Customers count on ASR Tech to keep their IT equipment — and their businesses — up and running.

As the Warehouse Manager at ASR Tech, Armando Rodriguez oversees the team handling Shipping and Receiving, Warehousing and Inventory Control for all the company’s needs. His team has a direct impact on ASR Tech’s smooth operations, ensuring every deadline is met with precision. You might say his team is the heartbeat of the company, making sure both internal and external IT equipment customers have what they need, when they need it. Armando is recognized for his organizational expertise, attention to detail and “can do” attitude. He is an integral member that keeps projects on track and equipment moving between our clients and our team.

Armando was part of the loyal team CEO Blair McKay invited to join when he founded ASR Tech in 2021. Having worked together previously, Armando had complete confidence in Blair’s ability to develop a successful company, and he wanted to be part of that winning team.

“I knew there was potential for growth,” he said. “I’m a hard-working man, and take pride in what I do, so I just try to do my best every day.”

Keeping the Warehouse Running Smoothly

A typical workday includes overseeing the team of five employees who keep the warehouse humming. As soon as Armando arrives on site, he reads emails and reviews the warehouse’s management system, organizing what is expected to ship or receive that day.

“I try to prioritize the day for the guys, making it easier on everybody,” he said. “Of course, we need to support other projects as they come in. There’s a lot of activity going on, so flexibility, communication, organization and teamwork are keys to our success.”

Armando is a big believer in cross training, so every member of the warehouse team is able to handle whatever the day brings.

“There’s no specific person that does a specific job,” he said. “We’re so busy, and receipts and shipments range from small packages to large gaylords, changing from day to day.” Having standard processes makes it easier to adapt. Inventory Control is an example: “It’s up to everyone to keep accurate records moving throughout the company and making sure our daily priorities are met.”

Armando’s role also requires regular coordination with other departments within ASR Tech.

“We have people throughout the country, so email is a great tool to communicate making sure we’re all connected,” he said. “That way you have visibility, and you can track if priorities shift. We also have daily huddles and making sure we ask questions if something is unclear.”

Armando prides himself on being the type of coworker who can be depended on to solve an issue quickly. Because he knows the warehouse management system well, he is always willing to help with a “can do” attitude.

With a Service company based on customer needs, quality and timeliness are critical.  “Communication is the main key,” Armando said.

Free Repair Pickup and Delivery for Southern California Customers

ASR Tech offers free pickup and delivery of IT equipment for repair customers local to its office in Irvine, Calif.

“We have a lot of customers in the Los Angeles, Orange County and Riverside area, and it’s a value-added service they appreciate,” Armando said.

Customers simply email ASR Tech when they need equipment picked up, and a truck is promptly sent. Frequently, Armando is the person driving the truck, meeting customers face to face and building relationships.

“Usually, we have something to deliver to the customer, so almost always we do a drop off and a pickup at the same time,” he said.

Many of ASR Tech’s customers are retail stores, so the equipment often in need of repair includes printers, scanners, scales, tablets and laptops. “It’s a variety of IT equipment,” Armando said.

“We keep organized by rolling racks, per customer, which makes it easier to track and control,” he said. “Once the product is repaired, we place it on the rack with a final check against the serial number before we pack and return to the customer. We generally do pickup and delivery three times a week, so we’re constantly cycling their inventory.”

The team at ASR Tech aims to have their equipment ready to return the night before their next delivery.

“That way, when we come in, we just load up the truck and head out to our deliveries,” Armando said.

Why Use ASR Tech’s Free Pickup and Delivery?

Taking advantage of ASR Tech’s free pickup and delivery saves businesses in Southern California time and money. Shipping with another service like FedEx or UPS requires buying packaging supplies, creating a label and paying for a courier to pick it up, in addition to the additional transportation time and man hours.

“Our service eliminates all of that,” Armando explained.

After ASR Tech picks up their IT equipment and enters it into its system, the customer receives a report showing how many of each model was received, providing clear visibility and communication. Customers can depend on a regular pick up and delivery schedule, which helps them plan their own operations.

Serving a Wide Range of IT Customer Needs

In addition to repairing equipment, ASR Tech also helps customers procure new and refurbished mobile computers, barcode scanners, tablets, laptops, point of sale (POS) equipment, printers, consumables and parts. The warehouse ships orders for new equipment, which can involve 100 items or more for customers moving into a new office or opening an additional location.

“We have a lot of customers, a lot of products,” and ASR Tech is growing. All of this requires standardized processes, teamwork and good communication skills.

To ensure ASR Tech responds to every customer’s unique needs in a timely fashion, Armando keeps a close eye on his emails, the priority board and the business management system. He keeps his team apprised on what’s coming up, including orders that need to be shipped by a certain date.

“I like to get with the team and talk about the projects, brainstorming ideas so everyone is included. We get feedback from the guys, come up with a plan together so we’re all on the same page,” Armando said. “Throughout the week, we get it all ready so that the day it needs to ship, we’re ready to go.”

Life Outside of ASR Tech

Armando and his wife have three adult children — two sons and a daughter, ranging in ages from 20 to 25.

“They’re great kids, and my wife is awesome,” he said. “I love my family.”

When his younger son isn’t in college, he works part time under Armando at ASR Tech, primarily taking photos and writing descriptions for items the company sells on eBay.

“I love working with him, because [our kids] don’t really spend much time with us anymore since they’ve got their own stuff going on. We carpool together, so it’s awesome spending time with my boy,” Armando says “And I’m proud that he’s a good worker.”

Born and raised in Anaheim, Calif., Armando is a big fan of his hometown team, the Anaheim Angels.

“Win or lose, I’m there for them,” he said. “We really don’t have a football team in Orange County, or a basketball team. We do have a hockey team, so I like hockey now too. But that’s the main reason why, it’s the local team.”

He collects bobble heads, and recently started collecting Disney pins with his daughter.

Looking Ahead at ASR Tech

Armando loves being a part of the team at ASR Tech. Working as the company’s Warehouse Manager has provided the opportunity to learn a lot about the devices ASR Tech repairs and sells.

“I wasn’t very technical before, but I’m learning a lot of new stuff here,” he said.

For example, people take for granted the technology involved when they use a self-checkout kiosk at a grocery store. But inside, it’s complex with many different components. Armando enjoyed seeing all the internal components: “It was pretty cool to actually look inside of it and see how it all worked.” ASR Tech’s technicians are so talented, they can troubleshoot and repair anything.

“We’ve grown so much from when I started,” he said. “The building we’re in now is two to three times bigger than the original,” and the company is getting ready to move again into a bigger and better building in the next two months. “I just love the way we’re doing it and see a great future for the company.”