CHALLENGES OF TRAINING IN THE LOGISTICS MULTIVERSE

 

As the logistics sector embraces digitisation and automation, a major challenge faces the industry as there is a pressing need to take a fresh look at the necessary skills required to ensure that training for employees and new recruits is available.

New employees to the logistics sector will need to be adaptive to change and flexible in their approach to new technology.

“Logistics companies need to have not only technically competent niche experts in areas such as warehousing, freight forwarding and inventory planning, but also adaptive employees who can embrace and leverage new technologies. The logistics and supply chain management industry will be dramatically transformed through artificial intelligence (AI) and Robotics disruption,” said Paul W Bradley, Chairman and CEO of Caprica International.

 

CHANGES THAT ARE DEFINING THE FUTURE OF LOGISTICS

Today, inventory stock takes can be done by drones, as has already been deployed in several United States (US) and Singapore warehouses. Automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) warehouses and open warehouse product selection robots are changing the human role and defining a different skill requirement.

Amazon’s warehouse operations are a clear example of this trend. In the next eight years there may as many as 50,000 dark warehouses operating in the US alone, completely automated without the need of normal lighting.

Driverless trucking will also change the industry over the next decade. Therefore, the next generation of talent will need to be both operationally competent and adaptable, but also technically competent and willing to constantly evolve their skills.

The next generation employees should be comfortable working with others and with AI and Robotics seamlessly. Companies must invest more in life-long learning with regular training programmes from within the company and selective investing with outside special skills certificates programmes.

The companies that invest in their employees’ potential and personal growth will gain a competitive advantage. Some governments such as Singapore jointly invest with companies for skill upgrades. The next generation employees must embrace a constantly changing work environment and thrive on that challenge, said Bradley.

 

HOW HAS DIGITISATION CHANGED TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT STRATEGY?

AI plays a bigger role in demand planning and inventory optimisation. Robotics plays a bigger role in the physical operations.

Digitisation also means that more information is available and can be leveraged at a level unimagined just a few years ago. Training must ensure that employees can comfortably adapt to a blended environment of people and technology cross integrating at every level of their working environment.

Employees must have a hunger for new knowledge and skills upgrading, whereas the company has an obligation to invest in each employee’s capabilities and future potential to stay competitive.

The working environment will constantly adapt and be redefined in logistics and every five-year will seem like a quantum leap. Managers and corporate leaders must embrace constant disruption as part of their business strategy and they have an obligation to ensure that their employees at every level have the tools to adapt and thrive.

 

COLLABORATION ESSENTIAL BETWEEN ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY

Academic institutions look at the future from both a theoretical and actual trend basis. This is extremely valuable for corporate leaders to leverage as an advantage. There are many examples of top executives and middle management being sent to advanced seminars and certificate programmes to leave their comfort zones at work and be challenged with new thinking by being on a campus of an interim period. This will become even more important going forward.

Monitoring the developments of new start-ups in the logistics and e-commerce space also provides early insight into technologies that can be absorbed and deployed. Industry leaders should be actively engaged with leading universities to understand future trends that will impact the logistics and supply-chain management (SCM) industry and enhance thinking and leadership skills. These universities can also provide on-line skill upgrade options for employees at all levels as needed. There are also opportunities for collaborative projects with these institutions.

 

HOW CAN THE LOGISTICS SECTOR BE MORE ATTRACTIVE IN TERMS TO TOP TIER GRADUATES?

The new logistics industry is in an exciting transformation stage full of new opportunities for the best graduates. Companies need to market on the campuses that this is an industry that connects the world through trade.

There are also evolving new trends optimising product flow, information flow, financial flow and knowledge flow. Influential leading companies are now shaping an industry for the future! Beyond traditional logistics, there are advanced areas including SCM, demand chain management and ultimately ‘Dynamic Value Networks’.

The industry integrates physical infrastructure such as ships, aircraft, trains, warehouses and trucks; along with “virtual infrastructure” empowered by AI, Robotics and Blockchain technologies.

The best graduates should aim for an exciting career where they can connect the world through trade and finance, leverage the latest technology and shape the future, then the new logistics and supply chain industry should be a priority in their career path.

 

LOGISTICS SECTOR MUST INVEST IN TRAINING

Logistics companies must invest in training programmes to leverage their most valuable asset, human capital. When a company optimally combine the best people and the best technologies, then the company will always be an industry leader.

In contrast, the company’s survival will be at risk if the human investment does not comply with future demands and standards. Modern workforces have never been in a time of human history where continuous learning was more essential than it is today. Unleashing the full potential of every employee is essential to a company’s long-term success. This also includes creating a work environment where employees collaborate, evolve and thrive. The best employees should have a special training development programme where they can be exposed to a wider part of the business and be rapidly challenged and rewarded and this is an essential element of the strategic plan for success.

 

nGEN ACADEMY TRAINING FOR A DIGITAL FUTURE AT HUTCHISON PORTS

Hutchison Ports has launched a new programme, through the nGen Academy, to develop and roll out the Group’s standardisation and digitalisation of operational processes.

Hutchison Ports Operations introduced the nGen Academy in 2016 in order to enhance the collaboration among Business Units and Corporate Centre to establish the nGen standardised business solutions throughout its global ports network.

nGen ‘graduates’ including shareholders, partners and customers are able to leverage the full benefit of the platform’s performance with confidence.

Through communication, engagement and Subject Matter Expert training the nGen Academy is designed to help users understand the platform’s capabilities when dealing with different terminal operational scenarios locally and globally.

By 2020 there will be more than 450 participants at operations supervisory level or above joining the online learning programme. The aim is to build nGen-centric terminal operations with enhanced serviceability and sustainability as the Group’s future operations model.

Today the group offers on-site pilot training in Mexico, Pakistan and Panama, and by 2022 the training will expand to Mainland China, South East Asia, the Middle East & Africa, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean regions under the group’s network of ports.