A new reality in the
SUPPLY last
CHAIN four
MANAGEMENT yea
2019 2020
YELLOW VEST
2020
BREXIT
2022
DISRUPTIONS Volume ups & downs Cost ups & downs
Figure 1 - The new normal in geopolitics
COVID UKRAINE
2022 2023
NRJ CRISIS
2023
STRIKES
2024
SE / DE / BE / IT / ES / FR
GAZA conflict
2024
RED SEA crise STRIKES
DRIVER SHORTAGE
FR / DE / BE / IT / ES / FI
CRISIS MODE
When I started , we did not have much visibility . I selected the basic key performance indicators that could give me the global view and the trend . For us , these were on-time deliveries , complaints and incidents . I then implemented tools and automated processes to get a quick and frequent overview .
The insight I now have is helping me analyse the trends , identify the weaknesses , and document them . This prevents emotions from getting in the way and blurring our judgment as a team . Emotions can help , but it needs to be sustained by solid facts and stats . It also helped me build trustful and fair relationships .
The fourth and final stage is the purpose . The basic question is : ‘ How to win ?’ One important question to ask in this context is : ‘ Is this a competition or a team game ?’ I strongly believe that cooperation is much more effective than competition and opposition . It may require some efforts initially to adjust to each other , but in the long run , this brings a lot of comfort in daily business . This eliminates the small misunderstandings that lead to large waste of time .
When things go wrong
Now that the game structure is set , we have the right tools and visibility . We have the right people — skilled , trained and with ownership . We have the right organisation with clear processes and responsibilities . The achievement was good , with 96 % on-time delivery and a low level of complaints . However , 30 % of my time was still dedicated to crises management . What was missing ?
Sometimes , despite having prepared very well , things are not going the way we expect them to go . So what comes next ? I remember during one of those maritime crises , where blank sailings were suddenly increasing very fast . I had two shipments , handled by two different freight forwarders , that were both delayed for five to six weeks for a planned transit time of 10-20 days .
From one , we had almost no communication , had to send multiple reminders and received poor feedback with a lack of visibility and perspective . We were in the dark . From the other , we received explanations of the context and clarifications on uncertainties , and we could transfer this information to our customer .
He was unhappy but was prepared to receive his goods with a massive delay and was happy for the great communication . We kept him well informed , even though the information given was not what he expected . This customer could adjust and react ; his frustration was mitigated by having a better understanding of the context , allowing him to focus on finding alternative solutions ( Figure 2 ).
Communication is key
To answer the previous question , what comes next and what can we do ? The best we have is communication , visibility and transparency . This makes a huge difference for the final customer .
How can we get the right communication channel ? Meet with people , communicate your expectations , and explain your customer ’ s needs and your own
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