The 2023 SAPICS Spring Conference for supply chain professionals was held on 20 September in Fourways, Gauteng.
Of particular interest to the cold chain, a panel discussion was held on the topic of ‘How can the private sector shape itself in the supply chain profession?’ which also looked at a self-regulation tool for logistics. The panel consisted of:
- Kathy Bell, transport and logistics industry specialist: Standard Bank
- Isabel Meyer, principal researcher: smart mobility at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
- Barbara Mommen, independent consultant
- Jayce Lane, managing director: Crickmay
- Facilitator: Devlyn Naidoo, executive: SARS and OGA SAAFF
To a question on self-regulation in the South African cold chain logistics industry and how it can be applied to address issues such as business competition, community disruptions and corruption at borders, Bell replied that none of the aforementioned factors impede the ability to adopt self-regulation. “Corruption is unfortunately prevalent in many industries, including logistics. Operators in the supply chain are exposed to corruption, which can hinder the smooth functioning of the industry. However, despite these challenges, self-regulation remains a viable concept for addressing them.
“In the logistics industry, particularly for operators involved in transportation for export markets, there are unique challenges related to physical movements and practicality around telematics and driver management. Additionally, service delivery protests and attacks on trucks can impact operations,” she said.
Despite these challenges, she felt self-regulation can still be effective. Telematics plays a crucial role in connecting drivers and monitoring truck locations. It goes beyond mere tracking and enables efficient management of drivers.
She described the company ZZ2 in the tomato supply chain, as having implemented RTMS and telematics – a technology that allows for the remote monitoring and tracking of vehicles. It uses GPS and cellular communication to collect data such as location, speed and engine diagnostics.
“The company uses many Volvo trucks, and within the first year of its implementation one of its drivers was awarded the best Volvo driver in the world. This shows that telematics is not just about tracking truck locations, but also about measuring driver behaviour. The data collected by the company goes to Volvo in Sweden for analysis.
“We have many such case studies and examples of how sustainability can be achieved in the transport industry notwithstanding the different challenges mentioned – telematics enables operators to reroute or follow security protocols,” says Bell.
The speaker expressed excitement about the concept of expansion of rail: “There’s no doubt that bulk commodities should be transported via rail. It shouldn’t be a choice of either road or rail, but choosing the most suitable.”
In turn, Lane described self-regulation as ‘the long game’.
“It’s not about profits or out-competing someone else – but offering clients better rates and more professional services over the long term. By innovating in the supply chain, transporters can improve their performance and make their customers more accepting of their services. Self-regulation and software are important for the public today so that public can be confident that those who adopt them are of the right calibre and have ‘heart’. Self-regulation is about playing the long game and building up the country,” said Lane.
Register for free to gain access the digital library for Cold Link Africa publications