Tamás Szabó joined our team exactly 10 years ago this year as a night storage administrator. Since then, he has moved up and up the ranks and now we are proud to welcome him to his new role, where he will have many challenges and, we hope, even more success.
Judit Bercely: Tell us a little bit about the last 10 years, how did you get to this position?
Tamás Szabó: In 2014, I applied for the position of night warehouse administrator, and then I became a night weigher.At the beginning of 2015, I was already a night warehouse manager. Then I moved to the day shift as a stock controller and in 2020 I became a day warehouse manager. I was also lucky because my managers always saw more in me than the position I was in, and I was very motivated by the opportunity to progress and the extra motivation I had. But you can only do that if you are in love with what you are doing. Even though 10 years have passed, I still love my job and I keep thinking about how to do something better, simpler and faster.
And of course you need the company, who lets you move forward, evolve. A very good example is our CEO, Simon Bertold who also moved from a regional representative to the most important post. I get a lot of support from him too, we have the same brain, which makes my job a lot easier. There is, of course, a certain amount of stress that comes with the transition, but I will strive to get to the point where I have at least 3 wrenches in my back pocket for any problem as soon as possible.
B.J.: What new challenges do you face as a national operational warehouse manager compared to your previous position?
Sz.T.: Perhaps the biggest thing is that while I used to have to concentrate on what was going on between the four walls, now I have to see beyond those walls. I have to coordinate much larger tasks and workflows. Furthermore, in addition to the two night and day teams in Budapest, I will now be responsible for the Győr team as director. This will be supplemented by tasks such as purchasing equipment, servicing and, of course, taking part in various negotiations. It was a bit daunting at first, but I'm sure that if you love what you do, you'll rise to the task. Of course, this also requires that I get the right support, which I get maximum from our logistics director, Józsi Magyar. There are indeed a lot of things I didn't have insight into before, but they leave room to catch up.
B.J.: What are the most important strategic changes you plan to make?
SZT: For me, increasing efficiency is the number one priority. In addition, full compliance with the authorities will be an important part of my work. I would like to see improvements in the extraction processes, which I am sure will improve the quality of our work. A major shortcoming was the lack of a buffer stock of certain equipment. Consequently, if a ladder, a pick-up truck, a work suit broke down, long days or even weeks went by to replace it, we would definitely change that. The logistics of doing this and keeping it up to date is also a new task, but we have already partially completed it.
B.J.: What new opportunities do you see for Matusz-Vad in the near future and how do you intend to exploit them?
Sz.T.: At the moment, I see the potential for development primarily in automation, we are thinking a lot about how we can use tape to make work processes such as picking and measuring faster and more accurate.
B.J.: Do you plan any changes in the way you work with internal teams?
Sz.T.: I have always seen one of the keys to Matusz-Vad's success in communication and constant contact, both in our collegial and partner relationships. If employees feel that they have a manager who not only listens to any problems or needs that may arise, but also visibly addresses them, it is an advantage for everyone. I believe that when you have a good-humoured team inside, work goes better.
I've already been in contact with several people from the Győr team, but I'd like to make it even closer and meet everyone personally. I plan to spend a day or night shift there once every two weeks, so that the colleagues there feel that I am there and that they can contact me about anything. This was not the case in the previous management, although it could be useful in many cases. Thinking together, looking into each other's work at the Győr and Budapest sites can bring about positive changes, as it is by no means certain that what works in one place will work in the other.
B.J.: Do you plan to develop the national storage network of Matusz-Vad in any way?
Sz.T.: For the time being, I am in the process of establishing real contacts with partners, as I have to get to know those partners with whom I have not been in contact. In the future, I would like to try to make a deal or bring in a new partner who can offer an even better service at an even better price. This could be related to the repair of machinery or the purchase of equipment and materials.
B.J.: How do you plan to use technological innovations to optimise your warehousing processes?
S.T.: As I mentioned, the introduction of automation is definitely one of them. I would like to continue to be able to measure the performance of colleagues, which may show where other methodologies and more/less people are needed. At the same time, in partnership with our IT department, we would like to integrate artificial intelligence into some processes, which could also bring improvements in several areas related to optimisation. This of course means a lot more work and a lot of testing.
B.J.: What steps do you plan to take to further strengthen Matusz-Vad's market position in the HoReCa sector?
Improving the accuracy of the measurement is definitely one of them. That is, to perform the necessary tasks as accurately and quickly as possible to ensure that the partner gets what he asked for when and where he wants it. From our side, added value can only be achieved if a shift can go off without any delays or delays.
