Goals of an Expeditor

Optimize Efficiency

A main goal for an expeditor is to analyze the efficiency of an operation to find potential flaws or room for improvement. The more efficiently an operation is running, the more pleased customers are with service -- all of which increase the bottom line. For example, an expeditor in manufacturing might notice that one employee picks up a tool twice in a procedure when steps could be changed so she's only required to pick it up once.

Improve Communications

Expeditors rely on good communication to keep operations running smoothly. Therefore, a main goal for an expeditor is improving communication among employees and staff. Expeditors look for areas where there may be a communication breakdown. For example, if a group of employees is consistently late in completing part of their process, an expeditor would look for a breakdown in communication -- perhaps how these instructions are handed down.

Maximize Coordination

Expeditors are called upon to ensure that processes are coordinated like clockwork. In a restaurant setting, an expeditor watches closely how food is cooked and delivered from the kitchen. In analyzing this operation, she would pay attention to what items need to be cooked first or which ones could go out quickly and can be mixed between more laborious items. She also makes sure customers receive appetizers on time and keeps each table's service flowing smoothly.

Achieve Quality Control Objectives

Ultimately, expeditors strive to achieve the quality control objectives of an operation. These are usually set in place by a team that determines what the allowances for errors are in production. For example, an expeditor in a manufacturing environment pays attention to the end product, in addition to the quality control representative. Expeditors make sure that speed has not affected quality control. Therefore, expeditors play a role to make sure the objectives of both efficiency and quality are met.