Powders Processing Quality Improvement Effort
Authors: Melanie Rasmussen and Kitwana Baker
At Oil-Dri, we know that winning isn’t just about making the sale — it’s about delivering the perfect order every time. That’s why we’re excited to spotlight our New Customer Onboarding (NCOB) process as well as the White Glove Order Process, both cross-functional efforts designed to set customers up for success and help the company “dig” for Miney Ball savings.
What Is NCOB?
The New Customer Onboarding process streamlines initial setup and strives to ensure accuracy from the very beginning. Our goal is simple: get the first order moving smoothly and then make every order from order two through infinity a “perfect order.”
To achieve this, Customer Service (CS) leads an NCOB session that brings together representatives from Credit, Production, Logistics, Quality, Regulatory, EDI, the Commercial Team, and Business Analysts. Each group plays a vital role in delivery of the “perfect order” by eliminating errors, minimizing fines, and ensuring Oil-Dri delivers on our WE CARE commitment to Customer Focus.
What is the White Glove Order Process?
Typically, at the request of the Sales Team, Customer Service kicks off a White Glove meeting that brings together teammates from Credit, Production, Logistics, Quality, Regulatory, the Sales Team, and Business Analysts. Representatives for each functional area are crucial to ensure we are meeting and/or exceeding the customer’s expectations.
There are a few reasons that Sales may request a White Glove Process be used on an order. Whether it’s for a customer that we have been trying to win over for a while and were successful at getting the business or a customer that has had some importing issues and needs to make sure each requirement is understood and triple-checked, every White Glove order is handled with high-touch communication, ensuring customers and the cross-functional Oil-Dri team, are kept informed at every phase. This proactive approach not only resolves issues before they arise but also builds long-term trust and loyalty. Whether it’s customizing delivery to meet a specific need or checking in post-delivery to ensure satisfaction, the White Glove experience is tailored to the customer’s needs.
Team Contributions
Credit reviews customer payment history and advises Sales on terms. In cases of high risk, they may recommend cash-in-advance options to protect Oil-Dri while still enabling customer purchases.
Customer Service partners with Sales to gather requirements like documentation, order processing, and delivery instructions.
Logistics ensures delivery requirements are realistic and executed with the right mode of transport, drivers, and customer-specific guidelines — avoiding compliance fines in the process.
Commercial Team vets potential customers, negotiates competitive pricing, and captures all requirements upfront.
Business Analyst confirms that pricing and allowances are properly loaded in JDE to prevent invoice errors.
Regulatory reviews vendor questionnaires and verifies that all labeling and compliance needs are met.
Quality manages customer-specific sampling, Certificates of Analysis (COAs), and loading requirements.
Production & Planning confirm that demand, and labeling requirements can be met without disruption or miscommunication.
Why It Matters: The Miney Ball Connection
Every fine avoided is a dollar saved. By collaborating across functions and digging deep into vendor guides and customer requirements, NCOB and White Glove helps Oil-Dri reduce risks such as:
Unmet customer needs
Customer fines for late or incorrect deliveries
Mis-shipped product returns
Detention fees at customer locations
“Truck order not used” penalties
Missed appointment fines
These avoided costs directly contribute to Miney Ball, Oil-Dri’s focus on smart money management and driving efficiency. In short: NCOB and White Glove aren’t just processes — they are a money-saving strategy.
Bringing It All Together
The NCOB and White Glove processes showcase the best of Oil-Dri teamwork. By aligning our cross-functional teams, we’re not just serving customers — we’re building a stronger, more efficient Oil-Dri. Together, we’re turning new and existing customer relationships into an opportunity to save money, reduce risk, and deliver on our promise of perfect orders.
New and existing customers, perfect orders, and Miney Ball savings — that’s the Oil-Dri way.
