Logistics

Transition of GLF to i-FUN (Intelligent Friends in the University Netowrk)

2009-12-05T16:52:00.004+04:00

GLF: Making a BIG Difference in GUST Logistics Learning Community in Kuwait

2007-11-25T06:34:00.000+04:00

In a sector characterized by paradigm shifts, every government in a GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) state is keen to promote and invest in innovative educational programs that synchronize with trade development strategies and economic plans now largely fueled by increasing price of oil per barrel..

With a foresight of Gulf University of Science & Technology (www.gust.edu.kw/glf) in Kuwait it enabled the development process in a specialized professional career filling the demand for intelligent logisticians and responsible leadership along with its institutional partner: University of Missouri, St Louis (UMSL www.umsl.edu/depts/cts) which was always geared to commerce, trade and economic policies of the region.

One of the areas of bilateral linkages with UMSL is the video conference in March 2008 of the recent scholarly work of Dr Daniel Rust, Associate Director of UMSL CTS on Flying Across America: Perspectives of Passengers that will interest many airlines in GCC states, the learning community in Kuwait and other stakeholders.

However, the academic freedom has been safeguarded among teachers in institutions of high learning everywhere. It facilitated the ultimate development of professional careers now articulated by GUST Logistics Forum (GLF) where free expression has been ensured. All the statements from special interest groups (SIG) involved, “assert that professors do their jobs best with full freedom of thought and expression, and with job security.” It implies that colleges should be run with shared governance in which professors have a meaningful say in the way institutions are run.

“Times have changed,” said Arthur Hochner, a Temple University professor, “Universities are very different places. They are not ivory tower any more.” Industry demands professionals and university supplies program specific training. Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, defined academic freedom this way: “the freedom to conduct research, teach, speak, and publish, subject to the norms and standards of scholarly inquiry, without interference or penalty, wherever the search for truth and understanding may lead.” GUST allays all concerns to ensure and fulfill these needs of the learning community in Kuwait.

Educational institutions evolve current capabilities, implement new ones and gain students & stakeholders’ acceptance for changes. 86 percent of enterprises see innovation as critical to success, but only 26 percent of enterprises believe that their current innovation level is sufficient to achieve their strategy (Gartner 2004). Because of the simple format of knowledge events developed by GLF, it had alleviated fears of an esoteric discipline in Logistics. The cloud had passed away.

Fajer Al Mutawa was one such Kuwaiti student in GUST who has optimized her learning potential to set sights as the first Ph.D, in Lancaster University Management School in UK. All the motivation to study and training for free speech was provided during the GLF events. She says, “GLF has nurtured me, it was my first step in the real world. Being part of the committee has tremendously enhanced my experience in business challenges through simulated settings. Today, I have taken all I learned to apply in my Master Degree studies. I must say, a truly rewarding and innovative initiative."

Yet another student to follow and excel as a model for others in the university is Shaikha Al Hashem who imbibed the spirit of professionalism during the SCATA celebration of achievers in the logistics and supply chain management industry. She remarks,” The GUST Logistics Forum has acted as an inspiration both in my education and my life. It's a program designed to train students to face 21st challenges and build up their creativity and skills to become young business leaders. GLF has a great impact on the future of its members and students from diverse business fields.”

In GLF, we overcame a lot of challenges but relied on experience, wisdom and professional skills.

There were moments of high and low while GLF navigated across the Arab culture and environment of a new institution. Reaching a milestone but not resting on our oars - a song breaks out in our heart and to thank for the divine inspirations that the Kuwait learning community have made it together in a demanding professional world.
And now to a positive quote from Grenville Kleiser (American Author 1868- 1953)
“To live at this time is an inestimable privilege, and a sacred
obligation devolves upon you to make right use of your opportunities.”

GLF activity share in 2006 shows a beginning of professionalism in specialized education at GUST in Kuwait. It is expected that there will be a faster growth of 15% in the GLF research and conferences attended for the new academic year – thanks to the support of GUST management and its strategic partnership with UMSL.

Connecting the World Together: Bridges & Tunnels

2007-06-16T07:34:00.001+04:00

Where there is a will, there is way - this was demonstrated through another GLF seminar in Kuwait on May 22 where the team of engineers battled the challenges posed by nature to contruct the Tiran Bridge across the Gulf of Aqaba connecting Egypt and Saudi Arabia just to facilitate the flow of pilgrims to the Holy City of Makkah.

By divine inspiration the Arabian Dream took shape but thanks to the patronage of the seminar by Royal Embassy of Denmark who supported the learning community in Kuwait.

Transition in Transportation: What Kuwait could learn from Dubai Logistics City

2007-06-16T07:16:00.000+04:00

One of the five seminars under GUST Logistics Forum was the focus on cluster management that was orgnized on May 1 2007 with the support of French Economic Mission who caught the fascination of the learning community in Kuwait with the fastest train record in Europe held by TGV France. As the railways are gradually emerging under the GCC economic unification policy, the subject was apt to fuel research and futher studies in Intermodal Transportation and Logistics. The seminar also highlighted the progress made by Dubai Logistics City which is fast taking shape for intermodal transportation by sea and land. A similar concept on cluster management is emerging in Kuwait through the Kuwait Business City

Here is to logistics that is being redefined for the next generation under GLF in GUST Kuwait

Logistics Skills Shortage!

2006-04-21T21:13:00.000+04:00

Given the nature of supply chain management, and the growing complexity of the sector, there will be continued demand for specialist training and development in supply chain specializations (e.g., purchasing, customs). In order to minimize the fragmentation that many diverse offerings within a sector create, it is recommended that associations collaborate or partner to some degree to consolidate and deliver a common foundation upon which to build a specialization. Further, and as is the case between most universities and with some professional associations (e.g., CICA), that reciprocal arrangements and cross-recognition of certification standards and common bodies of knowledge be developed. This will serve to simplify the current array of fragmented and varying degrees of duplicative offerings and standards in the eyes of the applicants and candidates, and begin to create a common supply chain training and development “platform” for professional certification and recognition.

More details on http://www.logistics-skills.org/CLSC_full_report.pdf

Logistics

2006-01-06T07:00:00.000+04:00

Logistics

2nd Cool Chain Conference - November 21, 2005 - Dubai

2005-09-11T07:24:00.000+04:00

A Cool Chain in a Supply Chain– November 21, 2005
Perspectives from Seven Sectors of the Cool Chain Industry

Dubai is often described as a city with ideas and when it comes achieving them, all the stops are pulled out. This could be described as synergies of highly hard-working people who are driven by success of personal and commercial life.

In this second Cool Chain Conference, issues and trends that transformed the hub-and-spoke city of Middle East will be highlighted to the delight of those attending the event. The emerging business model includes a strategy for cool chain management affecting one growth sector - the floriculture which will become the focus after imminent opening of Dubai Flower Centre.

One of the notable trends in the production and processing stages in the supply chain is present the logistics journey of the flower from field to the vase at home – thus highlighting the challenges of post harvesting and preservation in the floriculture sector challenged by hot, dry and humid environment. The results of the survey done among stakeholders in the floricultural distribution will be presented during the panel discussion.

Program Schedule

There will be 9 sessions to stimulate the audience who attend the Cool Chain Conference on November 21, 2005. It is time and money well spent amongst people who would call themselves as trendsetters in the logistics of the Middle East region.
Industry experts and academicians will converge to stir up the creative process to accomplish profitable goals and ride on the popular waves of opinion comprising of –

·Safe Food: Challenges for Cool Chain Distribution
·Packaging Developments for Time Sensitive Cargo in a Supply Chain
·Managing Risks in Cool Chain Distribution: The Issues in Logistics Leadership
·Streamlining Supply Chain Procedures in Perishable Products Distribution
·Embedded smart labeling: RFID in the Cold Chain
·Keep it cool: The mandate for pharmaceutical companies and vaccine producers
·If the flowers wither, who is responsible: The logistics integrity in flower distribution
·Transportation Choice: The Imponderable in a Cool Chain Distribution. l chain
·HAZMAT – Safety in handling chemicals and explosives

Who Should Attend
·Directors and Managers from Food, Floriculture and Pharmaceutical Industry
·Functional Executives from Transportation, Warehousing, IT, Materials Handling and Packaging (TWIMP)
·Working professionals from industry –
oCut Flowers Photographic Films
oDrugs Cosmetics
oAdhesives and paints Explosives (for mining)
·Staff and students from universities and colleges

So you want to hear more such new ideas coming through the Cool Chain Conference. All that you need to do is contact TransLogistique Canada at info@translogistique.org

Select sponsorship is also available upon specific request only. Last date for sponsorship will be October 21, 2005

Logistics-on-the-Locomotive - An unique cultural and learning experience for Middle East

2005-09-09T18:30:00.000+04:00

Logistics on the-locomotive is focused to enhance the cultural and learning experience of senior executives from Dubai and the Middle East. This event is scheduled from June 11 to 16 with support of business and industry in Canada, UAE and USA. The seminar sessions include a variety of topics on logistics, supply chain leadership and global trade.

TransLogistique welcomes also senior management from Canada, USA and other countries in the region. The event will be unique as railway is an absent mode of transport in Dubai and adjoining countries. So learning while rolling will be fun in a dynamic environment on a Classical Rail Journey starting from Vancouver to Calgary - Across the Spectacular Canadian Rockies

Register NOW - Exclusive Ro-Ro Experience - Limited Seats Only Taken on First-Come, First-Served basis only

More details for registration and sponsorship are available from info@translogistique.org

2nd Logistics-on-the Lake - June 24 to 30, 2006 - Niagara Invites Business Leaders of 21sst century

2005-09-09T18:06:00.000+04:00

Logistics-on-the-Lake is a training event developed by trainers and professional logisticians without borders. It is aimed to develop the skill sets of senior managers and executives in the Gulf Countries and the Arab world at large. The event takes place between June 24 and 30, 2006 and will focus on Canadian Perspective on Logistics and Supply Chain Management. The venue of this seven-day seminar will be the Radisson on the falls. It combines learning logistics in fun-filled and innovative manner that will build lasting relationship among people and countries.

The seminar sessions will relate to global logistics in an interdependent world, intermodal transportation, technology and systems affecting a supply chain, electronic documentation, customer service, hands-on SCM software, warehousing and facilities management, air logistics, customs administration of Harmonized System of Classification of Goods and so on.

The unique aspects of the seminar are navigating the Welland Canal to see how the business logistics facilitates trade in Canada and the rest of the world; a field trip to the wine growing region, a first hand experience of automated warehousing facility of leading automakers; tasting what is best in the game of golf and all other social activities geared up to provide the motivation and learning in Canadian Niagara so different.

Crossing borders presents a supply chain with a variety of trade barriers to international business: tariffs, non-tariff barriers, exchange rates and differences in product requirements consumer tastes and business practices. Borders also present some direct obstacles to movement of goods: differences in transportation services and transport regulation, telecommunication and institutions such as public warehousing, wholesalers and distributors. All these leave a residual effect on the supply chain: product differences that result in high inventories, allowance for differences in business practice, transportation differences because differences in investment in public highways and other infrastructures or need to overcome changes in the relationships of currency exchange rates. So the participants will learn all this in a condensed but high-powered seminar that will transform the outlook of any logistics manager in the Arab world. The major change is that they will now move toward a global perspective, combining rationalized production located around the world with a quest for global markets. It would then be easier to reason why Dubai plays an important role as trading hub in the region and host unique events and world conferences like IMF 2003.

The invitation is also open to Senior Executives on both sides of the border - Canada and USA and more details are available if you direct your enquiry to info@translogistique.org

TLC Logistics Program in Middle East - Welcome to the Executive Seminar - Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort - Sep 11

2005-08-26T10:48:00.000+04:00

Dear Members of Middle East Logistics Community,

Can you redefine logistics leadership in Middle East ? High powered,fast-paced seminar will challenge "the best and the brightest" in the Middle East.

Mark the dates of the popular seminar series- Next one at Fujairah September 11 to 13, 2005 ( All sessions customized to participating groups).12 sessions in 3 full days.Expert faculty from industry and academia.

Register now to avoid disappointment later. Reserved on first come, first served basis only and take this LOGISTICS SERIVICE SURVEY
{Or please post this URL on your website http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224KJS6HNSB
} supported by Dubai Logistics City.

Prof Philbert Suresh
+971-4-361 6287
info@translogistique.org

TWIMP: Unravelled For Young Business Professionals

2005-08-11T19:16:00.000+04:00

TWIMP - The Integrated Supply Chain and Logistics Strategy
Prof Philbert Suresh, Chief Knowledge Officer, TransLogistique Canada, Dubai Knowledge Village, UAE

Whether your business is big or small, a sound business strategy will always include building customer satisfaction through an effective delivery system. The logistical strategy that I will discuss in this article, under the acronym TWIMP©, is not something that you will find in any textbook. I have found TWIMP© a very convenient way to explain the integrated nature of the elements that go to make up the logistics process. Understanding the steps described in TWIMP© will remove the confusion that prevails in the mind of even the most accomplished logistician.

TWIMP© is an acronym for Transportation + Warehousing & Inventory Management + Information Technology + Materials Handling + Packaging, Marking and Labeling. All these disparate logistical elements must be integrated to produce a supple supply chain - something that is critical to the success of your business.

T = Transportation: A competent logistician knows exactly how to use different modes of transport (air, sea. and land) to move cargo in a seamless manner and keep costs low.

W = Warehousing & Inventory Management: This is a challenge for every logistics professional. Your business must be efficient - while at the same time costs must be kept low so your service/product will be affordable to the customer. Should a business hold all kinds of cargo in any quantity to satisfy a customer? Only experience can tell you how profitable it would be to manage under the just-in-time concept. This is one area where a business would do well to outsource to a third party so the business can focus on its core competency – whatever that may be – to remain lean and open to market opportunities.

I = Information Technology: This is the glue of the business process. It demands that all partners in a supply chain share data for the overall efficiency and profits of the enterprise. The new logistics is all about data management and sharing on an open platform – all along the supply chain - from the customer who has a variety of preferences, to the supplier of raw materials or finished goods.

M = Materials Handling: Often mistaken for materials management, materials handling refers to everything from the proper use of forklift trucks within a warehouse to the loading / unloading devices at ports. In other words, it encompasses all the matters involved in the safe delivery of the cargo to the customer in the proper condition, without any damages.

P = Packaging: This refers to the packaging of a product in a carton, onto a pallet, and into a container. Packaging is important to both the distribution function and to the preservation of the quality of the product - loading and unloading in good and bad weather while it moves on the ocean, land or in the air. Within this function is the use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) that tags a product intelligently so that the logistician will have complete control of the inventory in motion or at rest. Marking and labeling are important activities within an automated warehouse.

Understanding the supply chain process in your business enterprise is fundamental to securing customer satisfaction. Modern-day competition for customer satisfaction is not between company and company but between one supply chain and another. Developing an efficient supply chain is often a complex task – but that makes sense, as the supply chain is at the crux of any business that wishes to deliver goods on time and to provide superlative service. These in turn are the things that shore up the fortune of a company.

[836 words]

REFERENCES
(1) Hayden, M. Executive Managers Preference Workbook, 2004
(2) Peters,T.J. and Robert H.Waterman, In Search of Excellence,Warner Books, N.Y. 1982
(3) Rumelt,R, Strategy, Structure and Economic Performance, Doctoral Dissertation, Harvard Business School, 1974
(4) Kotter, J.P., A Force For Change: How Leadership Differs from Management, Maxwell MacMillan Canada, 1990

The Definition of Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management is the systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole. The supply chain of a manufacturing enterprise is a world-wide network of suppliers, factories, warehouses, distribution centres and retailers through which raw materials are acquired, transformed and delivered to customers. In order to optimize performance, supply chain functions must operate in a coordinated manner. But the dynamics of the enterprise and the market make this difficult: bank rates change overnignt, political situations change, materials do not arrive on time, production facilities fail, workers are ill, customers change or cancel orders, etc. causing deviations from plan. In some cases, these events may be dealt with locally, i.e. they lie within the scope of a supply chain function. In other cases, the problem can not be "locally contained" and modifications across many functions are required.

Consequently, the supply chain management system must coordinate the revision of plans/schedules across supply chain functions. The agility with which the supply chain is managed at the tactical and operational levels in order to enable timely dissemination of information, accurate coordination of decisions and management of actions among people and systems, is what will ultimately determine the efficient, coordinated achievement of enterprise goals

Dubai and Toronto: The Difference in the Dream of an Entrepreneur

2005-08-11T19:05:00.000+04:00

Toronto and Dubai: The differences in the dream of an entrepreneur
Prof Philbert Suresh, Chief Knowledge Officer, TransLogistique Canada - August 11, 2005

A couple of summers ago I visited Toronto to study the global logistics of this world-class city. Toronto has provided inspiration and direction to the economic development strategies of a bustling metropolitan city in the Arab region – Dubai. Dubai shot into the limelight primarily due to its ability to manage large events such as the IMF conference in mid-September 2003, which drew 27,500 participants from 184 countries. Even against the backdrop of the Iraq war, Dubai was an oasis of peace where normal business and trade was undertaken in spite of the regional concern for safety and security.

Indeed, this is the hallmark of an intrepid entrepreneurial state – it creates a business climate conducive to the success of global entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial dreams are fulfilled thanks to the active and proactive policies of the Dubai government. Visions are transformed into economic realities, and strategies for global trade evolve.

The linking of cities with the processes of globalization is a critical area of the logistics research done by the author. Cities are where globalization takes place. Urban geographers and sociologists, among others, have attempted to give meaning and coherence to the rapid and dramatic changes to cities in the past 30 years. There appears to be consensus that cities and the dynamics of urbanization have been changed by the intensification of globalization.

Cities that command and control global economic, political or cultural processes are called world cities. World cities have been defined as: major sites for the accumulation of capital; command points in the world economy; headquarters for corporations; important hubs of global transportation and communication; intensified areas of social polarization, and destinations for domestic and international migrants.

Toronto is classified as a city by the study as follows:

Alpha Cities
London, New York, Tokyo, Paris, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Milan,
Singapore

Beta Cities
San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, Zurich, Brussels, Madrid, Mexico City, Sao Paolo, Moscow, Seoul

Gamma Cities
Amsterdam, Boston, Caracas, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Geneva, Houston, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Osaka, Prague, Santiago, Taipei, Washington DC, Bangkok, Beijing, Montreal, Rome, Stockholm, Warsaw, Atlanta, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Miami, Minneapolis -St. Paul, Munich, Shanghai (Source: Globalization and World Cities Study Group (GaWC))

Although the city of Dubai does not figure in the above study, it is a new city in the Arabian Gulf with the potential to become an alpha city like New York and Tokyo. A real estate and construction boom is drastically changing the landscape of the emirate.

The popular notion exists that oil reserves are fuelling the economic growth of the region. However, Dubai is an exception, as its non-oil trade jumped by 41 per cent last year, reaching Dh215.72 billion compared to the previous year's Dh153.06 billion, according to Dubai Customs. This is about 220 per cent more than the emirate's GDP, which last year reached Dh97.98 billion. The UAE Dirham is pegged to the US Dollar at the exchange rate of 3.65 Dirhams to the dollar.

Embedded in the city plan are clusters –“Free Zones” – that have given birth to free trade without any tariff or non-tariff barriers to the movement of goods or services within these cities. Among these Free Zones are: Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA); Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA); Dubai Internet City; and many more. Dubai is a city with a population estimated at 971,000 in 2001 (Source: Ministry of Planning), within the country’s total of 3.2 million people.

The city’s entrepreneurial dream is being fulfilled by the hard and industrious work of people from neighbouring countries – 45 percent from Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), 20 percent from Arab countries (Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Palestine etc), 20 percent from the Western world (UK dominant), and 15 percent from other African countries.

In 2004, Dubai recorded trade with 210 countries - almost all the independent countries on earth. Dubai's imports, which make up 69.1 per cent of the emirate's total non-oil trade, increased by 37.1 per cent, to reach Dh179.04 billion last year compared to Dh108.723 billion in 2003.
The door to young entrepreneurs, professionals and small and medium businesses in Canada is now open to share in the dream of Dubai – which beckons technological partnerships and trade on mutually acceptable terms. The time is right now for forging these alliances and enhancing trade relationships across the Atlantic and into the heart of the desert region where life is vibrant and abundant. [805 words]

References

(1) Suresh,P, Logistics in Emerging Economies, Research Paper, Aston University, Department of Civil Engineering, Birmingham, UK, 2001
(2) Benton,L, Price,M and Friedman,S, Global Perspective on the Connections between Immigrants and World Cities, GW Center for the Study of Globalization, 2001
(3) Gulf Newspaper July 17, 2005

Are you ready for Logistics & SCM?

2005-02-13T18:45:00.000+04:00

Find out what makes this call of a profession so exciting for so many young people around the world.

Dubai is shaping to be the hub of the region – serving 1.5 billion people beyond its own borders.

So Logistician Without Borders (LWB) is a viable option for all Business and IT students in Dubai and UAE.

WHAT IS LOGISTICS AND WHAT DOES A CAREER IN LOGISTICS INVOLVE?
GETTING THE RIGHT PRODUCT TO THE RIGHT PLACE IN THE RIGHT QUANTITY AT THE RIGHT TIME, IN THE BEST CONDITION AND AT AN ACCEPTABLE COST IS THE CHALLENGE OF LOGISTICS. IT'S AN AREA THAT EMBRACES PURCHASING AND SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT, MATERIALS MANAGEMENT AND MANUFACTURING, INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND WAREHOUSING, DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORT, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Increasingly, too, logistics is becoming a key consideration in new product development with logistics professionals playing their part in multi-disciplinary teams to ensure products are designed with efficient supply-chain management in mind.

While logistics covers a range of functions, each with its own challenges and skills, they are all interdependent and practitioners must work together and understand the impact on the whole supply-chain to deliver results. To manage, co-ordinate and continuously improve the total supply-chain demands very high-level managerial skills and the capacity to play a key part in meeting a company's longer-term strategic objectives.

Supply-chains feed on data and depend on information sharing, especially in a global environment where speed of communication is of the essence and supply-chains grow ever more complex. Today all areas of logistics make use of information technology to process, tailor and deliver real-time information to when and where it is needed.

The ability to appraise and use IT packages and electronic communication methods has become a key competency for logistics managers, not least because, with the growing use of the Internet, the supply-chain is at the centre of some of the most exciting developments in telecommunications and electronic commerce - also known as e-commerce.

At almost every point, supply-chain operations will also have an impact on the environment. Companies must address questions such as: 'Is fuel consumption of the vehicle fleet being minimized?', 'Is the distribution centre energy efficient?', or 'Can packaging materials be reused or recycled?' The challenge is how to combine business development with a sustainable approach to the environment.