Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Execution and reliability
35% weight
Check they have run a live automated site: named WMS or WES (Manhattan, Blue Yonder, Korber), AS/RS or AMR fleets, and daily throughput, pick-rate and dock-to-stock numbers.
Evidence to listen for
Describes a workload they owned and how they kept it from slipping
Names the tools and systems they ran day to day
Can talk about volume: tickets, inboxes, orders, uptime
Nothing quietly falls through when they are busy
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot describe their own workload; things slip without them noticing.
2
Needs Improvement
Handles routine volume; drops work under pressure.
3
Satisfactory
Reliable on steady-state work; struggles when volume spikes.
4
Very Good
Consistently reliable at real volume with a system for staying on top.
5
Excellent
Cites owned sites by volume, quotes lines per hour, inventory accuracy above 99.5 percent, and on-time dispatch held through peak.
02
Evaluation factor
Improving the process
25% weight
Probe concrete improvements: slotting reassignments, wave versus batch picking changes, robot task allocation tuning, cycle count moves, and the labour hours or cost per unit saved.
Evidence to listen for
Has changed a process rather than only following one
Can name what was slow or error-prone and what they did about it
Documents so the improvement survives them
Knows when a process is worth automating and when it is not
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Follows instructions only; no sense that process can change.
2
Needs Improvement
Notices problems but escalates rather than solving.
3
Satisfactory
Makes small improvements; impact is local and undocumented.
4
Very Good
Has redesigned a real process with measurable effect.
5
Excellent
Describes a specific redesign, the baseline metric, the change made, and the sustained saving in hours, cost per line, or space.
03
Evaluation factor
Judgement and autonomy
25% weight
Assess decisions when automation fails: conveyor jams, AMR fleet manager outage, WMS integration breaks with ERP, and when they switch to manual paper picking.
Evidence to listen for
Knows what to decide alone and what to escalate
Handles an exception without freezing or improvising recklessly
Protects confidentiality and access appropriately
Asks a clarifying question rather than guessing on something costly
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Either escalates everything or acts recklessly on their own.
2
Needs Improvement
Needs frequent direction; uneasy with exceptions.
3
Satisfactory
Sound judgement on familiar decisions.
4
Very Good
Clear sense of their own authority; handles exceptions well.
5
Excellent
Explains clear fallback thresholds, escalation to vendors and IT, and how orders and safety were protected during downtime.
04
Evaluation factor
Communication
15% weight
Look for how they brief mixed audiences: shift handovers with pickers, daily throughput reviews with clients or transport partners, and capex cases for integrators and finance.
Evidence to listen for
Writes clearly enough that people act without a follow-up
Manages expectations before a deadline slips, not after
Handles a frustrated colleague or customer calmly
Works across time zones or async where the role needs it
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Unclear written communication; goes quiet when things slip.
2
Needs Improvement
Communication needs chasing; raises problems late.
3
Satisfactory
Clear enough day to day; proactive updates are inconsistent.
4
Very Good
Clear, proactive, and calm under pressure.
5
Excellent
Gives evidence of running shift stand-ups, publishing KPI dashboards, and winning approval for an automation or layout investment.
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