All the recent talk of disruptions in our logistics networks, from the closure of the San Juanico Bridge to the accidents affecting the Marilao Overpass – not to mention another wet season, and all the delays and closures that come with it – I can’t help but think how nice it would be to have a logistics dashboard to be able to see all of this in one glance.
These snapshots have proven helpful to Filipinos in the past. I’m thinking of Project NOAH and how it provided us with a better understanding of the disaster hazards surrounding the places we live and work in. To an extent, PAGASA’s current rainfall warning system is handy in giving us an idea of what to expect in the next couple of hours or so. Enabling these is the collection, organization and presentation of vast amounts of data, making it easy to understand – and, more importantly, easy to act upon.
It would be great if we can have something like this for the logistics sector. For one, it’s not something farfetched. Users of Waze or Google Maps would tell you how either app tells them about real-time traffic in their routes, allowing them to either plan for alternate routes, or brace themselves for a long drive. Traffic information would certainly come in handy in warning businesses of where possible delays in their deliveries could come from.
I remember the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has a warning system as well. Red lightning alerts mean there’s a possible thunderstorm in the airport and its surrounding, meaning all operations have to be halted, which could lead to delays in air cargo shipments. We know that operations in certain ports are halted when certain storm signals are raised, but this information can be difficult to find – social media is handy, but not as easy to get to as some might think.
So, imagine a dashboard that has traffic information, as well as an easy-to-digest status system for our seaports and airports. Say, red if it’s closed, or if port utilization rates are above a critical level. (We have port utilization numbers updated daily, but only for some ports.) Orange if there are other issues. Green if everything is moving nicely.
Imagine what a snapshot of that information can do. If I’m a supply chain manager looking to understand whether I should anticipate any delays to my shipments, I can pull up this dashboard and get that information in an easily-digestible format. I’d know where my shipments are coming from and where they are going. Oh, there’s a road closure along a major thoroughfare leading to my factory. Maybe I should plan an alternate route.
Now, imagine this decision-making if one has visibility across the transport network of the entire country, rather than just key commercial and industrial regions. It would not just help logistics, but also tourism. It would help small businesses in far-flung areas better understand their options, especially if they’re looking to expand or, at least, reach other markets. It would help policy makers identify those same bottlenecks and better address them.
Now, imagine that dashboard in a disaster. While we’d like to think we’ve gotten past the worst issues that we faced during Yolanda, it’s still a reality that some cities and towns have difficulty recovering due to delays in delivering immediate relief, and then long-term aid. I remember, again, a proposal we made as part of the Pilipinas Kontra Gutom initiative, mapping warehouses and retailers where supplies can be procured and then distributed to areas that are otherwise cut off. Imagine that map overlaid on top of our logistics dashboard. Better yet, imagine a map of our key food distribution hubs – our agriculture terminals, bagsakans, major markets – superimposed on that same dashboard. Imagine it potentially solving issues of food security whether in the middle of a disaster or not.
In supply chain, access to relevant and timely information is essential to making the right decisions that will bring our products closer to our customers, and add value to their lives, as well as to our partners and employees. This should also be true when it comes to how the government responds to issues that affect quality of life, especially those bread-and-butter issues like food prices, for instance. But there is one challenge, of course: bringing all that data together, for them to be organized and presented in an easily digestible way. Everyone must help, but we know reality is far from that ideal. So how do we start, and where?
Henrik Batallones is the marketing and communications director of SCMAP, and editor-in-chief of its official publication, Supply Chain Philippines. More information about SCMAP is available at scmap.org.
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