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Cal Wilson / June 30, 2025

Reducing employee soap waste in the workplace

It may seem like a small thing, but the price of soap can add up in your budget over time. And while you never want to discourage your employees from exercising proper hygiene, there are common reasons why these supplies end up experiencing excess waste, which costs your business money in the long run. To reduce this source of unnecessary spend, here are some tips and tricks.

Don’t change dispenser cartridges too frequently.

Unchanged soap dispenser cartridges can lead to problems; bacteria buildup is a big concern. Likewise, a cartridge left empty means that employees are lacking hygienic options. However, changing them too frequently has monetary consequences to be aware of.

Changing a cartridge before it’s entirely empty could be potentially “throwing away 50 to 100 milliliters of usable soap (equal to 25 to 50 hand washes).”  Depending on the traffic around that dispenser, that’s quite a significant number of washes.

Don’t skimp on dispensers.

The right soap dispenser is imperative to reducing employee waste. First, you want to make sure you’re spending the money upfront on one of quality, which will lead to less breaking and spillage in the long run. Let alone, the cost of replacing a faulty dispenser.

Likewise, the type of dispenser matters. Touch-free, automatic soap dispensers not only reduce the transmission of germs but also decrease the frequency of soap waste by dispensing the exact necessary amount per handwash. They’re more expensive than manual pump dispensers upfront, but long term, help control costs.

Many automatic soap dispensers are designed to dispense foaming soap, which is also an advantage. Foaming soaps tend to be better value than liquid alternatives, with some estimates saying you get up to 50% more hand washes for the same cartridge size.

In conclusion


Right now, the facility supplies you need to keep a hygienic workplace – and the cost of having them regularly delivered – are more expensive than ever. The last thing you need to spend extra money on is soap. By ensuring you’re using the right product, in the right dispenser, and changing it at the proper frequency, you can save considerable money on this expense every year.

Cal Wilson / June 24, 2025

Is Generosity the Most Underrated Leadership Skill?

Leadership isn’t about a title or position — it’s about generosity, says organizational expert Joe Davis. Drawing on his extensive experience as a people manager, he shares three essential tips for leaders to unlock the potential of their teams by listening generously, embracing vulnerability and leading with humanity — and shows how it’s possible to both earn trust and drive results.

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Cal Wilson / June 16, 2025

The classifications for LTL shipments are changing – here’s what you need to know

The National Motor Freight Classification system has made some updates on how it classifies less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. The changes go into effect on July 19th.  If your business or organization uses LTL services to move your product, here’s what you need to know about these new classifications.

Who is the National Motor Freight Traffic Association?

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) is a nonprofit membership organization and the world’s leading organization representing the interests of LTL carriers. The association’s membership is comprised of motor carriers operating in interstate, intrastate, and foreign commerce. Meaning, their membership may include your LTL vendor. Therefore, their new classifications could impact your services.

The changes you need to be aware of.

Industry experts are expecting the NMFTA’s changes “to streamline classifying LTL Freight.” Its classification system – The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) – has been critiqued in the past for being very confusing, and the aim is to simplify it. Its goals are to:

  • Simplify the classification using a “standardized approach based on density, handling, stowability, and liability.”
  • Enhance user experience, by making the classifications easier to understand.
  • Increase efficiency, by making freight classifications more accurate.

This will be accomplished by introducing:

  • A standardized density scale for LTL freight with no handling, stowability, and liability issues
  • Unique identifiers for freight with special handling, stowability, or liability needs
  • Condensed and modernized commodity listings
  • Improved usability of the ClassIT classification tool

What does any of this actually mean for shippers?

If you’re not sure what any of this means, that’s okay. Industry jargon can be hard to understand from the outside. But if your business uses LTL for operations, here are the important things to keep in mind. NMFTA says that, for shippers, “identifying your freight class will be easier, but you may need to provide handling unit dimensions and weight.”

Meaning, that in the long run, this should make your life easier, however, if you fail to be proactive about the new classification systems, it may result in misclassified shipments, which could then cause unexpected charges, delays, and disputes. These changes are being implemented July 19th, so theoretically, charges and delays could begin as soon as then if you don’t take the time to review the new classifications and ensure all your shipments are in order.  It’s also a good idea to contact your provider and ensure all the classifications and changes are made on their end as well.

If your company uses LTL providers that operate in the United States, NMFTA recommends reviewing all the changes on their bulletin, found here.

In conclusion


Proactivity is key. If you’re a business that ships products with LTL providers, be aware of the new classification changes, and ensure you’re not accidentally misclassifying your goods come July 19th.

Cal Wilson / June 10, 2025

Should you be screening your applicants’ social media?

It’s hard to learn everything you need to know about a potential hire from a resume, cover letter, or even an interview. People tend to put their best foot forward in this situation, and that can make it tricky to get a full picture of who you’d be inviting into your business or organization. Since the advent of social media, employers have had, essentially, a free tool to help them screen employees and learn more about that full picture. But is this practice helping your hiring efforts or wasting your time? In this issue of the Pulse, we take a look.

 What kind of screening are employers doing?

According to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, the majority – 60% – of U.S. hiring managers believe “employers should screen all applicants’ social media profiles.” The survey also found that:

  • 41% feel social media sites are among the best places to source candidates
  • 70% utilize social media to research potential job candidates
  • 17% research every single candidate on social media
  • 69% find looking at candidates’ social media profiles is effective
  • 51% have never found content on a social media site that caused them not to hire a candidate
  • 86% report being likely to consider a candidate who does not have an online presence

When employers are screening candidates, it’s typically because they’re looking for disqualifying content on their online profiles. There are many examples of what that could mean, including:

  • Illegal activities
  • Offensive comments/posts
  • Violent or aggressive behavior
  • Explicit material
  • Posts regarding former employment

To find these, employers can look at any publicly available social media they can access through a search. If it’s out there on the internet, it’s fair game. According to Matt Erhard, managing partner of Summit Search Group, the most common sites used to screen applicants are LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (Twitter). Though, many employers won’t go beyond LinkedIn, citing its particular relevance to their interests.

Candidates are savvy to this practice.

Whether or not you believe screening potential employees is effective, candidates may not allow themselves to be caught with any publicly visible compromising posts. The Harris Poll also found that 66% of job seekers don’t feel that social media profiles should influence their likelihood of being hired. Many of these candidates are likely to be cautious about which profiles are going to be seen, using aliases or private profiles on pages where they can be a bit more relaxed about what they post.

If this is the case, using social media screenings may be less effective or authentic than you would hope. Many people treat LinkedIn, for example, as a resume, and you may not be able to glean any additional insight from their profiles.

Some warn against this practice.

It’s not just social media savvy candidates who may prevent you from seeing anything you’re not meant to see. Some experts warn against screening employee social media for more practical reasons. If employers aren’t careful about the information they choose to collect and consider about an applicant, they may inadvertently find themselves treading a gray area legally, especially if it leads to a rejection. This can be interpreted as biased or discriminatory, based on what is visible on a person’s profile. Likewise, many profiles can include outdated or incorrect information, which doesn’t help an employer make an informed decision.

In conclusion


Using social media as a screening tool for employers come with both drawbacks and advantages. In any case, employers should be careful and think critically when using it to judge an applicant.

 

Cal Wilson / June 2, 2025

Uniform prices may be impacted by tariffs – businesses be prepared

If your business relies on uniforms, PPE, or any other vendor-provided workwear, you may find the numbers on your invoices increasing. Tariffs and supply chain issues alike are impacting professional clothing prices, and your vendors may have no choice but to raise their rates.

In this article, we take a look at how prices are being impacted, and what businesses can do to protect themselves from runaway costs.

How are prices being impacted?

Many of the nations that are major textile hubs for US suppliers are among those affected by tariffs. These include countries like:

  • Cambodia
  • Madagascar
  • Vietnam
  • Sri Lanka
  • Bangladesh
  • China
  • Pakistan
  • Tunisia
  • India

Importing products manufactured in these countries will be more costly than before. Some vendors are adjusting where they source their products from. Others may shift to focus on domestic production, though this is still not without added costs. Regardless, some vendors may be left with little choice but to increase prices as the price of providing textiles also increases.

Uniforms may be hit harder than other textile markets.

For some textile markets, such as retail fashion, the hit will really be to the brands rather than the consumers. As one financial analyst said, “tariffs do not give companies permission to raise prices. Consumers give permission to raise prices.”

Meaning, if clothing brands raise prices, they may lose customer loyalty.

And while this may be true in B2C situations, it’s not so simple when the customer is a business purchasing essential supplies for operation. Businesses simply cannot choose to not purchase uniforms or PPE. It’s a must. So unfortunately, avoiding those rising costs may be difficult.

What can your business do?

If your business orders or leases uniforms from vendors that will be impacted by tariffs, don’t fret. While you may see prices increase, as with other materials needed to operate, they don’t need to be a runaway expense. Our recommendation? Don’t just accept any rate increase or change at face value. Research vendors, read their tariff-related statements and policies, including where they source their materials from, and see if there are better solutions out there. Likewise, you can work with third parties who will do this work for you.

 

Cal Wilson / May 27, 2025

Why Joy and Flexibility Are Good for Business

“In the future, companies will succeed or fail based on how much their people enjoy their work,” says management consultant Rosie Sargeant. She offers three tips to make work more joyful, increase employee retention and boost customer satisfaction, suggesting how fun (like kangaroo-themed employee check-ins) can be both professional and profitable.

 

Cal Wilson / May 20, 2025

AI is changing the SaaS landscape

Whether or not you’re a fan of AI, the undeniable truth is that it’s making waves in a lot of different areas that may impact your business or organization. If you use any Software as a Solution (SaaS) services, and rely on them for operations, you may find AI making an impact on your future.

In this article, we take a look at AI and the future of SaaS.

Many SaaS providers are adding AI functions to their suite of products.

Many SaaS providers have already begun adding AI-powered tools to their services. Microsoft Copilot, for example, might come to mind. But it’s not just search AI assistants. CRM providers have started adding tools like AI-generated sales emails, chatbots, and predictive analytics. There are many possibilities for the ways in which SaaS companies can expand their offerings with AI.

As the Software Equity Group says, “AI’s ability to process and learn from vast data enhances SaaS applications, making them smarter and more adaptable. This integration means SaaS products can offer personalized experiences, automate mundane tasks, and unearth insights that were previously out of reach.”

Is AI as a Service replacing SaaS?

Artificial Intelligence as a Service – or AIaaS – is a new trend making waves in the SaaS landscape.

As best put by Forbes, “AIaaS does more than just store data or perform tasks—it actually thinks, learns, and improves over time. It is designed to make decisions, automate work, and adapt based on user behavior.”

Meaning, instead of just providing the user with the tools to complete a task – whether that be storage, word processing, etc. – AIaaS products can analyze data, generate insights, and automate some of said tasks.

With companies like Microsoft, Zoom, Salesforce, Google, and others holding such a big space in the SaaS market, it seems unlikely that SaaS is going anywhere soon. However, AIaaS offers a new and exciting opportunity for developers to make a footprint in an emerging market, and for companies to hop on a trend that will keep them current and competitive. Likewise, as expectations for AI integrations increase, SaaS platforms that can best utilize these tools will find themselves at a distinct advantage.

In conclusion


Regardless of how you feel about the technology, it’s impossible to separate AI from the future of the software your organization relies on. In the coming years, you can expect to see it change the way these programs operate, making them smarter and more automated.

Cal Wilson / May 5, 2025

To lower costs, companies are focusing on reducing return rates

Product returns are always an unhappy expense to a business. But if that involves paying for a customer to ship the product back to you, that expense is amplified. Amid rising expenses, including climbing shipping rates, many businesses are looking to combat budget constraints by tackling return rates. In this article, we take a look at this predicament, and what can be done to avoid your shipped goods being sent back to you.  

How much of an issue are return shipments?  

In 2024, the average return rate for ecommerce was 16.9% of sales – though some retailers are looking at numbers closer to 30%, depending on the product. Clothing and shoes, as well as other items requiring specific sizing, are often returned at higher rates. This number is also climbing, more than doubling from an average of 8.1% in 2019.  

That’s a pretty staggering number, when you picture between 17 and 30 of every 100 e-commerce purchases being returned. Then, imagine the shipping costs and other expenses associated with that rate. In 2024, consumer returned products cost American businesses $890 billion. On average, the cost to process a return can be anywhere from 20%–65% of the item’s original value. 

Trends show brands are changing their return policies.  

The Reverse Logistics Association’s (RLA) returns index for 2024 found that major brands are strategizing against cost increases by addressing return policies. Among a selection of American top hundred retailers: 

  • 30% charged restocking fees 
  • 75% limited what could and could not be returned 
  • Many offered better return options through subscriptions and customer loyalty programs 

Likewise, a different study by ReturnPro found that “that nearly 60% of retailers have keep-it policies for items that aren’t financially viable to ship back.” 

This isn’t only because of rising costs. The rise of fraudulent returns is also on the rise, causing a “significant issue” for as much as 93% of retailers. Protecting yourself against this expense is an important part of your logistics and fulfillment strategy.  

How do you reduce your business’ return rates?  

Charging for certain returns or having no-return policies on some items are some of the strategies businesses are using to reduce return rates. Some practices you may want to implement, if possible, include: 

  • Directing customers to post returns to your warehouse, rather than a brick-and-mortar store 
  • Directing customers to drop off returns physically, rather than shipping them back 
  • Including clear limits and cut offs in your return policy – for example, clearly stating how many days the customer has, what condition the item must be in, and what can be exchanged versus refunded 
  • Including clear and easy-to-find product information to reduce the amount of unnecessary returns 
  • Investing in smarter packaging materials to ensure the amount of returns due to damage in transit is minimal  
  • Investing in third-party software that can help identify and blacklist serial return fraud offenders 

Of course, returns will never entirely disappear. Mistakes happen, both on the seller and buyer’s ends. However, there are steps that can be taken to reduce your rates, beating the 17 in 100 statistic.  

Cal Wilson / April 29, 2025

The Science Behind Dramatically Better Conversations

The key to deeply connecting with others is about more than just talking — it’s about asking the right kinds of questions, says journalist and author Charles Duhigg. He explores research-backed tools to have more meaningful conversations, sharing a simple yet powerful approach to transform how you communicate.

Cal Wilson / April 21, 2025

Don’t dismiss the importance of tires in your fleet’s fuel spend

Gas prices can fluctuate and make it hard to budget for your annual fuel expenditure. However, there are other factors that might be impacting your fleet’s fuel expenses. One of them is tires. It may not sound like a crucial part of the fuel mileage equation, but poor tire condition can severely deplete your vehicles’ fuel efficiency.  

In this article we look at the connection between tires and fuel, and how you can ensure you’re not missing an opportunity to become more fuel efficient.  

How do tires impact fuel efficiency? 

Many aspects of your vehicles’ tires impact their fuel efficiency. These include: 

  • Pressure 
  • Quality 
  • Alignment  
  • Rotation frequency  
  • Tire size and weight 
  • Maintenance 

All these elements, if properly kept up with, will save you money on fuel in the long run.  

Tire pressure is crucial, because underinflated tires lead to increased rolling resistance, making your engine work harder to move the vehicle. Keeping your tires properly inflated can save your vehicles approximately $0.02/gallon. That may not seem like too much at a glance, but when you consider every vehicle in your fleet, and every mile driven over the course of a year, that adds up.  

Tire quality can also save you money on your refuelling bills. Some higher-end tires will come labelled as low rolling resistance (LRR) tires and are specifically designed to improve fuel efficiency by an estimated 3-4%. 

Proper tire alignment with your wheel “ensures that your tires meet the road at the correct angle, preventing uneven tire wear and reducing rolling resistance. Misaligned tires can drag slightly, causing your vehicle to use more fuel to maintain speed.” 

Regular tire maintenance makes sure all these elements are being routinely monitored, and catching any issues or damage that might detract from your fleet’s fuel efficiency.   

Best tire practices to keep in mind. 

To make the most of your fuel budget, and not waste any money because of improper tire practices, make sure to keep up these habits: 

  • Conduct monthly tire pressure checks to ensure you aren’t losing fuel efficiency to underinflation.  
  • Invest in LRR tires, when possible, for long-term fuel savings.  
  • Conduct regular checks for wear patterns on the tire that may be indicative of the need for realignment. 
  • If your drivers complain of excessive steering wheel vibration, check to see if the tires need realigning.  
  • Ensure your fleets’ tires are rotated, usually every 5,000 to 8,000 miles, to maintain consistent rolling resistance.  
  • Ensure you’re only using the right tire size recommended by your vehicles’ manufacturer. 

In conclusion
 

Tire maintenance and upkeep goes a long way in protecting your fleet’s fuel budget. If you’re ignoring this aspect of your vehicles’ fuel economy, it could be costly in the long run. Â