When John T. "Jock" Menzies of the American Logistics Aid Network visited earthquake-ravaged Haiti in March, he had an abstract idea of what he would encounter. Being face to face with the reality was another matter.
Mark Solomon joined DC VELOCITY as senior editor in August 2008, and was promoted to his current position on January 1, 2015. He has spent more than 30 years in the transportation, logistics and supply chain management fields as a journalist and public relations professional. From 1989 to 1994, he worked in Washington as a reporter for the Journal of Commerce, covering the aviation and trucking industries, the Department of Transportation, Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to that, he worked for Traffic World for seven years in a similar role. From 1994 to 2008, Mr. Solomon ran Media-Based Solutions, a public relations firm based in Atlanta. He graduated in 1978 with a B.A. in journalism from The American University in Washington, D.C.
When John T. "Jock" Menzies, president of the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), visited earthquake-ravaged Haiti in late March, he had an abstract idea of what he would encounter.
Being face to face with the reality was another matter.
The capital of Port-au-Prince and the Western city of Leogane at the quake's epicenter each resembled, to Menzies, a modern-day Dante's Inferno. Large areas of both cities were covered in dust, he said, the residue from pulverized structures, exhaust from burning diesel fuel, and huge rubbish fires set in a desperate effort to incinerate waste that otherwise would have been routed through now-ruined sanitation systems.
Menzies saw streets choked with rubble and makeshift housing—with crude roofs often made out of cloth—erected next to destroyed homes. He witnessed mountains of trash and litter being picked over by humans and animals alike. He saw roads hopelessly clogged by merchant storefronts that had literally been moved off their sidewalk moorings and into the street. Traffic in Port-au-Prince was at a standstill most of days he was there, Menzies noted. At night, the capital's streets would be transformed into ghostly thoroughfares with the movement of stray individuals and motorbikes barely visible through the eerie gloaming.
For Menzies, who returned to the United States March 28 after a weeklong trip to meet with non-governmental agencies (NGOs) working with ALAN, the images were searing. "You know what to expect, but until you touch it and smell it, you just don't get it," he said.
Three months after the Jan. 12 quake that left approximately 230,000 dead and 750,000 homeless, Haiti remains a basket case of near-epic proportions. Water treatment systems lie in ruins and drainage canals have been badly compromised, raising fears that flooding during Haiti's traditional April-May rainy season and possible summer hurricanes to follow might trigger another humanitarian disaster. Nearly 2,000 schools, hospitals, and health centers have been destroyed. About 25 million cubic yards of debris lie scattered, enough rubble to cover Washington, D.C.'s National Mall to a height of 700 feet, according to a report in The Washington Post. To put the magnitude of the damage in perspective, the Washington Monument is 555 feet high.
In addition, Haiti's central government has been, in Menzies' words, "decapitated" both in terms of leadership and infrastructure.
The bureaucratic void has created chaos. For example, the government requires NGOs to submit written reports chronicling the situation and their needs. However, it lacks the resources and manpower to process the paperwork. As a result, NGO representatives must re-hash their findings in face-to-face meetings with government officials often conducted in a linguistic cacophony of English, French, and Creole.
Supply chain getting back on track
After an initially nightmarish start when relief supplies would arrive in Haiti by air and then be abandoned in random locations because there were no consignees to sign for them, the supply chain has made positive strides, Menzies said. Today, goods flow relatively freely into the Port of Haiti and Port-au-Prince International Airport, though airport capacity remains tight relative to the enormous demand, he said. Most shipments are properly signed for and reach their intended destinations, though ground deliveries in the country remain an adventure, Menzies said.
And yet there are anecdotes that remind Menzies of the yawning logistical gaps that still exist. In one refugee camp, medical personnel used their personal credit cards to buy food and water because the relief supplies on hand were inadequate.
For ALAN, which was created in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina to serve as a conduit between the resources of the logistics community and disaster relief agencies needing supply chain support, Haiti was the largest-scale disaster it has yet confronted. Menzies said he has been satisfied with ALAN's response and performance. Still, he acknowledges there were areas that need improvement.
For example, ALAN could be more precise and focused in connecting logistics companies, relief groups, and the needs at hand, he said. Menzies also found that while the leading NGOs had solid knowledge of the nuances of international logistics, the second-tier organizations, for the most part, did not. "One of our jobs is to help point [the secondary groups] in the right direction and support them with the necessary resources," he said.
Menzies knows that, sadly, there will be another time and place for ALAN's services. For now, though, the attention remains focused on Haiti, which he said would not be restored to pre-quake conditions for at least three years. A group called Hands On Disaster Relief (HODR) recently asked ALAN to help find a volunteer with warehouse management and logistics experience to serve as a consultant in Leogane during May. HODR has established a Joint Logistics Base in Leogane, about one hour from Port-au-Prince. The base will support the operations of various relief agencies active in the area, it said.
Menzies and the thousands of relief workers with boots on the ground in Haiti share one common fear: that the world has already put Haiti in the rear-view mirror and in short order, will forget about the misery that still very much plagues its people.
"The attention to disaster relief anywhere in the world quickly falls off," he said. "People will say to themselves, 'Well, we've done enough,' and they then move on to the next issue. It would be a tragedy if that happened here."
how supply chain players can support disaster relief—today and tomorrow
Three months after a devastating earthquake, Haiti remains in terrible crisis. For companies still looking to lend supply chain resources or expertise to the task in Haiti or that want to be ready when the next disaster strikes, John T. "Jock" Menzies, head of the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), offers the following suggestions:
Make contact with one of the many agencies active in disaster relief ahead of time, as they have difficulty assimilating spontaneous volunteers at the time of an event. Your state will have a group known as Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). Go to the National VOAD website, www.NVOAD.org, to find a link to your state VOAD.
Review agency needs as they are posted on the National Donations Management Network (NDMN). The network is accessible through the ALAN website (www.ALANaid.org). After Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established the NDMN as a collection point for donations for VOADs. Since then, the NDMN has been enhanced to allow VOADs to post needs as well. The network approach has been adopted by 46 states and jurisdictions in the United States.
Become familiar with the emergency response structure in your area. Typically, states have an emergency management office or agency. During an emergency, an Emergency Operations Center will be established to serve as the meeting and coordination points for VOAD, state, and federal relief efforts. ALAN will be happy to provide guidance, if requested.
Be prepared yourself. Government and relief agencies are unable to provide for individual needs in the first hours or days after a major disaster. FEMA's website includes a number of helpful preparedness tips.
Leaders at American ports are cheering the latest round of federal infrastructure funding announced today, which will bring almost $580 million in Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) awards, funding 31 projects in 15 states and one territory.
“Modernizing America’s port infrastructure is essential to strengthening the multimodal network that supports our nation's supply chain,” Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips said in a release. “Approximately 2.3 billion short tons of goods move through U.S. waterways each year, and the benefits of developing port infrastructure extend far beyond the maritime sector. This funding enhances the flow and capacity of goods moved, bolstering supply chain resilience across all transportation modes, and addressing the environmental and health impacts on port communities.”
Even as the new awardees begin the necessary paperwork, industry group the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) said it continues to urge Congress to continue funding PIDP at the full authorized amount and get shovels in the ground faster by passing the bipartisan Permitting Optimization for Responsible Transportation (PORT) Act, which slashes red tape, streamlines outdated permitting, and makes the process more efficient and predictable.
"Our nation's ports sincerely thank our bipartisan Congressional leaders, as well as the USDOT for making these critical awards possible," Cary Davis, AAPA President and CEO, said in a release. "Now comes the hard part. AAPA ports will continue working closely with our Federal Government partners to get the money deployed and shovels in the ground as soon as possible so we can complete these port infrastructure upgrades and realize the benefits to our nation's supply chain and people faster."
Supply chains are poised for accelerated adoption of mobile robots and drones as those technologies mature and companies focus on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation across their logistics operations.
That’s according to data from Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, released this week. The report shows that several mobile robotics technologies will mature over the next two to five years, and also identifies breakthrough and rising technologies set to have an impact further out.
Gartner’s Hype Cycle is a graphical depiction of a common pattern that arises with each new technology or innovation through five phases of maturity and adoption. Chief supply chain officers can use the research to find robotic solutions that meet their needs, according to Gartner.
Gartner, Inc.
The mobile robotic technologies set to mature over the next two to five years are: collaborative in-aisle picking robots, light-cargo delivery robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for transport, mobile robotic goods-to-person systems, and robotic cube storage systems.
“As organizations look to further improve logistic operations, support automation and augment humans in various jobs, supply chain leaders have turned to mobile robots to support their strategy,” Dwight Klappich, VP analyst and Gartner fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, said in a statement announcing the findings. “Mobile robots are continuing to evolve, becoming more powerful and practical, thus paving the way for continued technology innovation.”
Technologies that are on the rise include autonomous data collection and inspection technologies, which are expected to deliver benefits over the next five to 10 years. These include solutions like indoor-flying drones, which utilize AI-enabled vision or RFID to help with time-consuming inventory management, inspection, and surveillance tasks. The technology can also alleviate safety concerns that arise in warehouses, such as workers counting inventory in hard-to-reach places.
“Automating labor-intensive tasks can provide notable benefits,” Klappich said. “With AI capabilities increasingly embedded in mobile robots and drones, the potential to function unaided and adapt to environments will make it possible to support a growing number of use cases.”
Humanoid robots—which resemble the human body in shape—are among the technologies in the breakthrough stage, meaning that they are expected to have a transformational effect on supply chains, but their mainstream adoption could take 10 years or more.
“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Klappich also said. “However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”
An eight-year veteran of the Georgia company, Hakala will begin his new role on January 1, when the current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, will retire after a long and noteworthy career, continuing as a member of the board of directors, Cimcorp said.
According to Hakala, automation is an inevitable course in Cimcorp’s core sectors, and the company’s end-to-end capabilities will be crucial for clients’ success. In the past, both the tire and grocery retail industries have automated individual machines and parts of their operations. In recent years, automation has spread throughout the facilities, as companies want to be able to see their entire operation with one look, utilize analytics, optimize processes, and lead with data.
“Cimcorp has always grown by starting small in the new business segments. We’ve created one solution first, and as we’ve gained more knowledge of our clients’ challenges, we have been able to expand,” Hakala said in a release. “In every phase, we aim to bring our experience to the table and even challenge the client’s initial perspective. We are interested in what our client does and how it could be done better and more efficiently.”
Although many shoppers will
return to physical stores this holiday season, online shopping remains a driving force behind peak-season shipping challenges, especially when it comes to the last mile. Consumers still want fast, free shipping if they can get it—without any delays or disruptions to their holiday deliveries.
One disruptor that gets a lot of headlines this time of year is package theft—committed by so-called “porch pirates.” These are thieves who snatch parcels from front stairs, side porches, and driveways in neighborhoods across the country. The problem adds up to billions of dollars in stolen merchandise each year—not to mention headaches for shippers, parcel delivery companies, and, of course, consumers.
Given the scope of the problem, it’s no wonder online shoppers are worried about it—especially during holiday season. In its annual report on package theft trends, released in October, the
security-focused research and product review firm Security.org found that:
17% of Americans had a package stolen in the past three months, with the typical stolen parcel worth about $50. Some 44% said they’d had a package taken at some point in their life.
Package thieves poached more than $8 billion in merchandise over the past year.
18% of adults said they’d had a package stolen that contained a gift for someone else.
Ahead of the holiday season, 88% of adults said they were worried about theft of online purchases, with more than a quarter saying they were “extremely” or “very” concerned.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are some low-tech steps consumers can take to help guard against porch piracy along with some high-tech logistics-focused innovations in the pipeline that can protect deliveries in the last mile. First, some common-sense advice on avoiding package theft from the Security.org research:
Install a doorbell camera, which is a relatively low-cost deterrent.
Bring packages inside promptly or arrange to have them delivered to a secure location if no one will be at home.
Consider using click-and-collect options when possible.
If the retailer allows you to specify delivery-time windows, consider doing so to avoid having packages sit outside for extended periods.
These steps may sound basic, but they are by no means a given: Fewer than half of Americans consider the timing of deliveries, less than a third have a doorbell camera, and nearly one-fifth take no precautions to prevent package theft, according to the research.
Tech vendors are stepping up to help. One example is
Arrive AI, which develops smart mailboxes for last-mile delivery and pickup. The company says its Mailbox-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform will revolutionize the last mile by building a network of parcel-storage boxes that can be accessed by people, drones, or robots. In a nutshell: Packages are placed into a weatherproof box via drone, robot, driverless carrier, or traditional delivery method—and no one other than the rightful owner can access it.
Although the platform is still in development, the company already offers solutions for business clients looking to secure high-value deliveries and sensitive shipments. The health-care industry is one example: Arrive AI offers secure drone delivery of medical supplies, prescriptions, lab samples, and the like to hospitals and other health-care facilities. The platform provides real-time tracking, chain-of-custody controls, and theft-prevention features. Arrive is conducting short-term deployments between logistics companies and health-care partners now, according to a company spokesperson.
The MaaS solution has a pretty high cool factor. And the common-sense best practices just seem like solid advice. Maybe combining both is the key to a more secure last mile—during peak shipping season and throughout the year as well.
The Boston-based enterprise software vendor Board has acquired the California company Prevedere, a provider of predictive planning technology, saying the move will integrate internal performance metrics with external economic intelligence.
According to Board, the combined technologies will integrate millions of external data points—ranging from macroeconomic indicators to AI-driven predictive models—to help companies build predictive models for critical planning needs, cutting costs by reducing inventory excess and optimizing logistics in response to global trade dynamics.
That is particularly valuable in today’s rapidly changing markets, where companies face evolving customer preferences and economic shifts, the company said. “Our customers spend significant time analyzing internal data but often lack visibility into how external factors might impact their planning,” Jeff Casale, CEO of Board, said in a release. “By integrating Prevedere, we eliminate those blind spots, equipping executives with a complete view of their operating environment. This empowers them to respond dynamically to market changes and make informed decisions that drive competitive advantage.”