Regaining 19 hours of work per week for a wholesaler in Podgórze
The owner was overloaded with operational control of every delivery. We introduced an authorization system and 4 decision matrices. Now the team solves 87% of transport problems themselves. The owner focused on looking for new markets.
The owner of Hurtpol spent evenings approving fuel invoices and deciding on driver routes. The company in Podgórze was growing, but he was increasingly tired. We rebuilt the decision-making rules so that the team stopped asking about every detail.
The challenge
In February 2024, Hurtpol employed 14 people, but the president still acted as if in a sole proprietorship. Every day he received about 58 phone calls with questions about trivial matters, such as the purchase of packing film or choosing a mechanic for a car. Even a route change of 12 kilometers required his signature.
Due to this blocking of processes, the company was losing about 3,200 PLN per month just on transport downtime. Drivers waited in the parking lot because the boss was in a meeting and couldn't answer the phone. He himself worked 13 hours a day, including almost every Saturday, which began to affect his health and home relationships.
Our approach
We started with raw facts. For 12 business days, our team from Korona Corporate Governance analyzed every decision that landed on the owner's desk. We calculated that 83% of them could have been made by warehouse or office employees.
Then we organized two specific workshops for 4 section leaders. We set hard boundaries: what is a 500 PLN decision, and what is a 10,000 PLN one. We didn't beat around the bush – employees were afraid to take responsibility because they didn't have clear rules. We had to write down these rules and implement them as a foundation of their daily work. Frankly, the biggest challenge was convincing the owner to stop controlling every zloty spent.
The solution
We implemented 4 decision matrices that clearly say: who, when, and up to what amount decides independently. Every section manager received an operating budget of up to 4,500 PLN per month. Now they don't have to call the boss when a forklift breaks down – they just call the service.
We created a 'red flags' system – only situations threatening a loss above 12,000 PLN or a delivery delay of more than 4 hours go to the board. Additionally, we introduced a simple service request form, which cut phone chaos. Facts matter, not promises, so every process was documented on one A4 card hanging in a visible place in the office in Podgórze.
Results
The owner regained time for strategic thinking and finally started leaving the office at 4:30 PM. The wholesaler operates more efficiently, and employees feel more confident in their roles.
Timeline
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February 2024Audit of 112 recent decisions and analysis of management working time
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March 2024Development of authorization matrices for 4 department leaders
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April 2024Implementation of operating budgets and procedure testing
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May 2024Final check of results and reporting optimization
"Principles stronger than the crisis was a real rescue in my case. Previously, I was afraid to turn off my phone for an hour. Now I check reports once a day and see that the team knows what to do."