After nearly 40 years of working my way up from the ground floor, I’ve learned that business isn't all that complicated: it’s about people. I’ve always been the guy who likes to walk into a messy situation, listen to the team, and figure out how to make things run right. I don't believe in band-aid solutions; I want to find the real problem and build a fix that lasts. That means getting everyone pulling in the same direction, treating vendors like partners, and keeping an eye on new technology that can make our work easier and smarter.
My leadership philosophy is centered on empowering teams and building operational frameworks that are both resilient and adaptable. I bring a wealth of experience in strategic planning and process optimization, using methodologies like Lean to not only streamline workflows but also to create a more intuitive and responsive customer experience. By carefully stewarding financial resources and aligning them with strategic goals, I help create a stable yet agile foundation that supports sustainable growth.
One of my most rewarding experiences involved spearheading a major company consolidation, unifying disparate operations into a newly designed, state-of-the-art distribution and production facility. This complex undertaking was about more than logistics; it was about building a cohesive new future for the company. The result was a seamlessly integrated operation that dramatically improved inventory integrity and set a new standard for operational excellence, positioning the organization for its next chapter of success. I thrive on bringing this blend of strategic vision and hands-on leadership to organizations poised for meaningful transformation.
Tom Hoffman
strategic lean operations
thanks for your interest. appreciate you!
Meet The consultant
how it started
It all started in my boss's wood-paneled office in 1986. Palm Brother's was a third-generation family business growing faster than they could keep up, and the strain was starting to show. He called me in, slapped a thick stack of invoices on his desk, and pointed to a number he'd circled in red on his legal pad.
"Tom," he said, his voice heavy with concern, "our UPS bills are astronomical. Can you just... figure out why?"
"Sure," I said, thinking I'd spend a few hours on the phone getting some answers from our local rep. What I discovered was that I wasn't looking for a cheaper shipping rate; I was pulling a loose thread that unraveled the way this company had been run for seventy years.
The high shipping costs were from a flood of last-minute, overnight orders. Those were happening because our inventory counts on the stock cards were all wrong. The counts were wrong because the receiving department's process - a system of handwritten logs and memory handed down from father to son - was, to put it kindly, "creatively chaotic."
I spent the next few days with a clipboard and a pen, following that single thread from one overflowing filing cabinet to the next. What I'd finally sketched out on the whiteboard in the conference room looked less like a business process and more like a 5000 piece puzzle that had been accidently spilled out of the box all over the kitchen table!
I realized then that no department is an island. A small inefficiency on the loading dock can cause a five-alarm fire with the salesmen on the phone and a budget crisis in accounting. Most owners, especially in a family business, are too busy putting out the fires to ever find the source of the smoke.
That's where my fascination with operations truly began. I found I had a knack for seeing the entire "puzzle" with all the different pieces, shapes, colors, and of course the four corner pieces! I understand how all of it connects, and gently putting them together into a streamlined process that works. So when a business owner comes to me with one "simple question" about a costly problem, I know the answer is rarely simple, but that finding it is the most rewarding part of what I do.
tom@hoffmanoperations.com