Our Inside iJility: 10 Questions with Our Experts series continues as we highlight the talented leaders shaping the future of workforce solutions. This time, we’re featuring Mitch Gant, a seasoned expert known for developing creative, out-of-the-box workforce solutions across eCommerce, fulfillment, retail, reverse logistics, and more. With a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, Mitch has spent over a decade optimizing labor strategies, designing warehouse workflows, and implementing large-scale operational improvements. His expertise has been instrumental in driving over $65 million in successful warehouse designs, WMS systems, and B2B/B2C labor solutions. In this interview, Mitch shares his perspective on workforce trends, process optimization, and what he thinks the future of supply chain operations will look like.
1. Introduce yourself and tell us one little-known fact about you.
My name is Mitch Gant – I’ve been working with iJility for the past 3 years and have been working alongside this team for the past 15 years. One little-known fact about me is that I worked for a figurative ceramics company in sales and finance right out of college.
2. What does your typical workday look like?
Connect with operations around any open action items, usually spend time connecting with team members around projects we are currently working on, and about 50-65% of the time on the road performing assessments and observations, otherwise working up said assessments and working on continuous improvement and strategic initiatives.
3. What are the most critical decisions you need to make in this role?
Where are opportunities to improve process throughput? Determining effective pace and timing versus structural constraints that inhibit optimal elemental process times. Being able to discern these and identify opportunities separates the good from the great.
4. How do you motivate your team and foster a productive work environment?
I’m very big into collaborative problem solving, bringing key stakeholders into the design and planning sessions of the business development process, and encouraging input and feedback help identify opportunity and reinforce collective buy-in for process changes.
We have weekly touchbase meetings to go through projects and keep the team abreast of projects in various stages of the development lifecycle. I encourage my team members to celebrate successes and explore outside of the box solutions, leveraging their unique skillsets and interests. Sometimes it means researching automation software or equipment or developing a prototype for work-aid testing. There’s nothing like seeing something go from an ‘off-the-wall’ lightbulb to fully fleshed out solution that significantly drives value for our employees and our customers.
5. What are the biggest challenges facing the industry you work in, and how do you plan to address them?
There’s been a general move away from contingent labor, which limits the amount of doors that we can open for new logos. I think that playing up our strengths as a business capacity/workforce optimization partner could assist us in moving away from a ‘temp-help’ substitute and more towards an interactive strategic partner for businesses facing extensive growth.
6. How do you define success within your role as VP of Engineering Services?
At the end of the day, it’s all about providing value to our customers – whether that’s through cost savings, expert insight, or strategic planning; being the team that the customer relies upon to develop quick, effective solutions that push the ball down the field. I strive for quick turn-around projects that exceed customer expectations and free them up to focus on their long-term goals. We want our client partners to be looking towards their 2, 3, and 5-year time horizons, and being the solutions provider that takes care of the “here and now” gives them a huge leg up in a competitive
7. What key lessons from your early career still influence your work today?
As much as it can limit the ability to scale, staying close to the ground floor has always been a bellwether for me in terms of my ability to see and diagnose problems in a site’s performance. There’s something to be said about going out and really dissecting the work content first-hand that leads to insights you can’t get from looking at the data from afar. It’s always a little more complicated than you think, but once you peel back the onion it leads to more robust and long-lasting solutions. marketplace so we can grow with customers for the long-term.
8. How will your industry continue to evolve? What are your predictions?
Successful companies are highly aware of the metrics, throughput, and workforce utilization needed to drive their bottom-line performance. Cost-per-Unit labor solutions have a very strong seat at the table to meet competitive market demands, and I anticipate we will continue to grow across multiple industries. Our primary focus historically has been in warehousing and logistics fields, but I can see the same cost and service centered solutions taking hold in non-traditional spaces like service industries, especially those with clearly defined deliverables and business processes. As it becomes easier to monitor and track performance, whether you are packing a retail order in a warehouse, stocking shelves in a grocery store, or ringing up customers during the holiday season, cost-per-unit labor solutions bring budget-certainty and guaranteed throughput aligned with our client’s business objectives.
9. How will technology and AI change the future?
Technology is always evolving. When I started it was heavy conveyance systems and put/pick wall systems that led to more automated AS/RS and fully robotic solutions. I think the trends will continue, but without skilled operators that can adapt with the pace of technology the true ROI will be lacking. This is a business segment I feel like we can heavily leverage for future growth with the right client targets. In addition, for AI applications, I see more integrated AI forecasting and modeling suites for statistical analysis. This will allow our team to become more nimble, offer more solutions-based services, and get ahead of trends and insights. Our customers can then adapt to business environments and changes in both macro and micro-economic climates.
10. What helps you keep inspired and focused in your field?
It’s an absolute blessing to work with such a talented team here at iJility. I’m fortunate to have been able to learn, grow, and eventually lead my own department, alongside an executive team that have been trailblazers throughout their entire careers. No challenge has been too big to take on, and the opportunities to learn new and exciting technologies, like Locus Robotics’, explore unique industries, and collaborate with wonderful business partners keeps me fresh and energized week after week. The fact that the same founding team that created Cost-per-Unit labor solutions 20+ years ago leads our company, alongside our team of proven solutions-minded professionals with decades of experience in CPU, fosters an environment of confidence, teamwork and collaboration that keeps me driving forwards.
About iJility
At iJility, we are committed to helping businesses like yours optimize their workforce and overcome labor challenges. Schedule a discovery call to learn how we can help you build a custom solution with fast results.
