How to Go from No System to World-Class Operations on Arda

Purpose

Guide your organization from informal, ad hoc inventory practices to a disciplined, reliable system powered by Arda. As the business owner or initiative champion, your role is to lead change, align the team, and create habits that endure—not just install software or labels. This guide helps you orchestrate that transformation with support from an Arda Manager and front-line staff.

Steps

1. Establish Ownership and Accountability

Transitioning to Arda requires a named person responsible for inventory outcomes. This is your Arda Manager—ideally a trusted team member who understands supply needs and communicates well across functions.

• Make it clear: this person owns “never running out.”

• Communicate their authority to resolve supply issues and adjust systems.

• Ensure weekly accountability check-ins (e.g., “What is working?”, “What isn’t working”, “where are we hitting headwinds?").

Your Role: Back this person visibly. Don’t let others bypass them or undermine the system.

2. Align Around a Clear Vision

Introduce Arda not as a tool, but as a new standard: “This is how we run supplies here now.”

• Paint a picture: What will a world-class system look like in 3 months?

  • No more verbal or lost requests.

  • Fewer stockout.

  • Less chaos.

• Link it to business goals: lower costs, less stress on the floor, and fewer fire drills.

Your Role: Repeat the vision consistently and model adherence.

3. Start with a Focused Pilot

Avoid “rollout to everyone” at first. Begin with 1–2 teams or supply categories where failure is common or felt most.

• Let the pilot team shape early wins and help adjust the process.

• Choose early adopters and make their success visible to others.

Your Role: Use the pilot to create momentum, not perfection.

4. Reinforce System Behavior—Not Just Tools

Success comes from habit, not just cards and dashboards. Make system use part of everyday expectations.

• Example: Scanning cards is the only way to request supplies.

• No exceptions: lost cards are replaced, not ignored.

• Celebrate good scanning behavior in meetings or dashboards.

Your Role: Hold the line. Don’t let “just this once” habits return.

5. Create a Culture of Visibility and Feedback

Arda enables transparency—lean into it.

• Review card activity and order volumes weekly with the Arda Manager.

• Share what’s working and what’s not with the team

• Let employees flag bad cards or gaps—they’re your QA system.

Your Role: Make results visible, and respond to friction swiftly.

6. Use Rituals to Anchor the System

Embed Arda into recurring workflows:

• Celebrate wins in team huddles

• Reinforce the "4 S" routines—Sort, Set in Order, Shine, and Standardize—as part of the shift change.

• Stop and fix issues when they come up.

• Monthly review of top missed items or broken loops.

These aren’t optional extras—they are how the system stays alive.

Your Role: Protect these rituals from slipping.

7. Manage Change Deliberately

People naturally resist change when it feels unfamiliar, adds work, or challenges how things have always been done. Your job is to help them see the value, feel supported, and experience the benefits firsthand.

• Acknowledge the effort: “I know this is a shift, and I really appreciate everyone working through the changes.”

• Explain why it matters: “We spend $300k/year on supplies. A system like Arda helps us control waste, avoid chaos, and focus on the work that actually matters.”

• Highlight the impact: “Since using Arda, we’ve had far fewer stockouts, less downtime, and fewer fire drills. We’re spending less time reacting and more time running smoothly.”

• Clarify what’s in it for them: “This system isn’t about adding tasks—it’s about fewer surprises, less scrambling, and more predictability in your day.”

Your Role: Be the story-teller and barrier-clearer. Keep reinforcing the ‘why’ and celebrate progress along the way. Keep reinforcing the ‘why’ and celebrate progress along the way.

Common Issues

• “We already have a system.”
  Response: Ask, “Does it prevent stockouts? Does it scale? Does it survive turnover?”

• “This is too complicated.”
  Response: Focus on simplicity—All you have to do is move a card or one scan replaces five other steps.

• “No one’s using it.”
  Response: Reset expectations, remove workarounds, and reward compliant behavior.

• “It worked at first but fell apart.”
  Response: Review progress weekly. Systems need reinforcement, especially early on.