Streamlining Supply Chains with High-Performing Workforce

Gianmichele Alivia serves as the vice president of distribution at EssilorLuxottica, a leading company designing, producing, and marketing ophthalmic lenses, optical equipment, prescription glasses, and sunglasses. Previously working as the senior director of distribution at Luxottica, he uses his visionary leadership and organizational ability to enhance logistics and supply chain operations. Reshaping supply chains for over 15 years, Alivia holds unparalleled knowledge in supply chain management and the distribution space. He is known for his unmatched ability to understand supply network challenges and alleviate them.

In an interview with Logistics and Transportation Review, Alivia sheds light on some of the challenges prevailing in the industry and how attracting and retaining a highly motivated workforce holds the key to streamlining supply chains.

Could you walk me through your key roles and responsibilities prior to and after joining Luxottica?

I was working in an industrial-based environment and was in charge of production allocation and planning, and inventory management. However, I got more inclined toward distribution in the past two and a half years. From working in the industrial manufacturing space, I gradually transitioned to pure logistics and distribution.  

Most of my responsibilities involve working with a good degree of automation in large distribution centers, where I faced certain kinds of challenges for the first time in my career. The pandemic brought with it staffing issues along with supply chain challenges. Companies were struggling to transport goods via air or water. The major challenges revolved around nearshoring, reshoring, and other issues. But the situation has improved now, and operations are back to working on autopilot. With expertise in working for a vertically integrated company, I do not see many of these supply chain problems causing severe implications. My current focus is on identifying and retaining the right talent to keep staffing issues at bay.

What are the challenges prevailing in the logistics and transportation sector?

Although organizations are urging employees to work from the office, there is a fairly large amount of people still working remotely or following the hybrid model. Similarly, the way people shop has also changed. E-commerce sites saw a huge spike in sales volumes at the beginning of the pandemic, with people relying on the internet for everything.

Post-pandemic, people are still mostly ordering and purchasing online. Though the brick-and-mortar retail stores are thriving, they are not creating the massive sales volumes that they used to pre-pandemic. The main challenge in the upcoming years will be to balance this shift and customer preferences while overcoming labor shortages. As an omnichannel company, we ship products directly, either through e-commerce channels or our own brick-and-mortar retail stores. To improve product sales through direct-to-consumer channels, involving retail stores, we need to revamp our distribution operations with increased automation and retention of a qualified and motivated workforce that manages distribution.

What is your sage advice to fellow peers and aspiring professionals in this field?

Investing in people is the need of the hour. More emphasis should be given to providing quality training to the new recruits and making them feel welcomed. Floor associates can be given additional leader visibility by spending more time on the floor and organizing events with senior leadership members.

Ensuring diversity within the distribution centers can also be a fruitful initiative. There are numerous events to honor different segments of the population, which have received wide appreciation. Black History Month is a very big hit in Georgia. Several other ethnicities are also celebrated, like observing Cinco de Mayo with our Latino associates over food and small giveaways. We have ongoing plans to commemorate our LGBTQ members in June. I cannot stress enough the importance of making every individual feel special and unique. Turning the distribution center into an inclusive place that adds a personal touch to attract employees alongside fair pay and benefits would impart a sense of appreciation in every individual.