, which seemed possible as vaccination roll outs indicated an improvement in the management of the virus, have been met with dread. 

 With the uncertainty around what to expect in the coming days, shelves being packed expecting an influx of consumers as well as staff anticipating an increase in revenue with the slight chance of a bonus, the festive period might have lost its cheer in South Africa. 

The reality is that the rumours or prediction around the possibility of a 4^th wave might have made way for a plan of action to combat a possibility of a stricter lockdown or change in operation plan. But if you have not planned for this then here are a few ways to get ahead of the wave and try to control the impact on your business. 

• Don’t panic. The new variant discovery is not in your control, as is the decisions to be taken from this by the government. Your staff might also be feeling the pressure now that cases are growing and the panic might be felt at the ground level with client facing staff members. Before meeting with staff and discussing the way forward, have an idea of what would be the best suited solution for your business. Sit down with your management teams and come up with a plan to ensure that the festive period sales still go ahead as planned but look at creative ways to get goods to clients. 

• When there are more positive cases of the virus then people are encouraged to shop online instead of going out to limit contact between people. If this does become the case under new lock down regulations, you should have a plan to keep the business going. If you don’t have a website for your business, it would be a great place to start. Having an online forum allows for your customers to shop from the convenience of their home. If you fear that your customers might not have access to an online platform to place their orders, then have a call and order system. This way people would still be able to get the deals you have to offer without needing to leave their homes. 

• Using an online system or a manual system that is taking calls or messages around orders requires training. Ensure if this is the decision you take to keep your business going, that your staff is trained and capable to manage this process. It means sending communication when stock isn’t available, having a good turnaround time with orders being received and processed and most importantly efficiency in customer service. Promote this vigorously and this might be the answer to your concern around the stock you have on your shelves. 

• Another concern around operations during the festive period might be the hesitation from staff around vaccinations. If there are still concerns around this then it could be time for a discussion around vaccinations. Many service providers are in a fix when their clients request vaccinated members to perform services. This means only vaccinated staff might be at the forefront of placements. What happens to those that are not vaccinated? This doesn’t mean that they are out of a job, but what it does mean is that there will challenges for placing them. Perhaps an incentive can be offered to staff who get vaccinated to motivate them. This way you can have a team of vaccinated individuals that will be able to work and provide services. 

• This is not the time to compromise on any PPE. Ensure staff are always masked up, screened at the entrance and sanitised in the office. It would do well to reintroduce the Covid-19 policies and have a meeting around what to do if one shows symptoms. This is a crucial time for the business and having to shut down for a period of time due to a number of cases in the building could prove to be a problem in light of the peak period. Maintaining all necessary Covid-19 protocols and taking the necessary precautions might be the only way to keep the number of causalities low as we wait to ride out the 4^th wave. 

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com

Devan Moonsamy 

It goes without saying that Black Friday has become a much sort after day to conduct shopping in South Africa. From consumers sleeping outside their desired stores with great deals at malls the night before to waking up at early hours of the morning to buy goods online, the need to get a good bargain is real. 

But with the great deals and in some cases low prices, the after service from the purchases of these deals are often a nightmare. Whether you need to change the size or get a refund, dealing with a store after the purchase of goods at Black Friday can be frustrating. 

Before we look at how consumers should prepare for shopping let us explore how stores can prepare for the influx of consumers: 

– As you build up to Black Friday ensure staff are well stocked at all branches if you are a chain store and plan accordingly. Staff must be knowledgeable on the system you have and should know the basics of checking which other branches have stock of a particular item. One of the most frustrating things would be to stand in a long line waiting to buy an item just to reach the till and for it to be out of stock. If this is the case, staff must have knowledge of which other branch has the item so that consumers can make their way there. Remember outline your policy. Are you able to keep the price till you get stock or is the special whilst stocks last? Ensuring all staff know exactly how to handle a situation like this can prevent unnecessary tension between staff and customers at the till point. 

– Ensure all returns and refund policies are clear and visible. When a staff member sells an item, they should also make the consumer aware of the returns policy on the item. If possible, try to get your system to print the return policy on the invoice. This way consumers are aware of their rights and exactly how to go about getting a refund or return done on an item. 

– Customer service should not be compromised during Black Friday. Whether the store is packed to capacity or even busier than usual, it is essential to maintain impeccable customer service. It is pointless having a great deal on items today and offering terrible customer service. This will just result in customers feeling obligated to just buy from you for your prices and not because of the great service you offer. Ensure someone is managing the changing rooms. Have a refresher course on how to assist consumers, get staff to ask questions and ensure all individuals that come into the store walk out with a pleasant experience. 

– If your specials are online and in-store then make sure you have someone efficiently managing the online station. That means regularly updating items that are sold out etc. Remember most people prefer buying goods online and this is a great way to prevent in-store chaos. Having a smooth working online system can help with customers benefiting from the deals online. 

-Be specific and clear when it comes to your deals. If something on sale is an online only deal then ensure the advertisement indicates that. Black Friday isn’t the time for tiny T’s and C’s. This is when you need to be transparent so consumers know exactly what they are getting. If an item is out of box, minimum warranty or even damaged this must be clearly indicated on the purchase of the product. This will prevent future frustrations because a consumer is fully aware of what they are purchasing. 

As much as stores need to have all the ducks in a row when it comes to handling Black Friday, as consumers here’s what you can do to ensure you are well prepared for the bargain hunting. 

• Be sure to read the advertisement properly before heading out to buy it. Check that you know which branch the stock is available at, do your homework in terms of whether it is while stocks last or whether the deal is an exclusive online deal. 

• Be patient. This is a crucial time for businesses as well and as much as they should be providing every customer with impeccable service, there could be minor delays in meeting your needs. Remain calm and try to work with them so that they can meet your needs. Have the details on hand on the items you need to prevent confusion and a delay in your shopping trip. 

• Try to get ahead of the long lines by reaping the rewards of online deals. Most stores have great deals online and this could be the solution to prevent having to stand in long lines and to deal with unnecessary delays in-store. 

• Read the T’s and C’s carefully and try to ask about the returns policy before leaving the store this way you won’t feel deflated when you are made aware of something that will prevent you from returning the item for a refund post it’s purchase.

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com