We have automated our inventory management system, reducing the workload of our warehouse manager by eighty percent. We want to expand his seat to include shipping logistics, but he lacks the tech skills to use the new software. How do we handle this GWC™ issue without losing his deep industry knowledge?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Technology automation often leaves long-tenured employees behind. If your warehouse manager's operational workload has dropped but he cannot master the new logistics software, you have a classic GWC™ gap. He gets and wants the logistics seat, but he lacks the capacity to execute it in a digital environment.

You must handle this immediately. To prepare for an exit, your operations must be streamlined and systems-driven, not reliant on manual workarounds.

First, give him a clear, time-bound opportunity to learn. Provide hands-on training and set a thirty-day milestone. If he cannot master the software within this window, you must make a seat change.

Do not keep him in the seat out of loyalty. This will frustrate your team and create a bottleneck. Instead, look for a different seat where his deep industry knowledge is a competitive advantage but does not require managing the technology. This could be a quality assurance, vendor relations, or safety compliance seat.

Meanwhile, you must place a tech-literate leader in the primary logistics seat. This ensures your systems run at peak efficiency, protecting your margins and proving to potential buyers that your technology-driven operations are stable and scalable.