M AI N F E A T U R E
d r ai n T R A D E R
A n d y G u e st F a cilit y
E v er yt hi n g will t a k e l o n g er s o w e all h a v e t o c ulti v at e p ati e n c e a n d t ol er a n c e. W e h a v e n e v er e x p eri e n c e d s u c h a n u n us u al sit u ati o n. E v e n t h e Q u e e n h as h a d t o m a k e a s p e e c h e n c o ur a gi n g us all t o w or k t o g et h er t o b e at t his vir us.
H o w t h o s e i n t h e i n d u s t r y a r e c o pi n g
T h er e is o n e s m all gli m m er a m o n gst it all; c o m p a ni es t h at st o c k pil e d i n r e a di n ess f or t h e n u m er o us f als e st arts w e h a d b ef or e d e p arti n g t h e E U ar e at l e ast a bl e t o dr a w u p o n t h at e x c ess st o c k at t h e m o m e nt, w hi c h m a y t e m p or aril y h el p r e d u c e t h e l o gisti cs str ai n. B ut it will n ot l ast. S e v er al or g a nis ati o ns h a v e r e p ort e d s h ort a g es of m at eri als or c o m p o n e nts fr o m s u p pli ers i n t h e w orst hit z o n es.
W e h a v e s p o k e n t o s e v er al i n t his i n d ustr y f or t h eir c o m m e nts o n b ot h Br e xit pr o gr ess a n d t h e c or o n a vir us sit u ati o n. Pl e as e b e ar i n mi n d t h at m a n y of t h es e c o m m e nts w er e m a d e w ell b ef or e t his arti cl e w as p u blis h e d, a n d s o s o m e m a y alr e a d y s e e m o ut of d at e.
E n z U K’s s al es m a n a g er M ar k M als o m o bs er v e d t h at h e c o ul d n’t r e m e m b er t h e l ast ti m e Br e xit w as m e nti o n e d i n t h e n e ws a n d h e d o u bt e d m u c h n e g oti ati n g w o ul d b e g oi n g o n b e hi n d t h e s c e n es, p ot e nti all y l e a di n g t o a ‘cli ff e d g e’ s c e n ari o i n J a n u ar y 2 0 2 1 a n d r e v ersi o n t o W T O r ul es. H e c o m m e nt e d: “ T h e di ffi c ult y is t h at w e’r e n o w i n s u c h a f ast- m o vi n g sit u ati o n. W e s e nt o ut a n ot e t o o ur c ust o m ers l ast w e e k a n d ar e alr e a d y h a vi n g t o u p d at e it. W e s a w t his c o mi n g t o s o m e e xt e nt a n d p ut i n e v e n m or e st o c k s o w e at l e ast h a v e m or e of a b u ff er wit h a t hr e e-f o ur m o nt h i n v e nt or y. W e t a k e or d ers fr o m S wit z erl a n d o n a d ail y b asis, t o o. All of t h e i m p orti n g, w er e it t o b e st o p p e d, w o ul d c a us e iss u es f or us aft er t h at b u ff er p eri o d, b ut d e m a n d m a y dr o p o ff a littl e at t h e s a m e ti m e.”
M ar k M als o m s ai d h e di d n’t w a nt t o s o u n d t o o o pti misti c as t h e m o o d o ut t h er e h as c h a n g e d fr o m r e g ar di n g t h e vir us as b ei n g li k e s e as o n al fl u i nt o s o m et hi n g m or e si nist er, m a ki n g us all a n xi o us a n d k e e n n ot t o c o m e i nt o
6 d r ai n T R A D E R | M ay 2 0 2 0 | w w w. dr ai ntr a d erlt d. c o m
c o nt a ct wit h ot h ers u nl ess w e r e all y h a v e t o. E n z’s U K w or kf or c e ar e f u n cti o ni n g usi n g S k y p e, e m ails, F a c e Ti m e a n d t h e p h o n e, a n d si g ni fi c a nt ris k ass ess m e nts h a v e b e e n p ut i n pl a c e. F or e x a m pl e, a w or k s urf a c e s e p ar at es t h e m fr o m ot h ers w h e n g oi n g o nt o sit e t o h el p c ust o m ers, m a n y pr e c a uti o ns ar e t a k e n a n d ris k ass ess m e nts r e g ul arl y u p d at e d. H e r e g ar d e d E n z U K’s o p er ati o n al a n d m ai nt e n a n c e w or k as b ei n g p art of t h e ess e nti al i nfr astr u ct ur e dri v e t o k e e p i n d ustr y g oi n g, s u c h as t h e w at er a n d w ast e w at er s e ct ors, w hi c h p er h a ps f a c e a d d e d l o a ds c urr e ntl y. E m er g e n c y w or k w as c o nti n ui n g as n or m al, b ut pl a n n e d w or k w as b ei n g d el a y e d. T h e bi g g est str ai ns ar e o n pl u m b ers a n d dr ai n a g e c o ntr a ct ors n e e di n g t o g o o nt o sit es t o c arr y o ut e m er g e n c y w or k.
M ar k s ai d o n e of his bi g g est c h all e n g es w as k e e pi n g u p a d e q u at e st a ffi n g l e v els, i n t h e li g ht of ill n ess, p e o pl e n e e di n g t o l o o k aft er c hil dr e n at h o m e or b ei n g ot h er wis e u n a v ail a bl e. “ E v er y o n e’s g oi n g t o h a v e di ff er e nt p ers p e cti v es o n t his sit u ati o n, b ut i n t h e cir c u mst a n c es s o m e c o m p a ni es f e el t h e y h a v e b e e n gi v e n s u p p ort a n d ot h ers ar e v er y s e nsiti v e a b o ut it all. S o m e ar e e v e n a bit bl as é.”
Bl as é is c ert ai nl y n ot w h at p e o pl e s h o ul d b e. C o vi d- 1 9 is li k e pl a yi n g R ussi a n r o ul ett e; o n e of t h os e b ull et c h a m b ers c o nt ai ns a vir us t h at will a ff e ct t h e r e ci pi e nt or s o m e o n e cl os e t o t h e m si g ni fi c a ntl y, e v e n f at all y.
P u m p T e c h n ol o g y’s b usi n ess d e v el o p m e nt m a n a g er D a vi d J o h ns o n c o m m e nt e d t h at pr o bl e ms s u c h as br e a k d o w ns at s e w a g e p u m pi n g st ati o ns ar e t h e l ast t hi n g p e o pl e n e e d at t h e m o m e nt. H e f elt his c o m p a n y w as w ell or g a nis e d a n d c o pi n g w ell, wit h p e o pl e pi c ki n g u p p u m ps 1 0 0 y ar ds fr o m t h e b uil di n g, s o ci al dist a n ci n g i n f or c e a n d s o o n. H e w as w ar y a b o ut t h e s u p pl y of g o o ds o n c e t h eir l ar g e Br e xit b u ff er s u p pli es r a n o ut, b ut t h e y w er e w or ki n g cl os el y wit h e xisti n g s u p pli ers a n d h ol di n g a d e q u at e st o c ks f or n o w. “ N e xt- d a y d eli v er y is w h at o ur b usi n ess is a b o ut, s o w e h a v e b e e n h ol di n g hi g h er t h a n us u al st o c k l e v els. W h at w e h a v e s e e n as a c o m p a n y is t h e n e e d t o b e b ot h pr o a cti v e a n d r e a cti v e t o
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