<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=TU_PIXEL_ID_AQUI&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Contact
Staci Americas Blog

The Expertise Behind Our High-Performance Fulfillment: An Interview With Colleen Bowers, Paxon NAM Mid Market's Assistant Vice President of Operational Excellence

by Staci Americas on Oct 29, 2026, 12:40:27 PM

Paxon NAM Mid Market's fulfillment accuracy doesn't happen by accident. Behind every performance metric sits a culture built on consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement, driven in large part by the team's Operational Excellence function. We sat down with Colleen Bowers, Assistant Vice President of Operational Excellence at Paxon NAM Mid Market, to talk about what that function looks like day to day, how performance data turns into action across the network, and where she sees the work headed next.

Operational Excellence at Paxon NAM Mid Market

What does Operational Excellence mean at Paxon NAM Mid Market?

Wow, this is a loaded question! At Paxon NAM Mid Market, Ops Excellence means creating an environment where consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement are embedded in our culture. It is about continually challenging ourselves to find better, smarter, and more efficient ways to operate while delivering the level of service our clients expect and deserve.

We support a diverse portfolio of clients, each with unique operational requirements. Our responsibility is to establish standardized processes and best practices across our network.

My favorite, though, is empowering our people. When team members have clearly defined processes, the right training, access to performance data, and the tools to succeed, they are better positioned to deliver consistent results.

Ops Excellence is not a single initiative or department. It is a mindset of shared responsibility across the organization. Our goal is to build an operation that is proactive rather than reactive, where we continuously identify opportunities to improve before they become challenges for our clients.

“In my opinion, it means consistently doing the right things, the right way, with the least waste, while delivering high-quality results and creating value for our customers.”
Maurice
Maurice Carson
Hazmat & Safety Compliance Manager

 

When it comes to providing high-performing fulfillment, how does the Operational Excellence Committee drive success for both team members and clients?

Our Operational Excellence Committee plays an important role in strengthening collaboration, sharing best practices, and driving continuous improvement across our network.

One of the greatest advantages of operating a multi-site network is the collective knowledge and experience of our teams. The committee provides an opportunity to bring those together, identify common challenges, recognize successful practices, and develop solutions that can benefit the broader organization. We want our team members to feel that their experience, feedback, and contributions matter. Some of the most valuable operational improvements come directly from the individuals performing the work every day.

I think for our clients, this translates into greater consistency, improved quality, and stronger operational execution.

“Operational Excellence is about identifying what works well across our workflows and finding ways to make our teams more efficient. Once we identify and implement improvements, we share what we've learned across the network so sites can benefit from those best practices. By learning from each other and sharing knowledge, we can continue improving how we work and develop best-in-class leaders across the organization.”
Ronak
Ronak Patel
Labor Planning Specialist

Performance and Visibility Across the Network

How do you keep SOPs accurate as Paxon NAM Mid Market's operations evolve?

Maintaining accurate and relevant SOPs is difficult as our network continues to evolve through new client implementations, technology enhancements, and changing operations requirements.

We have established a centralized SOP library to provide our facilities with access to standardized processes and work instructions. This helps ensure that employees are working from consistent expectations while providing a structured approach to process documentation and updates.

The real value is the verification of ensuring those procedures reflect how the work is actually being performed, and that employees are properly trained when changes occur. Recently, our operations team did a SOP Blitz to incorporate improvements into our documentation.

“I believe quality starts with strong standards, attention to detail, and a willingness to jump in wherever needed. My approach is to identify gaps, find practical solutions, and work alongside the team to make sure we're doing things the right way, not just the easy way. I'm always looking for ways to improve our processes and prevent issues before they become bigger problems, because fixing it once is great, but not having to fix it twice is even better.”
Karina
Karina Delserro
Operational Standard and Training Manager

 

Could you explain how Paxon NAM Mid Market's Operational Excellence Dashboard gives leadership clear visibility into KPIs and performance across the network?

The dashboard is in the making, and set to release before the end of the year. The design behind it is to provide leadership with a more centralized, transparent view of operational performance at both the site level and network level. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone.

Having consistent, reliable data is essential. Without it, identifying trends, comparing performance, and determining where additional support may be needed becomes more challenging.

We view dashboards as tools for action, not simply reporting. Visibility alone does not drive improvement. What matters is how we use the information to ask the right questions, understand root causes of performance gaps, and implement meaningful corrective actions.

Creating a culture where data drives accountability, supports collaboration, and helps us continuously raise the standard of performance across the network is the golden ticket.

“I believe data is one of our most powerful tools for driving Operational Excellence. By turning data into actionable insights, we can identify opportunities, improve processes, and measure the impact of our efforts. The goal is to help turn those insights into real, measurable results.”
Rebekka
Rebekka Hildebran
Senior Operational Excellence Program and Data Specialist

 

Can you provide a few examples of how this view into performance has translated into action across the network?

One example is how we approach productivity and labor performance. By evaluating operational trends and productivity metrics across facilities, we can identify variations in performance and work with local leadership to better understand the contributing factors and, in turn, help bridge the gap.

Another example is our focus on order aging and fulfillment execution. Having visibility into outstanding orders and operational backlogs allows us to identify where additional attention or cross-functional support may be required. Rather than waiting for an issue to escalate, we engage the appropriate teams, investigate underlying causes, and establish targeted action plans.

The Future of Operational Excellence

Looking ahead, what do you want future clients to know about how Paxon NAM Mid Market approaches Operational Excellence?

Love this question! Operational Excellence is not just a commitment we make during the onboarding process. It is an ongoing investment in our people, processes, technology, and performance.

Our responsibility extends beyond moving products through a warehouse. We are an extension of our clients' operations, and our performance directly impacts their customers, their brand reputation, and their ability to grow. We take that responsibility seriously.

As we look ahead, our focus remains on continuing to strengthen standardization, expand digital capabilities, improve operational visibility, and create proactive approaches to resolving challenges.

We are investing in the development of our people, because technology and processes alone do not create high-performing operations. It takes knowledgeable, engaged employees who understand the importance of what they do and how their work contributes to the overall client experience.

We are a competitive group, and we are never satisfied with simply maintaining the status quo. We are constantly looking for opportunities to improve how we operate, how we collaborate, and how we deliver value.

“To me, Operational Excellence means continuously finding ways to work smarter, safer, and more efficiently while delivering consistent, high-quality results. It's about using data to identify opportunities, standardizing best practices, and empowering our teams to take ownership of improvements. By working together, sharing knowledge across our network, and turning ideas into measurable results, we can build stronger operations, develop our people, and create lasting value for our customers and our business.”
Bailey
Bailey Cahill
Operational Excellence Intern

 

Paxon NAM Mid Market's Next Chapter in Operational Excellence

Several ongoing digital transformation and continuous improvement initiatives point toward where Operational Excellence is headed at Paxon NAM Mid Market, including Lumiform, HSI LMS, Power BI, a centralized SOP library, RetailReady, Conduit, Asana-driven corporate audits, WMS enhancements for hazardous materials visibility, and a dedicated Safety Bulletin program. “Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate our commitment to building more efficient, standardized, compliant, and scalable operations across our network,” Colleen says. That approach stays proactive rather than reactive, anticipating challenges and leveraging data and technology to drive improvements and continuously strengthen processes.

As Colleen puts it, “This positions Paxon NAM Mid Market as more than a fulfillment provider. We are a strategic logistics partner committed to operational consistency, continuous improvement, and delivering measurable value to our clients.”

Ready to put Operational Excellence to work for your brand?

Contact Paxon NAM Mid Market to get started

No Comments Yet

Let us know what you think

See all

See all

Subscribe by email