Page 8 - Logistics News - March_April 2022

O P I N ION
W peace
ar and
War and peace

By Doug Hunter, Manager: Customer and Ecosystem
Enablement, SYSPRO, Doug.Hunter@syspro.com

“When will we
ever learn” about
the significance
of effective
information and
logistics? You
need both to be

competitive and to
win a war.

usic is great to feel, to listen to and to change our as consumers shopped online for the first time replacing
mood. Then struggle lyrics (like those quoted ‘dangerous’ mall shopping. But, few companies could react at
M above, thanks Pete Seeger) touch us and shake first. Proficient at delivering to DC, then DC to store, then…
our awareness. They help us understand how to deal with hardly anyone, and people bought different stuff as well, not
confusion and conflict in our minds – just as with proper the mix planned for.
accurate information and properly executed logistics.
This pushed companies to adapt. Established global and
Looking at current global lessons, what is our mood and local Internet platforms’ stock dried up, while local bricks and
motivation? mortar guys had to move fast to keep some market share. Food
and beverage in particular really adapted (Sixty60, PnP online
COVID-19 pandemic – peace time store, Bottles and more).
Firstly, we’re all sick of it (a pun, my word). Secondly, it is a
two year-long world battle so far. Its arrival abruptly changed Factors such as shelf life, lead time to delivery, order
the ability to compete: quantities, demand and availability all radically changed. If you
planned manually, you almost certainly missed the boat here.
• Product logistics. Ships docked where they could.
Containers were delayed or their route and lead time Russian invasion of Ukraine – war
changed hugely. Some cargo perished, some arrived up to We’re shocked by this and deeply sympathetic to innocent
a year late. Container logistics costs increased as much as lives lost, homes destroyed and violation of rights. In the
300 percent of pre-covid costs. And, with lockdowns and past, wartime deaths were more from malaria, starvation
less earnings, demand disappeared for many products or and disease, as well as ineffective logistics. This war may be a
L O GI S T I CS NEWS • People-driven logistics. Last-mile logistics and • Information. A critical dimension to make sure that
competition of logistics and information.
changed to more essential/affordable ones.

resources (armed forces and military equipment) plus
e-commerce/enterprise resource planning (ERP) became
Olympian in innovating to get products to consumers
products (munitions, food, medical supplies, spares) are
locked down at home. Local delivery expectations exploded

6 M A RC H/A P R IL 2022 effectively deployed to the correct location. But, these
www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a