Most warehouse leaders spend their day solving problems instead of preventing them. Here's how to flip the script to go from firefighting to proactive warehouse management.
Warehouses are buzzing with activity, with workers and forklifts constantly moving around heavy product to keep up with demand and high operational expectation.
Yet, too often, warehouse leaders find themselves stuck in a never-ending cycle of reacting to problems instead of preventing them. This reactive approach can create a "whack-a-mole" situation where every problem they solve seems to pop up again somewhere else.
As Evan Stinson, host of the Warehouse Visionaries podcast, recently said on an episode:
"There’s a little bit of a stigma in logistics where everyone kind of feels like they’re running around trying to solve problems and never actually able to get ahead. There’s not enough hours in the day to actually do everything."
While reactive warehouse management is common, it comes at a high cost.
It can lead to higher incident rates and damaged product, lower productivity, and workers that are trapped in crisis mode.
The key to breaking free? Stop chasing problems and start preventing them before they escalate.
The Root Causes of Reactive Operations
To escape the "whack-a-mole" cycle, warehouse leaders need to understand what keeps them stuck in reaction mode:
1. Lack of Accountability
Accountability is the foundation of an efficient warehouse. Without it, supervisors struggle to enforce standards, and employees may repeatedly make the same mistakes without correction.
But as Justin Emmons, Director of Customer Operations at OneTrack, put it:
"Not just accountability at the employee level, but accountability at the leadership level. And working through what does that look like? How are your supervisors using the information to then coach your employees?"
Without accountability, mistakes are addressed inconsistently, and employees don't receive the feedback they need to improve.
2. No Structured Data-Driven Decision-Making
Warehouses generate mountains of data, but its often not easily accessible or requires IT resources to make sense of it. So, many leaders are often left swinging blindly—reacting based on gut feelings instead of clear, real-time insights.
As Evan noted:
"If I'm a supervisor or ops manager, I likely don't have enough time to go through and spend hours in dashboards, hunting through and analyzing data."
One of the best ways to get data out of spreadsheets and dashboards, and into the hands of people who may not always be data analysis experts, is with a WarehouseOS (here's everything you need to know about a WarehouseOS).
3. Inconsistent Processes Across Teams
When processes differ between shifts, teams, or even individual supervisors, it creates confusion and inefficiencies. Employees may receive mixed messages about best practices, leading to unsafe or inefficient work habits.
As Jesse Luse, Implementation Engineer at OneTrack, explains:
"It's important to understand your building's standards and best practices and safety requirements and to have that tool in your back pocket going into that conversation with the employee."
A lack of standardized procedures prevents organizations from scaling improvements and ensuring consistent quality and safety.
How to Shift to Proactive Warehouse Management
The key to breaking free from the reactive cycle lies in developing a structured, proactive approach.
Here are three steps to achieve this transformation:
Step 1: Identify Leading Indicators
One of the biggest shifts in moving from reactive to proactive management is focusing on leading indicators rather than just reacting to incidents. Leading indicators are behaviors or conditions that suggest a problem is likely to occur if left unaddressed.
Some common leading indicators include:
Not looking in the direction of travel
Hands off the steering wheel
Distracted driving (looking at RF scanners, paperwork, or cell phones)
Obstructed dashboards
Improper use of PPE (not wearing safety glasses, vests, or helmets)
As Justin noted:
"Simply turning your head and looking in the direction of travel would eliminate so many incidents from even happening."
By tracking these behaviors, warehouse leaders can address risks before they turn into costly accidents.
Step 2: Implement Structured Coaching and Accountability
Once leading indicators are identified, they must be addressed through structured coaching. One-off conversations are not enough—there must be a system in place to track, follow up, and reinforce improvements.
Jesse highlighted the importance of immediacy in coaching:
"When it comes to coaching opportunities, for example, with an operator, it's best that those coaching sessions happen immediately—ideally on the same day—so you’re being proactive and focusing on what can be improved right now. Otherwise, if the same issue comes up tomorrow, you’re in firefighting mode juggling today’s operations and yesterday’s unresolved coaching opportunity."
During the episode, Justin said,"Make sure that you have that process defined. Make sure that you have a measure. And then make sure that you have accountability on top of it."
He recommended implementing a structured process using these 3 pillars:
Process: Establish clear warehouse operating standards and expectations.
Measure: Track performance against defined KPIs.
Accountability: Ensure that both employees and leaders are held accountable for improvement.
Step 3: Use AI Tools Like OneCoach for Data-Driven Coaching
One of the biggest challenges warehouse leaders face is balancing data-driven decision-making with limited time and resources. AI-powered coaching solutions, like OneTrack's OneCoach AI, simplify this process by surfacing key insights and providing guided coaching prompts.
As Evan highlighted:
"If you always focus on what's the most important next step, then you're not going to be running around to all the different fires. You're going to be systematically knocking out the most important things all the time."
So rather than manually combing through different systems and spreadsheets, supervisors can use a tool like OneCoach AI to:
Identify recurring issues for individual employees
Get recommended coaching strategies based on past behavior
Ensure that every coaching session is data-backed and structured
Go From Reactive to Proactive Operations
Transitioning from reaction-based chaos to structured prevention doesn’t happen overnight. It requires:
A shift in mindset—from firefighting to strategic prevention
A commitment to structured accountability
The right warehouse technology to enhance decision-making
But once the cycle is broken, the benefits are undeniable:
Safer work environments
Higher productivity and shipment quality
Greater profitability
By identifying leading indicators, implementing structured coaching, and using tools like OneCoach AI, warehouse leaders can finally escape the "whack-a-mole" trap and build a truly proactive operation.
And as you look to make this shift in your own warehouse, remember the core principles: Process, Measure, and Accountability. Get these right, and you’ll never have to chase the same problems again.