Supply chain best practice seminars: Multimodal hears how smart thinking meets the ever increasing humanitarian need

I recently attended Multimodal Seminar 2014 at the NEC Birmingham, starting on 29th April, 2014. Multimodal, now entering its eighth year, is the UK and Ireland's leading freight transport and logistics exhibition. It features topical seminars and masterclasses, and hosts a Shippers' Village, giving freight buyers a private space to meet logistics suppliers. The seminars on 29th were organised in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and the Freight Transport Association (FTA). 

The exhibitors represented all of logistics, and the software and hardware suppliers. It is where shippers, importers, exporters, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers go to seek ways of running a slicker supply chain. The 2014 show broke all previous records with more than 7,100 visitors, nearly 300 exhibitors, an appearance by HRH Princess Anne, the patron of Transaid, and by Kevin Keegan, the legendary footballer who entertained at the VIP dinner. Transaid is an International development charity, championing local transport solutions for people in Africa and developing countries. 

Recent events, such as the Syrian Crisis and the Philippines hurricane, have highlighted the need for more focus on developing logistics and supply chain capabilities, enabling countries and economies hit by disaster to recover and move on. That's why it’s important to continue work in this area and to educate the public about humanitarian supply chain operations and its challenges. This CILT knowledge sharing event brought together key sector experts. A variety of themes were discussed, for example, Transaid looked at how team building can help save lives in the developing world. 

Mike Whiting, senior logistics consultant for the World Food Programme (WFP), chaired a seminar on humanitarian logistics on the opening day of the exhibition. He reported that aid costs increased by 430%  between 2004, the year of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and 2013. Last year, half of those facing humanitarian needs were in conflict-affected areas, up from 25% 10 years ago. No fewer than four countries – Syria, the Philippines, South Sudan and the Central African Republic – faced maximum “level three” crises last year.

Seated from left to right: Mike Whiting, visiting lecturer in humanitarian logistics, Cranfield University, consultant at WFP and OCHA; Dorothea de Carvalho, professional development project director, CILT; Martijn Blansjaar, head of logistics and supply, international division, Oxfam; Chris Weeks, director of humanitarian affairs, DHL/DPWN 

Whiting said: “The system is having to deal with problems of increasing scale and complexity, which has profound implications. We need to find a more locally based, anticipatory approach – a more creative way of dealing with the logistics challenge that faces us.” He also said the institute could be  a catalyst for change. “We must listen to what those in peril want, not impose what we think they need,” he added.

Raising the status and enhancing the professionalism of humanitarian logistics, challenges and opportunities. 

Dorothea de Carvalho, CILT’s professional development project director, said people development was critical. More than 1,000 students have now passed through the institute’s certified qualification programme in humanitarian logistics, developed in association with organisations such as WFP, Save the Children, the Red Cross, Oxfam and UNICEF.

Logistics professionals can study for a humanitarian supply chain management qualification, while a specialist medical logistics practices strand (Medlog) is suitable for doctors or nurses needing to understand “the unique requirements of running a cold chain,” de Carvalho said. She urged  companies to sponsor students or offer work placements for graduates, to help benchmark their work against what was happening in the commercial sector. 

Martijn Blansjaar, head of logistics and supply, for Oxfam’s international division, said airlines offering cargo space to the charity had become fashionable in the 1990s, only to result in aid supplies failing to fly because the paperwork was not right.

Oxfam now benefited from fantastic long-term arrangements with JCB, which regularly supplied digging and lifting equipment, and British Airways, which could usually offer free capacity within  days of a crisis developing, Blansjaar said.

Chris Weeks, director of humanitarian affairs at DHL, said the company was helping disaster  preparations by helping airports in high-risk areas to be ready for a surge in incoming air freight. 

“The trick is to act smarter,” Weeks said. He contrasted the “old world” model of sending bottles of water, with today’s focus on purification units and jerrycans. “Disaster response is becoming more professional and co-ordinated. We’ve got to upskill and change the profile of our employees,” Weeks said.

Whiting concluded the seminar saying: “We can’t go on as we were, transformative logistics is needed. Training people in storage and distribution will control the amount of food wasted between harvest and end user. We have to go from tonnage-based to knowledge-based operations.” 

“Thinking more sustainably and helping people to help themselves can save a huge amount of long-term investment,” he said. He quoted an example from Tanzania, where at one time cola drinks were obtainable everywhere, but not essential drugs. Following collaboration between Coca-Cola and the Ministry of Health, medical supplies were now being distributed by those delivering the soft drinks across the country.

But the event wasn’t all trucks and bodies, DSV, a Danish company, was giving free food to the CILT  Knowledge Lounge. Having lived in Denmark, when I worked for the United Nations, I’m familiar with their fantastic cuisine. As soon as I spotted my favourite Danish herring, my mouth began to water, prompting my stomach to lead me to where all the human traffic was heading. 

You can guess what followed, and my humanitarian day out was smashing!

The evening ended with a wonderful roundtable discussion on key matters with Martijn Blansjaar, Dorothea de Carvalho, George Fenton (director for supply chain, World Vision International) and Dr  Silvia Rossi of Cranfield University, who also teaches humanitarian logistics and supply chain.

While humanitarian logistics is what I do, as well as building new connections, I also learnt something new about the CILT’s resources, both online and traditional, and that they can provide one-to-one services. I just need to sign up to benefit from the service.