Gone But Not Forgotten

Earlier this month Logile lost a great friend and customer when Tim Krueger, Labor Manager at Fiesta Mart, died following a battle with cancer.

Tim was well-known in the industry and he left positive improvements on the companies he worked for, among them HEB, Grand Union, Food Lion, Minyards, Bi-Lo, Lowes Foods and Fiesta Mart. I got to know Tim when I was at Supervalu and he was at Grand Union. Our paths crossed at industry trade shows, vendor sponsored symposiums and in occasional professional exchanges that covered what vendors could and could not do (despite what they told us), what worked and didn’t work in driving change in our organizations, and what the future of labor management might look like if we could imagine and develop the tools needed to fully support all aspects of a great labor management program.

In the course of his career Tim worked with multiple workforce management (WFM) vendors, enjoyed or endured every form of management placed upon him; and, he tenaciously went about his work with determination to get things done and make a difference. Especially early in his career, Tim was not shy about defending his views passionately. Like all good labor managers, Tim knew he was fighting for the best interests of his organization and on behalf of the people working in the stores who made it all happen: one day at a time, and one satisfied customer at a time. That held true if Tim had a department of employees he was leading or when he found himself to be the entire labor department with a few extra priorities being managed off the corners of his desk.

Like many of us that started working in Labor Management when scheduling was all done with pencil on paper, Tim had a knack for getting to the heart of the matter and making change happen. He killed more than his share of wild ideas from merchandisers, brought many-a-district manager to his senses explaining the labor difference between two very different stores that happened to have about the same weekly sales dollars, and packed his share of enhancements and ideas into every version and screen of WFM software that was capable of being improved by a vendor that cared enough to listen. Most especially, Tim was a dedicated champion of task based scheduling to help guide and reinforce the work plan for associates and to detail the effective placement of hours to deliver a company’s go-to-market strategies. His vision made a difference and it is becoming a key WFM strategy for a growing number of progressive retail companies. Tim’s vision survives his passing.

Logile is grateful for the opportunities we have to serve the clients we have. We pride ourselves at being a vendor that listens and cares, especially from those who share Tim’s passion and determination to make a difference; to make the product better, to make its use more effective, to get the job done right.

Nowhere in our code will you necessarily find Tim Krueger’s name or signature. But be assured it’s in there; and we are all grateful and better off for it.