Around this time, many people go on well-deserved holidays. Some have been looking forward to it for ages and the early ones have already returned, complete with enthusiastic stories about how beautiful and spectacular it was. Fromfrom a business perspective, holidays are not always something to look forward to.

In the ideal situation, the company closes its doors for three weeks, only to return refreshed and rested and all together. Unfortunately, for most companies, that is a thing of the past. Customers do not accept that a company is unavailable for three weeks and that deliveries and service cannot be called upon during that period.

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Achieving that continuity requires shifting people around to take over tasks from each other when the other is away for a few weeks. Standardised processes that are well-documented then help to ensure a smooth handover, but unfortunately practice is often more recalcitrant and not all exceptions and all work experience can be captured in documentation.

Then there can be awkward situations ont. The colleague who knows 'everything' about that customer is not there and now comes a question that we really don't know what to do with.

Positive

Yet shuffling and following up can also be seen in a positive light. Handing over tasks forces us to think carefully about how processes work, and perhaps a colleague will ask why you do something the way you do it. A fresh perspective or a critical question can also be a good reason to take another look at improvement potential. Perhaps things could indeed be smarter, more convenient, faster or cheaper.

In case, just before the holidays, there is no time to introduce changes, we can make a note, so we can work on it when we are back fit and rested.

Leaving peacefully behind

If everything is transferred well, you can leave things behind with peace of mind and enjoy a holiday. An additional advantage is that you can then also go on holiday with peace of mind, without having to keep checking email or getting phone calls every time. This way, you can use the holidays as holidays are meant to be: recovering, resting and relaxing, so that when you return, you can perform at your level again.

Frits de Wind - Logistics consultant