3PL SUMMIT ADDRESSES KEY ISSUES

Logistics Insight Asia, 1/5/2008

The Asia Pacific 3PL Summit, held over three days in Singapore in April, provided a valuable, interactive platform for the industry to connect, and keep abreast of the latest movements and developments. Organized by eyefortransport.com, issues discussed include Web-enabled applications, green supply chain and geographical market developmentssuch as Vietnam.

On Web-enabled applications, a panel of three speakers from Oracle Corporation, Singapore Logistics Association, Australian Logistics Academy and a moderator from Frost & Sullivan shared insights and fielded questions on their viability in the business environment where customers may not appreciate the use of technology in their requirements of transporting their goods from point A to B.

Member of Australian Logistics Academy Stephanie McKern stressed the importance of training: “Customers and workers are used to legacy systems. Have new systems that are going to work with one another for invisible visibility. Also, invest into your staff even as you spend money on systems.”

Similar sentiments were echoed at a roundtable discussion on entering the Vietnamese market. Richard Chua, MD, Yusen Air & Sea Services says while the Vietnamese government is open for investment with clear, consistent policies, the labour force is young and their lack of competency in English and information technology makes it challenging for investors.

“It is difficult to find Vietnamese workers from 30 years old and above. However, the young labour force is willing to learn. They attend night classes and some hold more than two jobs. Managers bilingual in Vietnamese and English are needed to help you manage your localstaff .”

On implementing a green supply chain, Marcus Robinson, GM SCM, Maersk Logistics, says the industry needs to have common benchmarks in place.

“While consumers need to be educated of the initiatives of carbon emissions, who will own and police the standards for carbon emissions, such as the units of measure on emissions per asset that are relative across different modes of transport. Is carbon footprint data part of a purchasing decision for companies to look into?”