Comment le COVID-19 Transforme la Précision des Données d'Expédition

La crise COVID-19 a tant changé la vie quotidienne. C'est aussi vrai en logistique qu'ailleurs, qui, à cause du virus, a perdu un mainstay industrie très spécifique : l'excuse du retard.

Pensez scénario suivant, normal encore février. Fabricant Ohio appelle 11h, besoin chargement pièces livré 5h lendemain matin. Courtier/transitaire contracte camion pour trajet 4h.

Expédition track on time through night, chauffeur last reporting 60 miles out. Mais 5h arrive. Pas de chargement en vue. Camion still reporting 60 miles out — though actually 120.

Puis viennent excuses. Panne. Chauffeur exhausted ses heures ELD (electronic logging device).

Vérité : quelqu'un, espérant peut-être gonfler revenus fin-de-mois, accepted expédition knowing it wouldn't arrive on time. Telle deception may have passed deux mois ago, those days are over. Coronavirus changed everything.

Épidémie jette shipping into disarray. Fabricants can't get pièces, matières premières, ou assez gens staff lines. Camionneurs plus âgés choisissent sit virus out, believing income doesn't trump possibility death. Pour ceux still working, deadheads leading to longer, less efficient, less profitable routes. Throw in surge demand panic buying, et même planning hour-to-hour become herculean task.

Mars, late loads jumped 24% due to extended dwell times, selon FourKites. Reentry delays rose 36%. Unachievable appointment times at 18%.

Tout le monde fabricants à retailers forced to make real-time adjustments keep lines moving et shelves stocked. Dans jours à venir, they'll need honest information to make that happen. Et ça means supply chain will require transparency like it's never had before.

Point de Rupture

Bien que pics demande nourriture initially placed huge pressure supply chain, dearth of goods about to assert stress different kind.

Port Los Angeles, example, saw March cargo drop 30%, largest plunge decade. Also forced alter second shift pour make time disinfecting equipment. Volumes everywhere reported below pre-crisis level, no floor in sight.

All points to incredibly trying times manufacturers. Ils may not have certain raw materials. May be waiting supplier struggling to reopen. That means once-smooth operations transformed into day-to-day pivots produce what they can when they can, avec desperate need know whether tomorrow will call for 8-hour shift ou 6-hour one. With most everyone losing business, no one can afford pay workers stand idle.

Ces jours, compter sur arrivées précises = matter of survival.

Même chose retailers, particulièrement grocers, one industry still close to full operation. Plus de moitié all US produce comes from abroad, pays comme Chile et Mexico less equipped handle outbreak. Résultat : fewer fruits/légumes taking longer get here.

Si chargement raisins goes bad, grocer Buffalo needs to know while truck still in Kentucky, plutôt que finding out when it hits loading dock. Being able to immediately schedule new load could be difference between produce aisle sitting empty for days instead of hours.

Pénurie Chauffeurs

70% US consumer goods moved by truck. Mais those driving have average age 55, selon Bureau of Labor Statistics, leaving ~half in most vulnerable category COVID-19. Many decided sit virus out.

Some financially independent enough wait better times. Others have spouses/children home, choosing not risk family's future.

Even before coronavirus hit full roar, industry largely composed small companies/owner-operators experiencing string closures. Now, avec shortage goods to move, et scarcity people to move them, shipping in full upheaval. Those still on job facing more time on road for less money.

With each new mile, stop or change of plans, greater degree delay baked into supply chain.

Fournir Responsabilité

Erreur always part of shipping. Yet avec availability tightening et COVID-19 throwing every part chain into disarray, it's now increasing exponentially.

End clients understand this. Their businesses facing same tumult, et likely to realize non-stop adjustment = order of the day.

Mais avec leur survival at stake, they're also far less likely to suffer flimsy excuses. Clients getting smarter. They know tech can track load to precise location. While they'll likely be amenable to changing plans front end — say, moving shipment one day to two — there will be repercussions if they're repeatedly told something's on schedule, only to find out otherwise when it's supposed to be at loading dock.

No one can be certain how this crisis will shake out. What's certain : those providing full visibility — et accountability — likely to be around when it's over. Those who cling to old excuses will not.

Ashik Karim est CEO de LiteLink Technologies.