aynard® is actively helping retailers of all kinds – grocery, apparel, drug, and mass merchandise – to improve their Labor Management capabilities. Recognized as a leader in the areas of industrial engineering and productivity management, Maynard’s retail project work focuses on the implementation of the Maynard Workforce Performance Model™, with special emphasis on the 5-S, Best Methods, Engineered Standards, and Staffing & Reporting disciplines. This emphasis drives productivity improvement while enhancing the customer experience.

Maynard clients succeed in meeting and sustaining improvement objectives because we help them to create a continuous improvement culture. The Maynard methodology strategically prepares and shapes the workforce to not only accept change, but to drive change. Step-by-step, the appropriate disciplines from the Maynard Workforce Performance Model are introduced. A typical project in a retail store might include:

• Create a Culture of Discipline – 5-S, a systematic approach for creating a clean and organized workplace (i.e. store or DC), begins to change the culture and create a desire for discipline among the workforce.
• Improve Work Methods – as a culture of discipline develops, associates begin to identify better ways to do their work. We train teams in the principles of Best Methods to identify, test and implement improved work methods.
• Document Work Standards – the improved work methods are documented and standard times are developed. Training tools are developed to communicate work methods and expectations to the workforce.
• Train the Workforce – our experience is that associates want to know how to do their job and what is expected of them. When appropriately trained, a workforce with discipline will execute as expected.
• Accurately Staff to Meet Customer Expectations – knowing what work is required, how long it will take and having the confidence that a trained workforce will deliver, makes staffing much easier. We refine current tools or introduce new ones to aid managers with staffing and scheduling labor.
• Manage Performance – if all conditions remained the same, managing would be easy, but conditions do change. We prepare managers to maintain or improve workforce performance even when the unexpected occurs. We help them to understand how to identify and resolve performance problems.

Through this methodology Maynard helps its clients to:

• Reduce labor costs
• Efficiently staff its operations
• Enhance the customer experience
• Create a desirable place to work and shop
• Increase profit margins