As part of a new initiative operations staff and Trader
Representatives are getting together monthly on a Friday morning to discuss
current operational matters around our market. The early signs are that this is
a very effective way of cutting through red tape, predicting problems before
they become an issue, and generally improving the communication chain between
management and traders.
The catch-ups are the brainchild of Operations
Manager Matt Ryan and Trader Representative Ivano Guseli and came about with
the realisation that many issues facing traders and management can be made a
lot simpler by early discussion and a common understanding.
A number of issues have already been resolved
through this process with Trader Representatives from different market
precincts taking part in joint discussions with Market Officers and operations
staff. A recent example concerned late cancellation of storage boxes in an
emergency. Traders who do not cancel their storage boxes by the cut-off time are subject to removal
fees which can be substantial. If the reason for the late notification is a
genuine emergency (vehicle break-down or sudden illness for example) then all
parties, including box hire operators realise that there needs to be a special
arrangement with either no fee or a minimum fee. Details are currently being
worked through but we can expect a formal procedure shortly.
Another example concerns contact telephone numbers.
One of our Trader Representatives raised the problem of traders not knowing
what telephone numbers to call on different issues. All traders will have now received
an SMS giving them appropriate contact numbers.
It is great to see grass roots initiatives like
this working for the benefit of all participants at QVM.