Every now and then, we like to shine a spotlight on the people who keep Autofulfil running like clockwork. This week, we caught up with Ejaz Humayun, our Warehouse Manager. Ejaz joined Autofulfil four years ago, switching careers from hospitality to eCommerce fulfillment right in the middle of the pandemic.
He started as an evening shift supervisor, learned the ropes while on the floor, and has since worked his way up to managing the entire warehouse . In this Q&A, Ejaz shares what it was like on day one, the lessons he learned along the way, and why he’s excited for the future.
When Did You Start at Autofulfil?
It was fun. I’ve been with the company for four years now. I was an operations manager back in Australia and then moved here to Ireland and worked in hospitality in a hotel just outside Athlone, but then Covid hit. Everything in hospitality shut down and I was bored – I’m a workaholic. So I ended up here as an evening shift supervisor.
What was your first shift like?
I started picking and packing as part of my training. A day or two later I was moved to work in the schoolbooks section. Within an hour, I thought, “This is not for me. I’m not doing this.” So I didn’t immediately think I’ll be managing here someday! (laughs). However, I got used to the processes and as I said, I listened and I learned and I got to know the job much better.
What did a typical day look like when you started?
A typical day back then was basically running a shift – delegating and managing a team of 18 to 20 on the evening shift, and making sure I met my KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) were always met and everything was running as smoothly as possible.
What changed along the way?
Initially, I was focused on learning the operation and understanding the basics and the issues I might run into. Because I was on the evening shift, I was left to deal with whatever came my way. That was a useful way for me to learn — finding my feet by making mistakes and learning from them.
Once I had the basics down, I started tweaking processes to suit me and the team, making sure there were fewer issues. Over time, those little tweaks made me a lot more comfortable in the role.
What’s something you picked up while working on the warehouse floor that helps you now in a management position?
I learned the value of taking time to find your feet, making mistakes, and then learning from them. After that, you put processes in place that help everything run smoother. That approach has definitely helped me as a manager.
When you were working on the warehouse floor, did you ever catch yourself thinking, “There’s a different process I could put in place here”?
Absolutely. For example, I devised a way for those picking orders to pick up to four orders in one go without losing any accuracy. The previous process had people often only picking one order at a time. The new system I introduced allowed us to work smarter.
Did you get any feedback that has stuck with you?
I was guided to ensure that everything ran smoothly and to make sure that I hit my KPIs, especially since I was a temporary employee at the start. When my probationary period was up, I was offered a full-time position. I think that was definitely in part because I hit every KPI and because of how I ran the operation.
How would you describe the culture at Autofulfil?
The culture here is like a family. It’s a team where we have each other’s backs, especially during peak season.
We’ve all been here long enough to see it coming, so we help each other out. We make sure all the prep work is done and that everyone is on the same page with everything – from the team briefings to making sure all the staff are motivated to reach our goals.
What would you say to somebody starting out?
Take it one step at a time. You have to work with people to earn their respect. Don’t come in and act like you’re the top dog or anything like that. Ask questions and learn from the people around you.
Is there anything else you’re excited for in the future?
We are changing things week in, week out to boost efficiency – that includes improving our picking and packing processes, restructuring how our storage works, and implementing better systems. It’s never-ending, and it’s always exciting to see those changes make a difference.
More and more clients are coming on board, and it’s great to see business owners come to us and realise we can take their stress away. We know what we’re doing here, so it’s really satisfying to see entrepreneurs and small businesses come to us and realise how we can help them.
We hope you enjoyed this inside look at Ejaz’s journey and perspective. Stay tuned for more interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the Autofulfil team!