Storm-Proof Your Operations: How Veryable Enables Rapid Recovery and Business Continuity

In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive environment, manufacturers and distributors must be able to quickly adapt to unexpected disruptions to maintain business continuity.

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Natural disasters, extreme weather, and prolonged power outages can severely impact operations—causing costly delays, shrinking profit margins, and making recovery an uphill battle.

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As a company of former operations leaders, we understand how critical it is to recover quickly and efficiently after such disruptions. In this article, we’ll explore how leveraging our on-demand labor model enables businesses to accelerate recovery, minimize downtime, and come back stronger than ever.

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Instant Capacity

Time-loss events—whether caused by natural disasters, severe weather, or other disruptions—can place a significant burden on your full-time workforce and strain existing resources. In these moments, having a flexible strategy to restore operational capacity quickly is essential. Building an on-demand labor pool gives you the ability to instantly scale up your workforce in response to unexpected challenges, without the delays and costs associated with traditional hiring.

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With access to a diverse network of skilled professionals, businesses can rapidly increase output on short notice to meet customer expectations and avoid costly service delays. This approach ensures you can maintain quality, uphold service standards, and control costs—even under pressure.

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Additionally, during disruptive events, many of your full-time employees may be dealing with personal or logistical challenges of their own. Veryable’s on-demand marketplace helps ease that pressure by giving your core team the flexibility they need while still ensuring business continuity. Our platform connects you with over 700,000 vetted and skilled operators across the U.S., ready to step in when and where you need them. Because operators bid on the work that fits their availability and skill set, you’re matched with individuals who are both willing and able to contribute immediately—ensuring reliable support without added complexity.

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Cost Optimization

Relying solely on a fully fixed workforce can become extremely costly if your operation experiences an unexpected shutdown. In these scenarios, you're often left with two difficult options: continue paying employees even when there's no work available, or lay off part of your workforce to reduce costs. Neither path is ideal. While downsizing may offer short-term financial relief, it often leads to longer-term setbacks—especially when demand returns and you're forced to spend time and resources on recruiting, screening, hiring, and training all over again.

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On-demand labor offers a more agile and cost-effective alternative. Rather than carrying the financial weight of idle resources during periods of inactivity, you can maintain a lean core team and scale up flexibly as needed. This approach not only protects your profit margins but also allows for more efficient resource allocation and a more optimal cost per unit—regardless of fluctuations in demand.

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If you're facing the possibility of prolonged downtime, it may be worth considering converting part of your full-time workforce into Veryable operators. This shift can deliver substantial benefits for both your business and your workers, providing greater flexibility, resilience, and long-term sustainability. To learn more about this strategy and how it can help you navigate uncertain times, check out our recent blog article: Protect Your Workers and Maximize Agility During Uncertain Times.

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Eliminating Backlog

If your business has experienced a shutdown—even for a short period—you’re likely facing a significant backlog of orders and mounting pressure to fulfill customer commitments quickly. In these situations, time is of the essence, and the ability to scale your workforce rapidly can make the difference between a smooth recovery and a prolonged disruption. Building an on-demand labor pool empowers you to ramp up production fast and meet demand without sacrificing quality, service, or cost efficiency.

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How Veryable helps you recover quickly:

• Add second, third, or overnight shifts:
  If your production is limited by machine or facility capacity, extending operating hours is one of the fastest ways to increase output. With 26% of ops on the Veryable platform posted for night and weekend shifts, you can find ready-to-work operators to keep your machines running around the clock.

• Support skilled workers with assistants:
  Boost throughput by assigning operators to handle setup, material handling, and cleanup tasks. This enables your highly skilled employees to focus on their core work, improving productivity without burnout.

• Eliminate delays in loading and unloading:
  Add labor at your docks to keep materials and shipments moving. 3PL provider Customized Distribution Services increased their inbound receiving speed by 36% in just six months using this approach through Veryable.

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Stories From The Real World

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Hurricane Beryl

When Hurricane Beryl struck the gulf coast of Texas on July 8th, millions in the Houston Metroplex were stranded due to flooding and left without power. Veryable users RTIC and IndustrialSupplyCo (name redacted) were just a few of the thousands of businesses whose operations were impacted. Because they had fully built labor pools however, their managers didn’t have to sit around and brainstorm how to address these issues - instead they were able to take immediate action and put a plan in place to recover.

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When this industrial product distributor got power back at their facility late in the week, much of their full-time crew was missing due to power outages, property damage, and transportation struggles. Furthermore, their facility and product suffered damage due to the flooding and high winds. Thankfully with the help of Veryable, they’ve been able to bring in additional operators to help them catch up, inspect and restock products, and expedite the return to normal operations.

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In RTIC’s case, they started posting for more ops than normal, backfilling absent FTEs with several new operators that bid, showed up, and delivered throughput in-line with their FTEs and existing labor pool operators. Even with a skeleton crew of their staff, RTIC was able to maintain holiday surge output and continue delighting their customers without skipping a beat. At the end of the day, their customers around the country don’t care whether RTIC is dealing with a hurricane - they just want their coolers and tumblers. With the help of Veryable, RTIC has been able to ensure they get them on time.

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Winter Storm 2021 - Texas Power Outage

As shown in the graph below, when a winter storm hit a distribution company and slowed business, they scaled down their labor capacity dramatically for one week. Then as the ice thawed, they instantly went back to their previous headcount and continued to meet rising demand. Leveraging an on-demand labor pool enabled this company to eliminate the layoffs and subsequent hiring sprees it would normally have to endure, while also allowing them to cost-effectively maintain promises to customers. This saved the company thousands of dollars and its operations leaders from numerous headaches.  

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Marietta Oklahoma EF-4 Tornado

In April 2024, a massive EF-4 tornado struck Marietta Oklahoma, devastating much of the city and destroying Dollar Tree’s distribution center. As a result, other nearby distribution centers were forced to take on a portion of the Oklahoma DC's volume so that Dollar Tree could maintain distribution operations and keep up with demand.

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The Warrensburg, MO facility is one of the distribution centers that was forced to absorb some of the volume. Because they had a labor pool however, they were able to quickly increase output on 1st and 2nd shift by posting more picking and unloading ops. This allowed them to seamlessly address higher volume without the need for last-minute hiring sprees, sacrificing on-time delivery, or burning out full-time employees with excessive overtime. Then when demand dropped back down to normal levels, they were able to instantaneously scale back down to keep costs in control.

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Conclusion

While natural disasters and other disruptions are inherently devastating, they don’t have to bring your operations to a halt. With an on-demand labor pool in place, businesses can proactively prepare for the unexpected, respond with agility, and recover faster—minimizing downtime and avoiding the chaos of scrambling for resources in a crisis. This flexible workforce model empowers companies to maintain continuity, meet customer commitments, and continue delivering world-class service without missing a beat.

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As the real-world examples above illustrate, on-demand labor isn’t just a stopgap solution—it’s a strategic asset. Whether you're dealing with a sudden surge in demand, a workforce shortage, or a full operational shutdown, having rapid access to skilled, vetted workers gives you a critical edge. It allows you to stay focused on your priorities, reduce risk, and keep your operations moving forward—even in the most challenging circumstances.

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In today’s unpredictable environment, resilience is no longer optional. An on-demand labor pool is your insurance policy for operational agility, giving you the confidence to face whatever comes next—stronger, faster, and more prepared than ever.

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To learn more, check out these resources:

How to Create Down Cycle Agility with On-Demand Labor

Unplanned Shutdowns: A Solutions-Based Approach

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To get started with on-demand labor, take 5 minutes to create your free business profile. If you need help or have any questions, please contact your local office.