NEWS\\\ >> 8


that enhance the safety and


security of our customers’ pharma shipments.” Ramp transportation is one


of the most vulnerable stages for


temperature-sensitive


cargo like pharmaceuticals. Offering world-class cool chain solutions, dnata consistently improves training and processes to transport these precious shipments to the highest international standards. Teams receive specialized training and temperature-sensitive


cargo


Issue 2 2021 - FBJNA are given priority loading


and unloading to ensure that they are moved quickly with minimized temperature fluctuation. dnata’s new cool dollies


allow the company to take pharma handling to a new level. Providing temperature- controlled storage from -25°C up to +25°C, the specialized containers mitigate


risk of


temperature deviations and contamination throughout the handling process. They have


a closed structure with alarms on opening and


closing, as well as alerts if temperatures fluctuate above acceptable ranges. The units are also hygienic and easy to clean, which is an important consideration for pharma cargo. In recent years dnata has


invested significantly in infrastructure,


equipment


and training to ensure that it provides shippers with a transparent and dependable cool chain product. The company has been using the


latest technology, best practices and certified


warehouses to deliver best-in class services for customers. dnata is the only air


services provider in Australia that has been awarded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification for the pharmaceutical handling services at its facilities. dnata is a global member of Pharma. Aero, a cross-industry collaboration of pharma shippers, CEIV certified cargo communities, airport operators and other air cargo industry stakeholders.


Charleston to receive 1m sq. ſt. spec building


9


Ground was recently broken on the largest speculative industrial facility ever built in the Charleston area – a 1,019,200-sq.ft., cross-dock industrial building in the Charleston Trade Center. The Charleston Trade


Center is situated off the Nexton Parkway interchange along Interstate 26 in Summerville, SC It is one of the Lowcountry’s premier Class A industrial campuses, offering unrivaled port and interstate proximity, as well as already in-place


site infrastructure


and tax incentives available through a FILOT agreement. The new speculative


Covid has ensured that it’s been an interesting time in the


car making business,


to say the least, but this is why sophisticated logistics providers are so important. It’s all about offering vital flexibility, says Olivier Marchegay, Geodis’ global accounts director for the automotive sector. “It’s been a busy year,


for


sure and we’ve had to manage the crisis on a daily basis,” he told FBJ. Car makers


in


Europe and further afield have been cutting output in the face of lockdowns, which have naturally depressed the market. Even if they had wanted to, car makers would not have been able to maintain normal output as the need for social distancing measures in factories has inevitably reduced production. All this has meant that


Marchegay and the Geodis team have had to be “very reactive


with our clients.


We have set up a global coordination team to offer solutions, and to be proactive rather than reactive. In fact, my colleagues and I have probably never worked so hard.” Most if not all of these efforts


have had to be made from peoples’


homes, as Geodis


itself has put in place social distancing measures. Working from home has been quite pleasant, and the company has some excellent technology available, but Marchegay for one is looking forward to the automotive team getting together in person again, whenever that is allowed.


Geodis handles movements


of components from tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers to plants in Europe and North and South America as well as automotive spares worldwide. The only sector of the industry it doesn’t get involved in is movement of completed vehicles. (Parent company


SNCF - French


Railways - used to have an STVA arm which was sold to CAT.)


What makes the automotive


sector unique – and fascinating – says Marchegay is that the products it makes are both complex but also made in high volumes. In a way, it combines the huge number of components that might be found in, say, an aircraſt, with the large volumes found in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. But what also makes life interesting for automotive logisticians is the practice these days for car makers to offer a high level of customization. “This is where we come in,” Marchegay explains. “Today, we are in part also doing assembly of particular modules which we then deliver to the production line. In a way, we act as a buffer for the car maker. For instance, we might


assemble a complete


tailgate, or maybe door panels, dashboards, roof linings and so on, as well as less obvious items such as electrical harnesses or preparing glass for assembly. Having us doing this sort of operation makes


it simpler


for the car maker to manage diversity at a later stage of the production process.”


This move to push


production further down the supply chain didn’t just happen by chance, Marchegay points out. It was part of a well thought out strategy and the process whereby manufacturers take a thorough look at their supply chains every 2-3 years. Covid


has accelerated if change


anything in


the


automotive supply chain. Manufacturers and their logistics suppliers are asking themselves:


‘How can I


improve my flexibility, how can I manage these higher levels of volatility?’ Marchegay


believes


Yes, taking on more activities does increase the level of risk for the logistics service provider, “but it is a calculated risk”, says Marchegay. If you have the right processes, the IT, the know-how,


it can be


effectively managed. That means having a perfect understanding of your clients’ processes and adopting a


culture of continuous


improvement and lean management. Cars themselves are


that


the appetite for outsourcing manufacturing in the industry has grown because the process of ‘mutualisation’ – or sharing - of non-competitive activities helps to cut costs and helps optimize resources, while at the same time increasing flexibility. The automotive supply


chain is all about teamwork, with every player contributing their specific expertise, including logistics, of course. Visibility of the supply chain


is also absolutely key, as is anticipating potential issues and discussing and offering solutions with the client at an early a stage as possible. The sooner a problem is recognized, the more cost- effective any potential solution can be. Production


stoppages


caused by supply chain issues are rare, in Marchegay’s experience, considering the size of the global car industry.


undergoing arguably the greatest single change since Karl Benz first applied an internal combustion engine to a primitive three-wheeled vehicle in 1885, with the widespread adoption of battery electric propulsion. This is beginning to make itself felt in the automotive manufacturing supply chain, says Marchegay. In fact, one of the effects


of the Covid crisis was a threatened stoppage in the supply of batteries from Asia to Europe and the Americas, so


the Geodis team quickly came up with alternative services including road, rail and sea solutions. The aim he says, is “to ensure that production did not stop but while minimizing the extra cost.” Solutions included not only


chartered airfreight capacity but even chartered sea vessels from Shanghai to Europe and America.


An after-market is


automotive batteries is now developing, says Marchegay as well as dealing with expired ones. This does not necessarily mean scrapping them, he adds. Batteries that are deemed to be too old for automotive use can find a new role in, for example, storing energy generated by solar power. In the medium term,


batteries may not only come from Asia, which will mean yet more changes to the supply chain. There are a number of industry initiatives to set up manufacturing operations in Europe or North America –


PayCargo assists assistance dog group


Supply chain payment specialist is to support America’s VetDogs, which pairs highly-trained service and guide dogs with injured veterans and first responders. PayCargo has become a


Lifetime Graduate Sponsor of the non-profit organisation, which helps people who have been


physically disabled, are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or are experiencing vision loss or seizures. PayCargo’s support will go


towards long-term aſtercare for a veteran and their service dog aſter their graduation from the VetDogs training program. It costs over $50,000 to breed,


building is located about 30 miles from the Port of Charleston. It has been specifically designed to capture port-reliant users with features including: 40- foot clear height, 120 fully equipped dock doors, two drive-in doors, ESFR fire protection, LED lighting, and expansive parking for cars and trailers. The project site is located on the front 62.32 acres of Charleston Trade Center, which is highly visible from Interstate 26. Work on the industrial


building is underway with a projected opening in the fourth quarter.


again, these efforts have been given added impetus by the disruption to global transport caused by Covid. As for the post-Covid future,


whenever that starts to come about, Marchegay anticipates that there could be a rapid return to full production. Experience in China, where the Virus is apparently now well under control, suggests that demand could bounce back rapidly – indeed, the same effect was seen on a somewhat smaller scale in Europe during the apparent lessening in the number of virus infections seen over the summer. The car industry will however have to adapt


to a


socially-distanced future and car plants may not be quite as productive as they once were. “However,” says Marchegay, “as a key component of the team, our job is to anticipate this and propose solutions. It’s our mission to facilitate this value chain by increasing the flexibility of the supply chain.”


raise, train, and place a single dog. PayCargo president and


Americas chief executive, Lionel van der Walt said: “As a veteran myself, this charity is close to my heart and the VetDogs’ team provides renewed freedoms and independence for those who have sacrificed a lot for the betterment of society.” Walt served five years in the


South African Air Force prior to starting his career in the aviation industry.


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