A conversation with Walter Metske, our logistic planner: 'My job is very varied'
He makes the schedules, manages the vehicle park and ensures that all staff members of Team Visma | Lease a Bike know where and when to appear. Walter Metske has been working as Team Visma | Lease a Bike's logistics planner for two and a half years and is enjoying doing so. In the Fan Peloton interview below, Metske talks about his work and what makes his job so much fun.
Walter, can you briefly explain what a logistics planner does?
"I am responsible for staff planning and the filling in of the fleet of cars. As far as staff planning is concerned, it mainly concerns the mechanics, grooms and other staff members who go along to the races. As far as the fleet is concerned, I consult with the respective sports director on how many cars are needed, what type of cars they want, etcetera. Once I have gathered all the information, I start putting it into a schedule."
Do you have colleagues with whom you do this together?
"For planning, I consult a lot with Luuk Schoenmakers, our Chief Operations Officer. I am also in contact several times a day with Manouk van den Elzen, Rachelle Harings and Marjelle van Wijk, who are responsible for logistics.
I do fleet management together with Peter Snel. He takes care of the technical problems and if a car needs to be replaced, we decide together whether it can be repaired on site or a replacement car needs to be sent."
"The trick is to fill a full annual programme in as short a time as possible"
Is there a specific month when you make those schedules?
"The moment the preparations for the new season kick off, the sports directors review what the race calendar looks like and which races we will participate in. Those reviews are usually in October and November. Eventually, four annual programmes come out: for the men's team, the women's team, the development team and the off-road team. The trick is to fill a full annual programme in as short a time as possible.
I usually make sure that all programmes are complete by early December. Before Christmas, I send an outline in advance, so that everyone knows where they have to go throughout the year. From then on, the process starts rolling. If someone is ill during the season, people's schedules have to be shifted. That often has a snowball effect with us. Because replacing 1 to 1 almost never works, I often have to make some adjustments in three courses to get one thing sorted out."
Do you take staff members' preferences into account when making the schedule?
"Basically, I assume that everyone is available for the whole season. I know that some people have a preference and I try to take that into account. After all, a person functions better in a place where they feel comfortable. I have been working here for two and a half years now and I notice: the more often I can meet a preference, the more cooperation I get. In the end, it's a trade-off."
What kind of work do you do in the other months?
"During the year, I am constantly fine-tuning the programmes. Furthermore, there are always some urgent logistical jobs that need to be done. For instance, sometimes a bicycle has to be taken away or we have to pick up people from the airport. We try to do that in-house as much as possible.
If everything goes well and I have time to spare, I sometimes get on the bus myself to relieve other staff members. It would be a shame to put a mechanic on the bus to Spain for three days when they could use that time to build a bike."
Have you visited a race yourself?
"Last year I spent several days on the road. How often I go along this year is not yet clear. Usually that is decided last-minute. The past two years I have been along for training camp in December. That's where most of the team is, and I can talk to everyone and spar about last season. That is very valuable for me."
How did you end up at Team Visma | Lease a Bike?
"Through a supplier of my old employer, I once attended a Business Peloton day. That had triggered me. I realised at the time that the chances of me ever joining such a top sports organisation were very little. During a holiday, I was scrolling on my phone and came across a vacancy as a logistics planner on Team Visma | Lease a Bike's LinkedIn page. I decided to respond and the rest is history. I started on 1 December 2022 and I still really like it."
How do you like working at such a top sports company?
"It's awesome. The approach at a top sports organisation is very different from what I was used to in the business world. Everything is about performing, while at my previous employer it was all about making money. Of course, there are some similarities, but not many. In the beginning, I had to get used to that, but once you understand the game, you understand a lot of lines."
What makes this job so great?
"The nice thing about my job is that it is very varied. One month I am working on the annual planning and the next month I go along to the race as a bus driver or I am washing a truck. I enjoy being part of multiple facets in the team."