operations.
The engine room. Warehouse, equipment, logistics, H&S and IT — the physical and technical foundations that let projects ship reliably and safely, every time.
the short version.
Operations keeps Zeal running. If a truck is loaded, a gig is prepped, an item is checked in or out — Operations made it happen.
If you only read one paragraph: Operations owns the warehouse, equipment, logistics, H&S and IT. The day starts with a toolbox talk. Every returning item is scanned and reconciled in CurrentRMS. Discrepancies are logged in Monday.com and the PM is tagged. Nothing skips a scan, nothing waits “till later”, and no one works in the warehouse without being briefed first.
For roles you fill, use the tabs above. Detailed processes live in the disclosure panels — click to expand.
what operations owns.
Operations covers seven connected areas. They are not separate departments — they’re the same team protecting the same thing: that the work can actually happen, safely, on time.
warehouse
The space, the racking, the routes. Andy and the warehouse team set the standard and protect it daily.
- Layout and zoning
- Access protocols
- Daily operating procedures
- Cleanliness and order
equipment
Every item out, every item back. Prepped to standard, returned to standard. If an item is broken, it doesn’t go in a project box.
- Prep to spec
- Check-in & reconciliation
- Repair logging
- PAT & lifecycle tracking
logistics
Delivery and collection of sub hires and non-project transport. Booked, loaded, scheduled against the Sub Hires in Monday.com.
- Vehicle booking
- Load planning
- Driver scheduling
- Inbound & outbound timings
health & safety
H&S is everyone’s job — Operations holds the standard for how we operate at Zeal-owned facilities, and keeps records of everything.
- Risk assessments
- Incident reporting
- Toolbox talks
- Compliance & audit
facilities
Everything from lighting to locks to lavatories. The building has to work for the team to work.
- Building maintenance
- Vendor & service contracts
- Security & access
- Cleaning & consumables
IT
Quiet infrastructure. Email, network, accounts, backups, support. Most days you don’t notice it — that’s the goal.
- System administration
- Access management
- Backup & recovery
- Day-to-day support
continuity
When something breaks — a van, a server, a supplier — Operations gets us back to working. Resilience, not heroics.
- Spares & backup kit
- Supplier relationships
- Insurance & compliance
- Recovery playbooks
Operations and Projects are separate playbooks because the questions they answer are different. Projects asks “how do we deliver this?” Operations asks “how do we keep being able to deliver?” Both are needed every day.
the shape of a day.
The warehouse runs on a daily rhythm. Every working day starts with a toolbox talk and ends with a clean floor. The hours in between are where the real work happens — prep, check-in, loadouts, returns.
toolbox talk
Day’s workload, prep status, truck movements, H&S, risks & changes. Led by warehouse manager or assigned lead. Five minutes that protects the next eight hours.
work takes place
Prep & pull, loadouts & returns, check-in & scan, test & service, repairs and maintenance. The shape changes day to day — the standard doesn’t.
reset & tidy
Floor walked, areas reset, doors locked. Ad-hoc end-of-day talk where the day calls for one — a late inbound, an incident, a change of plan for tomorrow.
toolbox talks.
The toolbox talk is the foundation of a safe, aligned day in the warehouse. It’s short, it’s daily, and it’s not optional for anyone working that day — internal or external. If you’re working on the floor, you’re at the talk.
04 · A processhow a toolbox talk runs
A clear, consistent five-minute briefing — same shape every day, so nobody has to guess what’s coming or what’s expected.
- when
- At the beginning of every working day. End-of-day or ad-hoc talks may be added when the day calls for it — a late inbound, an incident, a change of plan.
- who attends
- Anyone working in the warehouse that day — internal team and external crew. No exceptions.
- who leads
- The Warehouse Manager, or the assigned Warehouse Lead for that day. The lead is named — never assumed.
- where
- On the warehouse floor, in the toolbox-talk zone. Standing, brief, focused.
- record
- Attendance and topics noted by the lead. H&S items raised get logged for the running register.
what gets covered
- Overview of the day’s workload & priorities
- Status of prep / pull activities
- Scheduled truck movements — inbound & outbound
- New or ongoing health & safety considerations
- Risks, changes or incidents that need awareness
- Reinforcement of safe working practices
end goal
By the time the talk ends, every team member — internal or external — should:
know their tasks
Tasks, responsibilities and ownership for the day are clear and unambiguous.
had room to ask
Questions raised, answered, or assigned. No one leaves the briefing unsure.
aware of changes
Any deviation from yesterday’s plan is on the record before the work starts.
The result is an aligned team with clear daily direction, improved operational efficiency, and a safer working environment. Five minutes that protects the next eight hours.
equipment prep & return.
Every project starts and ends in the warehouse. Kit goes out prepped to standard, comes back scanned and reconciled. The prep side is still being documented; the check-in side — what happens when a return rolls in — is below in full.
05 · A processpreparing equipment for a project
How a project’s kit gets pulled, tested, packaged and signed off as ship-ready — to a standard the next person can trust.
Document the prep process — pull lists against CurrentRMS, test & tag, packaging standards, sign-off — and the return / restock path that picks up where check-in finishes.
owner · Andy05 · B processchecking in a return
A defined chain — Check-In Lead, scan, reconcile, report, follow-through — so missing items are caught early and jobs reflect real-time status.
- owner
- Warehouse — Check-In Lead. A lead is assigned for every return.
- support
- Project Manager (PM). Tagged on the report; advises on next steps.
- objective
- Ensure all inbound items are accurately checked in, discrepancies are identified quickly, and missing items are properly tracked.
the process
job handling
How the job is treated depends on whether it’s already been invoiced. Both paths end in the same place — real-time accuracy in CurrentRMS and a clear PM decision on costs.
keep the job open
Notify the Project Manager and Accounts. The job stays open until the discrepancy is resolved and the commercial position is settled.
close & raise a ZEQ job
Close the original job. Create a new ZEQ job labelled “Missing Items” to carry the rest of the work cleanly.
The PM advises on next steps — write off, pass on costs, or replace — for all missing or damaged items. No automatic write-offs.
the rules
no item skips scanning
No exceptions. No “I’ll get it later”. The scan is the thing.
missing items are documented
If it’s missing, it’s on a Missing Items Report. If it’s not on the report, it’s not missing.
jobs reflect reality
Real-time status in CurrentRMS and Monday. No backlog of “we’ll reconcile next week”.
Accurate inventory in CurrentRMS. Visibility in Monday.com. Clean job tracking. When the next project pulls kit, what’s there is what the system says is there — and that trust is what lets the warehouse function at speed.
warehouse operations.
The warehouse layout, workflow, access protocols and daily operating procedures. The rules of the floor — what goes where, who can be in what zone, and how kit moves through the building from inbound to outbound.
This is also where the Storage Manager lives — the portal tool that keeps track of stillages, crates and loose items as they move around the warehouse and out on jobs. Stays in sync with CurrentRMS; gives the floor a single view of what’s where.
Document warehouse layout, zoning, access protocols, daily operating procedures, and the Storage Manager workflow for stillages, crates and loose items. Will move to a dedicated process page once drafted.
owner · Andymaintenance & repair.
Scheduled maintenance, repair logging, PAT testing and equipment lifecycle management. The work that keeps the kit working past project one.
Document the scheduled maintenance calendar, repair logging in CurrentRMS, PAT testing cycle, and equipment lifecycle management (when to repair, when to retire).
owner · Andylogistics & transport.
Transport booking, vehicle management, loading procedures, delivery scheduling. Moving the kit from here to site and back, on time, intact.
Document transport booking, vehicle management, loading procedures and delivery scheduling — and how they connect to TeamTrack and CurrentRMS.
owner · Andyhealth & safety.
H&S is everyone’s job. Operations sets the standard and holds the line. The toolbox talk (section 04) is the daily front door — but the wider system needs documenting in full.
Document H&S policies, risk assessment standards, incident reporting, toolbox talk requirements and compliance. Toolbox talk process is captured in section 04.
owner · AndyIT infrastructure.
The systems behind the systems. Email, network, accounts, backup, support. Most of the time you don’t think about it — that’s the goal.
Document the IT systems overview, access management, backup procedures, and support process — including how to raise a ticket and what’s covered.
owner · Andyquick reference.
frequently asked.
A live FAQ will sit here once the playbook is in circulation and we see where the real questions land. Not invented up-front — grown from what crew, PMs and warehouse actually ask.
owner · Andychange log.
| version | date | author | summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 26 Apr 2026 | Steve | Initial playbook published. |