In our discussions with industry experts, we discovered that shippers and carriers that investor database supply and transport these goods face many of the same challenges. They have also struggled to find individual solutions that work well for their respective organizations. Here is a summary of the key obstacles discussed among our panelists:
Labor Shortage: One of the most prominent concerns we identified was the ongoing issue of labor shortages. While the pandemic has exacerbated labor shortages, our discussion revealed that many of these issues predate COVID-19. Our panelists shared their experiences with the impact on their companies, possible causes, and the consequences they have faced. Staff management and customer service are heightened challenges due to the lack of skilled and trained personnel. If there is a shortage of skilled personnel in a particular area, that responsibility is shifted to personnel who may not be as familiar with those procedures. In some cases, this has resulted in preventable errors, such as missed delivery deadlines, misdeliveries, and spills. These negative outcomes make it more difficult to retain personnel who have already invested time and resources in training in other areas.
Training and Experience: and experience. They highlighted how the loss of experienced staff through retirement or job changes has affected the ability of all companies to effectively and efficiently train new personnel. They also discussed the broader changes in how people view the role of work and the workplace in their lives. There is now less interest in staying with one company for long periods of time – by the time a new employee has gained enough experience in the job to be effective and self-sufficient, they have decided to move on to other opportunities or pursue other avenues of employment.
Communication: Communication has emerged as both an advantage and an obstacle in the shipping landscape. Our experts shared their experiences of good and bad communication practices, including the role of technology in this context. They discussed the challenges their companies faced - shedding light on the solutions they used. They also shared valuable insights into the systems, methods and tools that were useful in overcoming communication barriers.