Looking Back Into Our 2024 Newsroom

AMS Fulfillment

AMS FulfillmentWhat did we experience in 2024 that deserves another look? Well… let’s not talk about the price of butter… or coffee. We can skip that. Actually, we can skip quite a few things… especially politics. Let’s review the AMS Newsroom blogs and see what we felt was worth our attention!

2024 Predictions

Our first post was 2024 predictions! How did we do? Was it off base or out of the park? Here’s a quote from Martek dot org: “Humans aren’t going to be taken out of the customer experience entirely in 2024. Instead, look for AI-augmented systems to help make experience and service more efficient for marketers and agents. Organizations realize that for more challenging issues, customers want to have the ability to connect with a human.”

That’s the truth!! What a great relief when a human comes on the line! It was predicted we would experience more human contact – was it accurate… did we? Well, at AMS we truly value human to human communication. When a phone call is made to us, the visitor or client will not be subjected to a seemingly endless system without a human. We answer the phone! What about others? We have seen some improvement – after making our way through a government office menu we found the possibility for a real human voice, so maybe they’re catching on… people like to talk to people – not AI.

Let’s look at one more prediction, this one about the workforce: “The author states that technology will help alleviate worker shortages and improve retention. In addition to improving retention, experts believe technology will improve productivity and decision making of both existing employees and new talent with state-of-the-art tools. It is also predicted that the workforce will be freed up from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex problems and decisions that require human interaction.”  Well, this one is a pretty accurate prediction. AMS increasingly makes use of technology and it does improve productivity and improve our employees’ work experience.

First there was Spring

What about some of our other blogs? We honored Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 and on March 6th we began a series on Women’s History. “Readers are well aware that in the US women had to fight for the right to vote and to own property. We will cover the Suffrage Movement in this first blog in our women’s history series. We will also cover the Women’s Movement of the sixties and seventies, where we saw women begin to be accepted as professionals – doctors, lawyers, accountants, business owners and so forth.” We have a very good balance at AMS with men and women in leadership, and it’s with gratitude that we can look back and see the country’s progress… yes, we’ve come a long way as a culture.

Harriett Tubman Day came up on March 10th and March 19th brought us the Spring Equinox! April is Earth Month, and with our focus on the environment, we let our readers know! “Every month is Earth Month at AMS Fulfillment. We never forget about doing what we can do to minimize any damage to the environment caused by operating our business. But since there is a commemoration going on in April, and April 22nd is Earth Day we are happy to join in and encourage others to honor our beautiful planet.”

Then there was Summer

At the end of May we looked into safety at AMS. We take employee safety very seriously and we have a very good record. “At AMS we always have and always will design our tasks to fit the worker. We also protect the health of our employees through comprehensive safety training with regard to ergonomics. Every employee is trained in the best methods of avoiding strain on the body, and this training is done following OSHA guidelines. AMS has an outstanding safety record with far fewer lost-time injuries than most of our competitors, and we also strive for continuous improvements in our training procedures. AMS is into Safety!!”

On we go to June and July. June 16th was Father’s Day and of course a high point of the year for all of our extraordinary AMS Dads. “We want to offer an overflowing plate of respect and appreciation and gratitude to all of the fathers among the AMS employees and clients and friends. We thank you for your strength, your guidance, your sacrifice, your time, your influence and your love. We hope your Day is perfect, whether there are gifts or a big meal or a fun outing – we want it to be perfect.”

In June we celebrated Pride Month and Black Music Month and Juneteenth. Then on to July and the 4th. “How to Celebrate: Fireworks, family reunions, concerts, barbecues, picnics, parades, baseball games, naps, sleeping in, hiking, camping, hanging out at home, going to the beach, dinner with friends, working and getting paid time and a half. Lots of choices for this holiday!”

The rest of July and August was fairly quiet. August is National Wellness Month, so of course we looked into how we’re caring for the health of our employees. We asked Samantha Hicks, ESG Program Manager, to give us some info on how we help the employees with stress management and she gave us the following info about AMS’ EAP Program. “An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary, confidential program that offers free mental health services to employees and their families. EAPs can help with a range of issues that affect mental and emotional well-being, including: Stress, Grief, Family problems, Psychological disorders, Alcohol and substance abuse, Depression, Anxiety, Work-life balance.” The EAP Program is just one of the ways we help our employees enjoy wellness.

And then came Fall

September came around with the Fall Equinox on the 22nd. When Fall comes, we start thinking about and gearing up for Peak Season. There is an interesting headline showing up on September 18th – AMS Prepares for our First 4-Pillar SMETA Audit. SMETA stands for Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit. It assesses a company’s ethical and sustainable business practices. The four pillars of a SMETA audit are: Labor Standards, Health and Safety, Environmental Assessment, and Business Ethics. “We want our clients to be able to evaluate AMS’ working conditions, aiming to promote collaboration, visibility, continuous improvement, and responsible sourcing practices. This is the reason for the SMETA audit.

“The audit findings are assessed against the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code and take into account legal requirements, international standards, and good practice. The SMETA audits rely on a certified third-party provider to conduct inspections at AMS premises, processes, documentation, and technical systems. Upon our completion of the audit, our clients will be able to tell their customers how AMS demonstrates its commitment to ethical sourcing, sustainable practices, and social responsibility. This can be important for building trust with customers, investors, and stakeholders who prioritize ethical considerations in their business relationships.”  AMS is a B Corporation, and that means ‘ethics’. It’s important to us to give our potential clients a choice to be proud of.

When we enter the Fall season we’re heading toward Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then comes Black Friday. Things get busy at AMS so our minds are focused on getting the job done.

Just to review, November is Native American Heritage month, and we recognized Veterans Day on November 11th. Then we move into December and our much-loved holiday season. Here we find Bodhi Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah! AMS is incredibly busy during these weeks, making sure everyone gets their gifts right on time and in perfect condition. And then… we stepped into 2025.

New Year

We hope you have enjoyed our memory journey through 2024. We’ve entered a new year, and it is once again a new opportunity to live up to a truly human standard.

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

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