Page 302 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

CORE VALUE: EXCELLENCE
Top to bottom: Alex Vazquez & Tom Bagwell— Peterson Trucks in 2015; The Great Game of Business scoreboard
Toward the end of 2017, Navistar offered a size- able rebate to dealers who placed bulk parts or- ders, to help Navistar reach their year-end goal. Once management gave the go-ahead, the project fell squarely on the Peterson Trucks parts department. “My team was tasked to make this happen from an opera- tional standpoint,” says Kevin Sinclair, PTI parts opera- tion manager in San Leandro. “Our challenge was how quickly, and safely, we could off-load these trucks, get the inventory checked in, and move on to the next truck. And then where were we going to store it all?”
Tom Bagwell introduced the Great Game of Business back in 2014 when he became VP of Peterson Trucks.1 “We do a lot of games at Peterson Trucks to help us with operational challenges like lowering expenses or selling more product.” The concept is based on open- book management and transparency, using motivational
games to increase efficiency and profitability. And every year since, PTI has been using the Great Game of Business to top the previous year’s sales volume and profitability.
Sinclair decided to turn the Navistar challenge into a game called Op- eration Organize & Simplify. For five days in November 2017, he and his crew pushed their limits by unloading and checking into inventory $6 million dollars’ worth of parts, bringing their total inventory to an unprecedented $10 million worth. To handle all that, they had to think outside the box. “Normally the truck driver and one of my guys unloads a truck, which takes about an hour. For this, I kept two guys to cover the regular parts duties, and the other nine were out unloading trucks
WINNING WITH THE GREAT GAME OF BUSINESS
1 The Great Game of Business is a book describing how author Jack Stack turned around a company by using the concept of open-book manage- ment—and games—to inspire his employees. It is widely taught in business schools across America.
300 | PETERSON: 85 YEARS AND GOING STRONG