The supply chain manager plays an integral role in coordinating the entire length of the supply chain, which extends from the source of the cargo (supplier) to the point at which the cargo is delivered to your door. - Collis Williams, Eagle
Freight forwarding has served its time admirably but survival in today’s commercial jungle requires the insight and adaptability of supply chain management.
The Caribbean continues to develop at an amazing rate. As the East and Middle East continue to get more and more hostile, we have noticed our shores becoming inundated with potential investors. Indeed, the Caribbean has a lot to offer the serious investor.
What started from humble beginnings as a need to have cargo purchased in source markets, forwarded and shipped to the islands cost effectively, no longer serves to protect the interests of the serious investor. For the freight forwarder, merely being a warehouse facility to be used to consolidate all of an investor's cargo and using the cheapest method of ocean freight or airfreight does not necessarily equate to growth of the investor's bottom line. While freight forwarding has served its time admirably, survival in today’s commercial jungle tells a different story.
The great recession of our time has taught us all one thing - you can’t divorce the physical act of freight forwarding from the science of supply chain management and prosper. Add to that the fact that, where before many distributors on these small island states held a monopoly on products because of their capacity to import large volumes with an economy of scale to match, the global logistics and supply chain evolution is allowing customers easy access to that same product at prices, which match those that local distributors once enjoyed.
Thus, businessmen and women in the Caribbean have been forced to consider every element of the supply chain in order to enhance their competitiveness. Here are a few of the considerations:
Should I move from the traditional push supply chains and incorporate more pull supply chains?
What’s the length of the supply chain and the cost of the capital as a result?
How much does my supply chain engage the time of my human resource capital?
Can I reduce the size of my warehousing on island by carrying less stock and using a pull supply chain for more of my inventory?
It is the measurement of every element in the supply chain that mitigates the risk. RDL Eagle delivers a world-class character of supply chain management that will give the visibility, high information flow and cost efficiency that your business deserves. Consult RDL. Let us work together to determine how best your supply chains can work for you. We are confident that you won’t regret the insight you will gain.