In Their Shoes: Tom Olson

In Sioux Falls, SD, Concordance is fortunate to have a very experienced, dedicated and knowledgeable leader with many years of service. Tom Olson, Sioux Falls Operations Manager, has been with Concordance for thirteen years. In this role, Tom is responsible for providing leadership, overseeing warehouse operations, ensuring accurate and timely customer order fulfillment.

According to Joe Golden Jr., Director of Distribution Operations, “Tom exemplifies dedication, to his team, the company, the industry and most certainly, the customer. I don’t believe I‘ve ever heard him say he couldn’t do a task and he’s never been afraid to tackle any project. He started his career as an Order Picker and has risen to Operations Manager, overseeing the Sioux Falls warehouse. When he’s not leading his team in South Dakota, he’s traveling to other locations, applying his significant technical depth.”

Golden continues, “On numerous occasions he’s provided support in various capacities, such as helping establish new warehouses in Idaho and Illinois; providing training assistance at our warehouses in Montana and Minnesota.” Follow along as we learn more from Tom as he takes us through highlights of his day.

Morning Highlights
Upon waking up, I review emails to prepare myself for the upcoming day during breakfast. For me, any breakfast at home is much better than the continental breakfast I receive while traveling on the road. I find that the most enjoyable part of my day is the one on one time I spend with my daughter, Isabella, taking her to school every morning. Isabella is in the third grade and enjoys dance, chess club, attending church group and also is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

When I arrive at work, my schedule involves a team huddle to plan out the week and discuss any upcoming news, events, picking errors, schedules and the Minnesota Vikings. I’ve found that team building and perfecting warehouse processes are always constant topics up for discussion.

I meet with my manager to discuss operations, statistics and any upcoming projects. My manager has been a huge part of my professional growth with Concordance as he pushes me to become a better leader. He has been a great mentor and helps drive structure and organization in managing my team.

Afternoon Highlights
Operational workflow is constantly on my mind as I walk through the facility and assess the productivity in each area. It is important that the product is received, picked, and shipped correct the first time ensuring there are no issues that interfere with the customer’s commitment to patient care.

By completing quality control (QC) assessments on customer orders, I am able to identify where process improvements can be made to maximize our employee’s efficiency. In 2019, the Sioux Falls warehouse pulled 249,000 lines with only 41 picking errors, which is a location record and a huge accomplishment for the warehouse staff.

To conclude my day, I conduct a final warehouse walk through ensuring that all operational tasks have been completed and the facility is prepared for the next day. I am blessed to have two great families that keep me going; I have my family at home and my Concordance family both of whom keep me motivated.

Concordance Healthcare Solutions is committed to operating with integrity, unwavering commitment and exceptional service through our culture of excellence. Through our dedicated staff of over 1,000 employees, working in strategically-located distribution centers across the country, we offer dynamic supply chain solutions to the entire healthcare continuum. Visit our careers page to learn more about opportunities to join our team.