Archives February 14, 2022

AIR CARGO

We hear a lot about trucks and ships but we don’t hear much about air freight. In this episode Tony Hines takes a look at the world’s largest airport and the part it plays in cargo movement. About 1.7 million metric tonnes of cargo pass through Heathrow annually. Heathrow Airport is the UK’s largest airport. It has two runways and wants to add a third as it deals with passenger volumes around 80 million people prior to the pandemic annually and it expects to develop capacity to increase that number. The two runways can handle the largest planes. The airport has air bridges for 133 aircraft, 64 outfield stands and 15 cargo stands. About 32% of traffic is cargo and 67% is passenger movement. Heathrow handles more cargo than Felixstowe, Southampton and Liverpool together. It handles 70% of all air cargo in the UK. Heathrow has 84 airlines flying to 203 destinations in 83 countries. It has recently published its strategy to pay supply chain workers more and to improve conditions for people and businesses using the airport as well as reducing its carbon footprint. It is also working to improve air quality for people living nearby.

HOTELS

We don’t often hear hotels and supply chains in the same sentence but hotels depend on supply chains to deliver service to their customers. We take a look at some of the problems they have been coping with to keep supply chains flowing. Apparently costs have risen for some products by 80 per cent.

CYBER CRIME

The recent attacks by criminal groups using ransome attacks to lockdown computer systems have caused serious problems for businesses that are targeted. KP was one of the most recent victims and it has disrupted their supply chains.

NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK IN THE UK

A good way to attract new entrants into supply chain careers. Business apprenticeships give entrants an opportunity to earn, learn and get qualified as a supply chain professional.

FORTHCOMING PROGRAMS
Reverse Supply Chains with Guest Dr Regina Frei, 
Resilient Suply Chains in Healthcare with Guest Professor Wendy Phillips, and 
Supply Chain Roles, Careers and Courses.
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RE-ORGANIZING THE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR RESILIENCE –GO LOCAL
Many businesses including retailers have slowly been reconfiguering their supply chains to go local when it comes to geeting their supplies.

INSTITUTE OF SUPPLY MANAGEMENT
I attended a great webinar and was reminded about what supply chains are all about and I share that here.

US INFLATION HITS A FORTY YEAR HIGH AT 7% year on year. A large proportion of this increase is due to rents. Grocery prices and general product price increases due to continuing supply chain disruptions also contribute. In the UK some housebuilders are increasing their prices for new homes by as much as 17%.

UNILEVER one of the biggest brands in food retailing say they will be increasing prices across all product lines in 2022 to improve profitability.

A POULTRY PROBLEM IN THE UK
Dues to a shortage of butchers the processing of pigs has come to a halt and farmers are having to cull their stocks because they can't afford to keep feeding them.

PROBLEMS AT THE CANADIAN BORDER
The Ambassador Bridge remains closed because of protests and this is having serious consequences for the movement of goods across the US-Canadian Border. This type of disruption is becoming more frequent not only in Canda but in Europe too.