Tag Archives: Armada Supply Chain Solutions

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Motion Connected

So, we got this new app at work called Motion Connected. It is basically a tracking app that takes information from your sports watch and downloads it to show how many minutes you work out per day/ per week. It also downloads the amount of steps that you take during a day and a week. That is all registered on your download to your phone from your sports watch, but now it also is downloaded to the Motion Connected app. It was an interesting idea that was just presented to us in July and a lot of people in the company are on board. The incentive is when you reach certain levels, you are eligible for a gift certificate purchased by the company for your use. Lots of different certificates available with the Motion Connect incentive program.

All forms of exercise are legal so whether you are on a mountain bike ride, or a road ride, or a run, or in the gym, all forms of exercise count towards the incentive program. Walking is also included and supposedly you have to reach a certain heart rate for the app to kick in. We also have monthly challenges. This month it is a cardio challenge, and I am not real sure what the criteria is for that, but somehow I am doing ok in that challenge. I am also competitive for the weekly steps and minutes of activity. But I started to let the old competitive juices kick in when I started to question the amount of time the top three guys registered and also the amount of steps registered. Some of us remarked that some people logged the equivalent of running 4 marathons per week and up to 5 hours a day of activity. Do they work? Are they somehow entering data manually? I was starting to get miffed because my minutes logged from my Garmin are for the times I was moving on my mountain bike and my heart rate was above 95 BPM. I usually ride between 110 and 160 BPM. I was working hard, and I wondered how these people were ahead of me and also ahead of some other guys that I know work hard on the road bike, running, mountain biking, and in the gym. I felt like it was not fair for the company to pay out gift certificate to some people who were somehow short circuiting the system.

I also realized that walking was legit and in fact it is often seen as the purest form of exercise with the best benefits. I respect the walkers too. But I still wondered how several people were so far ahead of the rest of us in minutes and steps. My friends at work were starting to chuckle at my competitive energy for a guy my age. And then, it hit me. What is the true focus of this app for the company? It is to have a fun way to exercise for an incentive, a little competition, but mostly to motivate people to exercise and take a proactive approach to their health. That is what it is all about, Pat. You dummy. So don’t get your shorts in a wad about what may or may not be happening to others. Just focus on the meaning of the app and the benefits it will have for all of us.

It’s funny. The older you get, sometimes the competitive juices still bubble up. So now, I am competing with our company employees. LOL!! At least that was in my mind until I realized that I am competing with myself to stay active, healthy and maybe get a gift certificate. I can sweat my head off in this friggin 90 degree weather for a purpose. Thanks to Laurie V and our HR department for thinking of this and making it available to every employee at Armada. The health care industry is trying to change by encouraging proactive behaviors. Companies may be rewarded with lower health insurance premiums for healthy employees. Wouldn’t you rather take care of your health and be rewarded by being proactive, instead of just having a pill thrown at you? I would. I am a fan of Motion Connected- now that I have the right attitude. Thanks for reading.

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Norm!!!!!

Norm Dick on the right in yellow ball cap. The Armada Supply Chain Solutions Colorado Relay Team

Back in the day, I was manager of the customer service department and the field service department and traveled a lot with my job for Armada Supply Chain Solutions. I am in my 25th year with Armada but in a different capacity now with very little traveling. But going back a few years, I was on the road working with suppliers and distribution centers. I always had my toys with me and either took some time to ride my road bike or mountain bike or ski in a lot of the areas where I traveled. When that was not possible, I always went for a run. But I always made it my business to do something fun and enjoy the places where I went for work. Business first, but always enjoyed something outdoors in the local area.

Crystal Mountain, Washington – one of my favorite ski areas to visit when visiting the Portland, Oregon, and Sumner, Washington DCs.
My old pals from the neighborhood- the Nicolette brothers. My guests at a Chipotle outing at A Basin, Colorado.

For two years, I was assigned to travel with our VP Norm Dick. I wasn’t too sure what to think because I had been pretty much on my own in my travels for the company. But Norm and I started to communicate, and it didn’t take too long to see that he and I were very compatible. Norm knew everyone in the McDonald’s system and introduced me to the real players in the world of the red headed clown. I, in turn, introduced him to my friends in the DCs and we got along just fine. You see, Norm liked to have a good time- business first, but have a good time for sure while traveling. He would take me to Ronald McDonald House golf outings as he was an excellent golfer and me……..not so much. I took my clubs one time to an outing in California and brought my father in law’s old golf shoes that I found in his basement. Norm took one look at them and threw them out the window on I-5 and said………” we need to get you new shoes.” My father- in- law asked where the shoes were, and I sheepishly replied, on my return, that they were on the freeway in California.

Norm and I went to Deer Valley to ski with our pal Chris Snelten who is the GM of the Salt Lake DC. We actually made our presentation in our ski gear and then hustled up to Deer Valley to ski with Chris who said that from now on, we need to do these presentations on the chair lift. Save some time. We all laughed. Norm made fun of my duct taped ski pants and said you can’t ski at Deer Valley with duct taped pants. I told Norm that I have skied in 111 different ski areas in my life and never got a blink on my clothes. We all laughed at that one too. I may not have been a good golfer, but I can ski, and Norm and I had a great time on the slopes as well as in the DCs making the pitch for managed freight and other customer related issues.

Scheming another trip with Norm.

When we had a team in the Colorado Relay, which was a 24- Hour trail running race to benefit Outward Bound, Norm was our driver and manager. He made sure we all were on time for our legs and if that meant kicking us in our sleeping bags on the lawn of a school, he did it. Wake up dummies. He met me at a bar in Copper Mountain at the end of one of my legs. He looked at me and said…..” you look like shit.” I laughed and said ” no kidding- I just ran 8 miles basically uphill at altitude” We ran those races as a benefit for RMHC and Norm loved it. He and Chrissy Mullen – our other manager and van driver kept us on track and in line. Chrissy ended up running it herself one year.

Norm and I traveled everywhere and there were a lot of laughs along the way. In what I thought was going to be a tough stint traveling with our VP, turned out to be one of the more educational experiences of my life. In more ways than one. I remember one time when we were visiting with a DC and a McDonald’s regional manager, Norm was confronted by the DC GM who said” what do we need Armada for?” ” You guys are just middle- men.” Norm looked at him and said ” fine- order direct and see the walls of your DC just explode out into the street.” He shut the guy up and the McDonald’s guy looked at me and I whispered to him…….” don’t mess with Norm.” Norm knew his stuff and if needed, he would say so forcefully. But always, Norm was well known and respected in the system. And he was hilarious. I could write a book on our travels and adventures but safe to say……. we got our work done and had a good time doing it.

Pat Heffernan – GM at Martin-Brower Cleveland and Pittsburgh DCs, with fellow cyclist and Armada VP of Supply Chain Engineering, JR Ellis. Ray’s – indoor cycling facility- Cleveland. We found all the cyclists and skiers in the McDonald’s system.

One more thing about Norm- he was an amazing driver. He could look at you and be making a point driving the Dan Ryan in Chicago at 80 MPH in the rain. I kept hinting to him to look ahead- but he was making a point to me. We always arrived in one piece. He never let me drive- I drive too slow. He said to me, ” how come you ski so fast and drive so slow?” One time in Atlanta ,he rear ended a pickup truck and complained that the rental car brakes were bad. He said he was going to report that when he returned the car. LOL!!! The guy we hit looked like he didn’t want to have any police nearby and didn’t want any part of the accident. He looked at Norm and looked at the cars and shook his head and quickly headed from the scene.

Norm is now retired in Chicago and also at his new winter place near Scottsdale. We keep in touch but there was nothing like traveling with Norm. We even got the wives in on it as Norm would refer to it as a “boondoggle.” He always asked about Janet Lee, and I always asked about Janet Marie. We had some good times on the west coast.

It is not often that people have good experiences traveling with their boss or a top brass in the company. Norm was the exception. Everywhere we went, people would give him the Cheers greeting…….”Norm!!!!!!!!!” I would laugh. Good times and always wish the best for Norm. Thanks for reading.

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Running on a Prayer

Back when I was getting tired of playing tennis, I saw a guy run by the tennis courts every day. You could set your watch by him and I decided in a very Forrest Gump way, that I wanted to run. I started out with some guys that I met and in no time……I was a runner. I entered races and even marathons eventually, and really liked the feeling when I was finished running. Kind of like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop. But running became my life before I got into cycling. Even then, I still ran in the winter but eventually gave that up to preserve my knees for skiing and road cycling and mountain biking. But suffice to say, I always enjoyed running in one way or another. I passed that enthusiasm to my friend from work-Danny Sigmund.

When I first started working at Armada Supply Chain Solutions, I met Danny who was s supervisor in the warehouse. He was real friendly and liked the fact that I was into running as he was as well. He was also very interested in staying in shape and the two of us had many talks walking the warehouse floor. He taught me a lot about supply chain and how Armada fit into the McDonald’s system. I was looking for all the information I could get at the time and Danny was always willing to talk and relate his experiences in serving the system. I always joke that we work for a clown- Ronald. You know. The guy with the red hair and the big red shoes. In any event, Danny loved his work and his enthusiasm spilled over to me as a relative newcomer to his world . I was working in customer and field service and needed a lot of information and help from the warehouse and Danny was always willing to provide any help he could.

One day he took me aside and told me in confidence that he had been diagnosed with cancer. It was not good and he needed a friend in a very real way. I tried to be there for him and we had a lot of talks about the “what ifs” and how his wife and family would be affected. As his case was pretty terminal, I felt the need to share my faith with him to explain the Good News and that there was a better world waiting for him if he was willing to believe. I gave him a very treasured picture in a little silver frame that my wife Janet had given to me. It was a picture of a runner with the verse from Paul’s letter to the Phillipians. Phillipians 3 verses 13-14 which talks about running the race and seeking the prize in Christ Jesus. You can see it above and below. I treasured this piece because it was from Janet and featured a scripture that referenced running. I gave it to Danny and told him the story about how Janet had given it to me. He was touched and appreciated the gesture and took it home as a reminder to stay the course and trust the Lord in all things – even with this very grim diagnosis.

Danny eventually succumbed to his illness and we were all distraught at work because we had lost such a good guy and a brave and relentless fighter. Danny’s wife was so appreciative of all the nice gestures from the company and the many friends that Danny had made there. Then the unthinkable happened. A few weeks after the funeral, Danny’s house burned down and virtually nothing was left. His family was devastated and everyone once again went into overdrive to help his family. It is amazing how tragedy follows some people and I really felt for the Sigmund family in a most heartfelt way. There was really nothing you could say that could possibly comfort them after the tragic loss of their husband and father and unthinkable devastation of losing a house to a fire. We all did our best at the company but after a time, the focus kind of waned and life kind of moved on. I tried to keep in touch but after a while, the Sigmunds regrouped and went on with their lives.

A while later, I received a letter from Danny’s wife and it was enclosed in a box containing my framed verse from Phillipians. I was stunned as I kind of forgot about it but was so glad to see it. The letter said that the picture meant so much to Danny as he explained to the family that it came from my wife Janet. They went on to describe in the letter that everything in their house was basically destroyed with the exception of a very few things which included this little frame and verse. They were amazed that it survived the fire and wanted me to have it back. We all chatted a few times after that and now that framed picture is sitting on my bookcase reminding me to run for the ultimate prize. It also reminds me of my wife Janet and her kindness. And finally Danny, who was comforted in his last days with the uplifting and positive message from the apostle Paul.

This taught me some lessons. Always share your faith because you never know when or how much your care and concern will matter. Share your treasures with your friends as they will most likely need them more than you. And finally, always be that friend to someone in need- no matter what. Even if it is inconvenient, late in the day, at a bad time, whatever. Be that friend that you can count on. Keep running that race. Thanks for reading.

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Being a Brand Ambassador

For those of you who know me, you are aware that I get excited about things. My friends always laugh and say, ” Really Pat, is this the best?” I say, ” this is absolutely the BEST!” They chuckle and laugh at my enthusiasm for a wide variety of products. Recently, I went camping with a friend and used an instant coffee called Alpine Start out of Boulder, Colorado. Now I am a bit of a coffee snob but cranking up my Jet Boil, I got the water nice and hot and used the packet of Alpine Start which is a convenient instant coffee for the outdoors crowd. I was pleasantly surprised and so was my friend when we sipped the absolutely delicious coffee each morning. When I tell you it is the best, believe me, it is. I can hear my friends, but try some Alpine Start.   info@alpinestartfoods.com

As part of my enthusiastic nature, I usually contact a company and tell them how much I like their product. In some instances, like with Alpine Start, they made me a “brand ambassador.” I am not on the payroll, I just get some courtesies for promoting the product and a nice SWAG box full of goodies. It is their way of saying” thank you” and hoping that I talk it up with my friends. So what makes me a candidate to be a “brand ambassador” for anything? Well, lets go to another example from my friend Niall who is in the bicycle industry. He asks me from time to time to post something on my blog about new lines that he carries. For that courtesy, he makes me a “brand ambassador” and I get more SWAG and some courtesies from his companies that he represents. I don’t do it unless I believe in the product, but Niall says that I cover a wide swath of outdoor people with whom I interact and that makes me, in his eyes, a good brand ambassador. I am not a pro athlete, I am not on the payroll, the companies just see me as an enthusiastic guy who might exert some influence on my friends in the outdoor world to try a particular product.

When I became certified as a ski instructor back in the day, it opened up another similar opportunity to take advantage of “pro deals” which gives me deep discounts on ski equipment and clothing. For this courtesy, these companies rely on us to use the product when skiing and generate some conversations on the chair lifts which may result in a sale of the product to the public. Again, not on the payroll, just promoting the products in exchange for some nice discounts on products which I would normally use anyhow.

Taking this a step further, being a brand ambassador can be applied to recommending a shop with whom I am comfortable. I like Dirty Harry’s Bike Shop in Verona, Pa. and recommend their products and services. Barry and the boys are always nice to me down there when I buy something or get my bike repaired. I appreciate their friendship and great service and recommend them mostly because they are my friends. I am not on the payroll, just promoting them because of their friendly expertise.

Taking this a final step, our marketing department for the company where I am employed recently had a lunch and learn where they said that we all are “brand ambassadors” for the company when we interface with customers, carriers, and suppliers. When you think of it, if you are employed, you are representing your company every day. In exchange for a good job, benefits,culture, and the occasional SWAG, you should promote your company like I do with Armada. We do a great job for our clients like McDonald’s, and they appreciate the hard work and ethic that we have in servicing their supply chain needs.

So again, you don’t have to be a pro athlete to be a brand ambassador. I do it as an employee of my company. I also do it for companies like Alpine Start where I believe in their product. I promote my local bike and ski shop. I also promote product which I believe is superior in the outdoors industry such as Stockli Skis, Lange boots, and Patagonia clothing. Yes I get a pro/bro deal, and it helps my financial bottom line, but I would not do it if I did not believe in the product. You have to be true to yourself, otherwise, you are just a deal monger and your influence and recommendations are nothing short of shallow. So, think about it. You can be a brand ambassador. If you are enthusiastic about a product, email the company and tell them. You never know, they might come back to you and ask about your sphere of influence and make you a “brand ambassador.” I doesn’t cost you anything other than the specified guidelines for promotion and your good word. Thanks for reading.