Bringing in experience from the retail industry, Samantha Loveless was appointed as warehouse manager in January 2006, previously with Amazon UK. Joining the company with absolutely no knowledge of sound equipment, but with considerable knowledge of warehousing, she has successfully implemented some rigorous changes to propel the company forwards as a leading rental and sales facility.
She commented: "On joining the company it was clear that it had enjoyed considerable growth in only a few years, and inevitably the warehouse infrastructure had failed to keep up with this pace. Whilst I had no real experience of sound equipment, the principles of warehousing and stock flow are the same, so I'm delighted to report that my suggestions for improvement have been acted on. I'm looking forward to building on this into 2007 and beyond."
Part of this streamlining has involved dividing the 15 permanent warehouse staff members into two distinct yet complementary divisions: 'Goods In & Warehousing', headed by long-standing Orbital member Phil Dormer; and 'Engineering', headed up by former freelance engineer, Chris Mace. Tasked with re-structuring the system so that all Orbital's prep engineers monitor and service a project from its inception through to its final installation, Mace explained: "I'm delighted to be working as part of such a dynamic team, we've seen a dramatic rise in customer satisfaction plus we're confident that all our equipment leaves the building in pristine condition."
Pivotal to the success of the reorganisation program has been the instigation of rigorous 'Inward' based technical testing. As a new division within Orbital's already extensive Technical Support department, Charlie Garrick now heads up the routine testing of equipment as it re-enters the facility. All loudspeakers, microphones and electronic kit are custom-tested around a suit of PrismSound dScope digital audio analyzers, Orbital developing the test routines in conjunction with the relevant manufacturers.
There are also other new appointments: Dariusz Kizewski, formerly at VDC, has joined Orbital as full-time assembly wireman, while Keith Hutchinson joins as project manager, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge of theatre sound installations gained during a prolific freelance career.
Orbital Sound's MD, Chris Headlam commented: "A modern warehouse needs to be run military-style. It is a constant challenge to perfect seamless operations. We've committed a massive investment into doubling the staff, improving technical testing and expanding the space, including adding a new mezzanine to increase prep space. Our warehouse is the hub of the company, which is why we've even added the latest intelligent scanning systems from mainstream retail. We feel confident that we now have the best-equipped facility in Northern Europe from which to supply our customers."
(Lee Baldock)
