The value of a port. What if the charges for using your major import port doubled or trebled? Would you be alarmed and what could you do about it? Do you know what the port charges are? The importance of ports to the economy of a nation, state or province means that many ports are owned by state entities that … Read More
Ocean transport may change your supply chains
The number of ships is reducing. While the total capacity of container shipping continues to increase, it is through the introduction of larger ships, not having more ships. Does this situation have long term consequences for your supply chains? Drewry Maritime Research recently identified that the number of containerships scrapped was about the same number as new ships. The critical … Read More
Your supply chains will suffer with the wrong business forecast
Believing business forecast for your company. This week I read of a company supplying materials into the American building and construction industry which has severely overestimated the strength and speed of the national recovery in building activity. The CEO forecast and the Board accepted that US housing starts would rise by between 15 and 18 percent against the previous year’s … Read More
Bring out your imagination in supply chains
Using logic and imagination as a logistician. I noted an insightful message this week in an advertisement for a product I cannot remember. The message said “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere”. It was written by Albert Einstein, who knew a thing or two about logic and imagination. As logisticians, how are logic … Read More
Implementing a supply chain application costs money
Blame the software. I was chatting with a colleague who told me some of his experiences when recently implementing an application at a client business. The application had been installed and was working when he received a call that the inventory control module was not working. The planner had checked that a grade of cellophane required for a packing run … Read More