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The Logistics Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

The Logistics Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World

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The COVID-19 pandemic is slowly passing. However, we still have a long way to go before we can say we are safe from it. Nevertheless, these past few months were difficult, and it is safe to say that some lives were affected in such a way that they will be different forever. The same can be said for many industries that had to – and still have to – struggle with the pandemic in order to stay in business. My guess is that the logistics industry in the post-COVID-19 world will look a bit different than it used to.

Inventory levels

All companies that had low inventory levels suffered major setbacks. Being left without goods and without means of getting new supplies shipped is a disaster for any company.

With that being said, one of the first changes that must be implemented is that inventory levels are always high. Companies will have to factor in any possibility to protect their business if a similar situation arises in the future.

What about the supply chains?

During the pandemic, it was shown that one of the major disadvantages of stretched supply chains is that they can easily break at any point. You never know when the logistics department will fail to deliver, and your entire business is affected by it.

As a solution to this problem, companies will have to invest their resources into shortening the supply chain and making sure that the merchandise is transported from one end to the other in the shortest period of time.

Managing the workforce during high demand

We have witnessed how high demand for a certain product can create holes in the market if there is no possibility of restocking. For a short period of time, it was virtually impossible in some countries to get your hands on a bag of flour or toilet paper. When panic spreads, people often act without thinking.

The logistics industry in a post-COVID-19 world will have to invest in workforce management training during high demand season.

Many smaller companies will disappear

The COVID-19 situation caused many smaller logistics companies to bankrupt. Since only the larger companies that have higher inventory levels and better overall performance survived, they will invest in purchasing bankrupt businesses in order to expand.

This will lead to a change in the market, and competition will be lower as well. Since there will be a smaller number of logistics companies on the market, there is a possibility for a monopoly to develop. When only a few people share a greater concentration of power, they set the rules to favor them. This will result in surviving companies developing a competitive advantage in the global market.

There will be less money for the development department

One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was the financial loss that many companies suffered. People got fired, and paychecks were substantially reduced in order to keep the business running.

I am not sure if this will affect future salaries, but I can safely say that companies will try to keep more money in the system. The department of development, research, and innovation might not get the same amount of funding as in the past.

This step will help logistics companies to have a solid amount of cash to keep the business running if a similar situation occurs in the future.

How will these changes affect the prices in the logistics industry in post-Covid-19 world?

As I stated above, some of the major changes that will happen in the logistics industry in a post-COVID-19 world are shortening of the supply chain, securing higher inventory levels, and investing in workforce management to deal with challenging situations. Furthermore, larger companies may hold a monopoly on the market.

All of these steps require a lot of money. For that to happen, the prices will have to go up. It is unclear about the percentage, but it will happen.

What can you do as an owner of a small logistics company?

Owners of small logistics companies will have to find a way to keep up with this situation or perish from the market. If you are among them, here is a little advice on how to prevent this from happening to your business.

Make partnerships

This might be a decisive move, but making a partnership with other companies in the same situation can increase your overall strength on the market.

Try moving your business elsewhere

Looking for a fresh market without large competition might be a smart move. Many companies may decide to move to a smaller area, or even to a different country, in order to increase their business. A company might make the transition less painful.

Big changes are coming!

As we can see, big changes are coming in the logistics industry in the post-COVID-19 world. As always, when an economic crisis occurs, only the stronger ones will swim out on the surface. Nevertheless, that does not mean that others will lose their plays on the market. Informing yourself in advance will help you prepare for the upcoming changes, and maybe even save your business! With that in mind, spend your time on research that will help you keep your business running. Stay safe and good luck!

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John Palmer is an economic expert with over two decades of experience. Working as a freelance blogger, John uses the opportunity to reach out to a wide group of people and educate them on how to manage their business in a challenging situation. However, he does branch out into other areas, as he also writes for moving companies such as Easy Move KW. Some of his other interests include business startups, management, and business continuity.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, International Trade

Free Trade in Free Fall: How Companies Can Navigate the Pandemic

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Even before the global pandemic arrived in every corner of the globe, free trade and the globalized trading system were in critical condition. The bruising U.S.-China trade war, along with regional conflicts such as the Japan-Korea trade war, Brexit, import tariffs, the decline of the WTO, left companies struggling to adjust supply chains and many wondering whether the globalized trading system will survive.

Yet these challenges pale in comparison to the trade and supply chain issues the COVID-19 pandemic generates on a nearly-hourly basis. Demand has plummeted around the world for goods and services as vast portions of humanity are isolated in their homes and left without incomes. Export restrictions on medical supplies, food and other critical products, while still limited, are on the rise, creating fears of reverse protectionism. Airfreight capacity has dropped as tens of thousands of flights are grounded. Logistics companies are struggling to deliver goods as nearly every country in the world has implemented ever-tightening border restrictions in a matter of weeks.

As a result, companies and individuals are struggling to keep our grocery stores, pharmacies, and retailers stocked with the cheap and plentiful products consumers have grown accustomed to, not to mention supply the medicine and equipment that our frontline healthcare workers desperately need. While these are dark days in trade, there are ways to immediately protect your company and your supply chain.

First, companies must protect their workers from the disease. Crisis management procedures to keep people healthy, whether that means remote working procedures or social distancing policies to keep production facilities running, should be implemented and revisited as the crisis moves on. While most companies have implemented these policies as a result of government orders, companies should continuously evaluate how to both keep their employees safe and their companies running. Fighting this disease and its economic ramifications is a marathon, not a sprint, so companies should find ways to maintain continuity as long as possible.

Next, now is the time to be hands-on with your supply chain. Companies need to examine every aspect of their supply chain and logistics: every container, every ship, every truck, every port, and every border crossing. In this way, you can understand how your goods must pass to understand how the pandemic will affect each shipment. Seafreight remains stable, though that could change, so companies with any slack in their supply chain should consider moving goods in advance through slower means.

Companies also need a proactive examination of their legal risks.  This assessment must include a review of which contracts may be broken through force majeure and other similar break clauses, whether initiated by you or the other party. At first, only producers were using force majeure as they realized they did not have the raw materials, labor shortages, and logistical support to deliver products. Now, importers and end-users are breaking their contracts as demand drops and shops close. Similarly, insurance markets are struggling to find ways to insure goods, services, and even projects as supply chain issues threaten to slow projects around the world. A holistic examination of your legal risks will save your company money and time when legal challenges arise.

Companies also need to find help from their governments. Governments are looking to help companies stay afloat, keep people employed, and keep goods and services flowing, but they are frequently looking for answers from companies. If you are not part of a trade association, join one. And if you do not have representation in Washington, now is the time to make sure that government authorities know how best to help your company and industry navigate this crisis and to remind them of the value that trade brings to communities around the world, and where you need help.

The COVID-19 crisis will leave the global trading system permanently altered, but it is also a reminder that, just as our physical health is intertwined with our neighbors, our economic health is also dependent. Long-standing trade relationships are under strain, contracts will be voided, and shipments unfulfilled. Yet a healthy dose of compassion and understanding that your business partners are facing the same challenges as your company may help you maintain your trading relationships through these hard times and allow them to rebound faster when the crisis is over.

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Benjamin Kostrzewa is a Registered Foreign Lawyer at Hogan Lovells, working in Hong Kong and Washington serving the needs of clients on both sides of the Pacific. Before joining Hogan Lovells he served as Assistant General Counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

How Can Businesses Prepare For A Worldwide Crisis? 4 Tips To Survive.

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The coronavirus that emerged in China is now shaking the world economy – including some major U.S. companies – and stoking fears of a global recession.

But, as companies go about mitigating damage, there are lessons they can learn to be better prepared for another rare worldwide crisis, says Hitendra Chaturvedi, a professor at the Supply Chain Department of W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and an expert on global supply chain sustainability and strategy.

“The coronavirus is an abnormal occurrence,” Chaturvedi says. “Businesses cannot completely insulate themselves from such events, but they can certainly reduce risk so it will hurt but not be life-threatening. The whole idea is, what is the strategic insurance policy against such unexpected events, and what is the cost businesses are willing to bear?

“We have had risk mitigation and disaster recovery plans for data centers for decades now. Why should we not have the same for our manufacturing operations?”

Chaturvedi offers these suggestions for companies to prepare for a worldwide crisis that could affect their business:

Localize more inventory. “Holding inventory in multiple locations closer to your customers makes sense in many cases, even if it may be costlier than in other countries,” Chaturvedi says. “I think companies in the U.S. will start to keep more inventories here as a reaction to the coronavirus.”

Localize core manufacturing. “If your current business relies heavily on products being made in China, you’re probably concerned right now,” Chaturvedi says. “Consider having a manufacturing operation in the U.S., or at least part of your operations here, so even though the cost may be high, business survival will not be severely impacted. It’s another way for companies to have more control when events happen out of their control.”

Separate R&D from manufacturing locations in other countries. “If it makes sense to maintain your core manufacturing outside the U.S., keeping research and development work closer to home ensures your future product development does not get impacted,” Chaturvedi says.

Invest in new technology for transparency in supply chain and disaster simulation. “Blockchain can easily provide transparency across the supply chain, Chaturvedi says. “Get visibility across at least tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers.

The more you know, the better you will be at spotting trouble spots and handling a crisis. Moreover, investing in Artificial Intelligence-driven risk simulation models based on numerous factors, including a global pandemic, nature events, or political instabilities may be a prudent choice. Just as schools conduct fire drills, companies should conduct pandemic drills as part of their risk mitigation and disaster recovery plan.”

“Events such as a worldwide health crisis are a standalone business risk and an amplifier of vulnerabilities,” Chaturvedi says. “The coronavirus may serve as another reason for companies to reassess their supply chain exposure. We often get complacent after a crisis settles down, but businesses who prepare for the next time will be in a stronger position to respond and recover.”

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Hitendra Chaturvedi (https://wpcarey.asu.edu/people/profile/3541031) spent over 30 years in progressive technology leadership positions with Microsoft, Newgistics, E&Y e-Business and A.T. Kearney. Chaturvedi also built a $100 million software company in India, GreenDust, where he implemented proprietary reverse logistics software at Amazon, Flipkart (Walmart), Samsung, Panasonic and Whirlpool. A computer engineer with a master’s degree from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University, Chaturvedi has been widely covered in the media and is a subject matter expert on global supply chain strategy, sustainable supply chains, reverse logistics, ecommerce, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Chaturvedi is now a professor at the Supply Chain Department of W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.