BAD TIMES, GOOD TIMES

Sometimes it feels like one of those teenage parties. Everyone’s drinking, dancing and having fun and then, suddenly, your parents appear at the door. The lights go on, the music goes off , and with murmured goodbyes, the now subdued guests begin to shuffle off into the night.

Meanwhile, the place is in a mess, and the stains from all those high spirits need to be cleaned up and washed away. But it’s going to take a while, and you can already feel that hangover headache banging on your brain.

Like the steady drip of Chinese water torture, the daily news related to this global recession is relentless and painful. Tanking GDP numbers, sinking consumer confidence, plant closures and layoffs, and even signs of recession-inspired social unrest in some places.

So you may have expected our survey of industry executives, mainly comprising 3PLs and technology suppliers, to come with a special health warning for those who really can’t take any more bad news.

However, while they undoubtedly recognize the challenges posed by a declining global economy, the overall sentiment seems surprisingly upbeat. Analyzing the responses, it appears that this is at least partly because they feel their products and services can go a long way in helping companies become more efficient in these trying times.

“We expect our customers to look for value-add services and knowledge that we can lend to their businesses,” says Maersk’s Tony Hotine, pointedly mentioning the figure of US$2.9 million saved by clients just over the last 10 months through judicious application of the company’s supply chain expertise.

DHL Exel’s Paul Graham sees the challenging environment nudging more customers in the direction of 3PLs as they look to outsource their logistics needs. A view shared by Robert Yap of YCH, who goes further by suggesting that customers are more open and willing to try new solutions in bad times than in good.

Another common theme is getting prepared for an eventual upturn. Both Graham and Yap point to the importance of workforce skills training, something that is often neglected in good times when people are just too busy dealing with day-to-day business demands.

Particularly poetic is Han Kian Kwang of Dematic, who says: “As we enter 2009, we need a warm heart and cool mind. While experiencing the chill of a financial winter, we should explore and act in anticipation of the warmth of a refreshing spring.” Let’s all drink to that.