Field Notes from the Transition #1
Series Introduction: Field Notes from the Transition
For the past several months, I have shared the philosophical framework of Three Stone Projects. We explored alignment, the discipline of decision making, and the importance of grounding every project in operational reality.
Now, it is time to move from the theory of the "between space" to the actual warehouse floor. I am beginning a new series titled Field Notes from the Transition. These are ten practical, executable tips earned from three decades of standing where technical logic meets human reality. Each note is designed to act as a cairn, a marker built stone by stone to help you navigate the uncertain terrain of technology and growth transitions with confidence.
Let's begin…
The "Square Peg" Readiness Audit
The Observation: I have walked into many facilities weeks before a WMS kickoff where product is staged in aisles, locations are inconsistently labeled, and supervisors spend a significant portion of their day answering questions that should not need to be asked. The implementation team is focused on software configuration and training schedules, yet the floor itself is struggling to maintain basic operational discipline. They expect the software to create order, but in reality, the system is about to inherit the disorder that already exists.
The Tip: Perform a physical logic audit of your floor before you allow a vendor to begin configuration.
The Executable Step: Walk your racks and staging areas with a critical eye for the rough operational edges that a computer cannot smooth over. Here are examples of what you are looking for as indicators of readiness.
Check for scannable barcodes on every single location, staging area, dock location.
Observe if your operations team can work independently without relying on the tribal knowledge of a few tenured employees.
Ensure consistent processes are being executed in each operation rather than individual workarounds.
If your team is still improvising in real time to compensate for these gaps, your operation is not ready for a software kickoff. I can help you identify these rough edges and put a plan in place to smooth them out so your technology investment has a stable environment to land in.
Why This Matters: When you implement software on top of unstable processes, you are simply scaling a bottleneck. If these rough edges are not addressed early, the implementation timeline will slip, costs will compound, and your team will eventually revert to the old survival habits they trust. Most implementation failures begin when organizations assume the system will solve problems that actually belong to the operation.
This post is part of the Field Notes from the Transition series. You can review previous Field Notes in the series on my blog site. Stay tuned for my next observation from the middle of the operation.
