If I call a company and it sounds like the person on the receiving end recites information like a parrot, or is reading a script, I am just about ready to drive over to them and bring out the noose!

I blame this on the way companies train their employees. The “this is all you need to know” training method fails to impress. If you pick up the phone, you want assurance that the person on the other end is an expert, can answer off the cuff questions, have all the answers ready and doesn’t have to put you on hold or call you back because “they have to investigate the matter further”. Which brings me to another point – systems.

We operate in an era where smart, pro-active, customizable systems are available to those who are willing to cough up the bucks. Systems that will get rid of the scripted responses and human error all together. The best approach is an informed approach.

The kind of systems I am talking about provide the opportunity for employees to stay up to date with industry and product knowledge, participating in internal online forums based on solution driven discussions; which is better than any training tool. There is no replacement for experience. Active participation and constant communication is the biggest contributor to ensuring employees who are informed. But, having said that, this only works if you drive the process and create a thirst for knowledge.

Instead of boring, “watching paint dry” type group training sessions where you move through information at the speed of light, it’s more effective to allow staff to train at their own pace. ePharmaC is a great case study for this.

From www.epharmac.com/

These kinds of systems can be built for all companies and industries. The level of involvement can be determined by the company themselves, so, what’s the problem?

I believe it’s due to the fact that management themselves do not stay informed. It’s much more fun to know the new specs of the car you want to drive than the industry you operate in. There’s a need for passionate leaders. Staff can only add as much value as their environment allows them to.

The difference between cave men and the modern man is that cavemen’s brains could only function on the past, were not capable of forward thinking ideas, so they were stuck in the same place for their entire lives, not capable of progress. The modern man is forward thinking through past and current experience and knowledge – solution driven and progressive. But unfortunately the Caveman genes did not die out thousands of years ago. It’s still prevalent in a handful of people, and unfortunately, it’s most common in middle management in some corporations, infecting customer service, staff engagement and continuing education with in the work environment. If your company has a large staff turnaround and poor customer service, blame the cave man.

The answers are there, and it’s simple. It’s called technology. The only way to stay informed and take your company to the next level is through networking. Start talking to people with knowledge, the trend setters, read their blogs, subscribe to newsletters, participate in or start industry forums. Make this a habit. A way of life.

We all know the age old saying “survival of the fittest”,  it’s never been more relevant than the era we live in, only difference is that the jocks are getting left behind, the well informed are leading the way.

By Kevin L Ross – Director TSI

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” (TS Eliot)

It struck me that this quote, aligns so well with our belief structure as a business, our tag line, which also doubles up as our service promise, says it all, “Beyond Expectation”.

We can relate this to experience, business structure and vision. But that just sounds like a bad sale pitch. I would rather put it down to attitude – the kind of attitude seen in all successful entrepreneurs. Yes, I am blowing our own horn a bit, but why not. I am proud of the fact that we get it right.

Attitude has been our saving grace in difficult times. Attitude has been our “magic” ingredient when winning tenders, or signing new business. Attitude rubs off on those around you, from suppliers to staff, and in the end creates an environment of like-minded people. I believe this to be one of the key ingredients to sustainable success – both from a business and personal viewpoint.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” This means that if you push boundaries, through success or failure, you learn valuable lessons that, if implemented, can benefit your business tenfold. But, this comes down to much more than just experience. Attitude is our companion along the journey. It is the entity cheering you along when the light at the end of the road seems out of reach.

A bit philosophical perhaps, but I choose to see it as a creative approach towards positive solutions and outcomes. Attitude, in this instance, means not giving up, not giving in and being open to change, while sticking to your guns. Attitude without faith and vision is like a dream that keeps jumping from one scenario to the next. This is the difference between “talkers” and “implementors”.

Talkers will always sell you a new venture; promise the world, while delivering a fart in the wind. implementors sell transparency, through this, delivering on every promise – they can do this, because they have nothing to hide. An implementor with attitude that knows how far to go and is the type of person you want on your team. Be it as a supplier, employee or leader. If the recent economic crisis taught us anything, it is that the need for transparency has never been as important.

So, as you prepare for 2011, consider this, attitude is a habit and so is winning.
By Clifford Blackburn – CEO TSI

TSI effortlessly lets you manage your current service providers. We operate transparently, offering back to back invoicing with no hidden costs – ultimately allowing you to focus on your core business.

Our system takes the guessing out of logistics: you always know immediately who is responsible for any additional cost, including detention, demurrage and storage and interrogates the where, when and how of your shipment along the logistics chain.

We have saved companies millions of Rand’s. But that’s not what we see as the key to our success. Instead, we put our focus in our passion for logistics; our dedication to every single client, no matter how big or small, and our commitment to ensuring that we deliver timeously on our promises – it’s about passion, knowledge, understanding and service.

Innovation through knowledge, resulted in one software system, developed and tested to perfection…

We believe in excellence, it’s our quest for a superior, cost-effective service, the company developed a software system that combines decades of logistics experience with current international best practice, which is linked into multiple service provider systems within the logistic chain, for example:

• The “Track-and-trace” system of the Ports Authority – allowing TSI to do live tracking of containers from the time it enters the port through to collection, and manages exports in the same way, in reverse.
• The road and rail transport network, allowing it to monitor the delivery of containers.

Clear Case for Outsourcing.

The preferred means in our market to access the TSI service is through implementation of our system as your own Operational Control Centre (OCC) as a business unit. This unit will reduce the resources devoted to logistics tracking, while guaranteeing a superior transport service and maintaining profitability through:

• Ensuring improved efficiency
• Maximising profits (group deals, 100% accurate charge-outs)
• Freeing up resources and consolidating admin functions
• Improving customer service
• Back-to-back invoicing – transparency in our billing process: we do not add-on to any service provider’s invoice.

Benefits:

• Logistics service providers- OCC gives logistics service providers the opportunity to offer our service as a value-add to their clients, thus enhancing customer retention.
• End customers – OCC gives importer-exporters the eagle-eye vision they need to follow their shipment wherever it is, cutting out multiple costs along the way. In both cases it frees up and consolidates administration resources and refocuses your business on core activities, allowing you to channel investment in more profitable activities.

Whether you want the power of our OCC system on your servers or prefer TSI to deliver a remote service to you, you will always be on the cutting edge of technology with regular updates. You will also enjoy the peace of mind of a dedicated outsourced service integrating into any SAP, Oracle or standard SQL Server system, always keeping you up to speed with your shipment.

With OCC you get:

• A live link into the Transnet National Ports Authority system
• A link into Spoornet’s track-and-trace system
• Links into hauliers’ control systems
• Daily reporting
• Event-driven system functionality
• Automatic event escalation
• Demurrage and storage managements (avoid unnecessary storage charges due to information inefficiencies),
• Pipeline transparency,
• Security – all containers are clamped, trucks are fitted with satellite tracking, cabs are filmed,
• Specialised transport compliance such as hazardous cargo, bonded carrier, break bulk cargo, raw material packing, and minerals packing and management.

For more information visit www.4pl.co.za

By Clifford Blackburn – CEO TSI

When talking about getting key industry leader together and discussing solutions for issues that affects transportation as a whole,  the Nepad Transportation Summit Conference has become the new networking platform.

This year it will be held at the Gallagher international  convention centre in Midrand, north of  Johannesburg, 13-15 October.

The key focus will be “Transport infrastructure key to Africa’s growth”

“The need for economic growth to match Africa’s population growth is putting pressure on all forms of commercial transport, on roads, railways, air and on the sea ports,” said summit director Tanitha Jolly.

Government leaders, policymakers and experts from Africa and overseas will be joining industry leaders and decision makers from the private and banking sectors, as well as other stakeholders to discuss the infrastructure issues across the African continent that is costing Africa billions of dollars a year.

“Road and rail construction in the cross-border trade corridors as well as operation and ongoing maintenance are of major concern for the representatives of the regional economic communities,” said Jolly. “And the development of facilities at the main harbours affect everybody.

“The need for investment and the opportunities for investment are enormous and will be carefully scrutinised at the summit by executives from the donor agencies and investment banks ,” she said.

Nepad Transportation Summit Conference, in only in second year, and one thing is clear; the need for change has never been so clear.

With the platform they have created, the “small” guy can also get involved. Everybody has a voice, and this is where it will get heard.  Get involved with projects, become part of the solution, or simply attend to broaden your knowledge. Times are changing, so it’s important to find out what’s happening around you, who’s saying what, and why we are still facing issues that could have been solved ages ago.

Modern business solutions are about communication and knowledge share.

Just reading the Financial Times and industry publications is no longer good enough. Becoming part of open discussions will not only benefit your business, but also your industry.

For the Transportation industry, ignorance and stubbornness had it’s place for long enough. What we do affects global economies, local infrastructure and ultimately, the general public’s back pocket.

Times are changing; you can either embrace it, or get left behind.

The only way to succeed is to become part of the industry, instead of outsiders looking in.

For more information on the Nepad Transport Summit, visit http://www.nepadtransportsummit.org/

By Kevin L Ross – Director TSI

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/24110/20100518/economists-transnet-strike-costing-millions.htm

With the recession, Transnet strikes, Port congestion, The soccer World Cup, some more strikes and the end of the year preparations, it’s fair to say that the South African transport and logistics industry has gone through a bit of a roller-coaster ride this year.

http://ports.co.za/news/article_2010_05_30_5750.html#one

With Metal – ore rail transport coming to a stand still earlier this year, and port congestion still delaying both sea freight and road transportation, the “getting it from point A to B as quick and simple as possible” theory, has all of a sudden become a frustrating point of no return situation due to a lack of foresight and planning from some key players in our industry. The effects of this can snowball if they don’t come up with some tangible solutions, and soon.

There is however a bright side to all of this. Difficult, complicated times cause companies to become more innovative coming up with their own solutions, looking into 3rd party solutions, and this can bring on a positive wind of change, beginning with the right mindset. One that is solution driven, and not so much problem focused. The end result is what counts.

We are entering an era where knowledge and know how, combined with open-minded mindsets, will push the transport and logistics industry into greener pastures. It’s time for the smaller companies to stand up and be counted. The end result affects all industries, economies and ultimately, the general public.

Some will follow, some will lead, some will kick up a storm and be left behind, it comes down to choice, focus, innovation and knowledge.

By Kevin L Ross – Director TSI

Most companies spend quite a bit of money marketing their brands and are always on the look out for new ways to speak to their customers. From the traditional (media placements, promotions and advertisements) to the expensive (sports sponsorship) and the innovative (guerilla marketing), there are so many ways to make your brand top of mind. But are we necessarily getting the best return on our considerable investment?

We often forget about one of the oldest (and most powerful) marketing tools – word of mouth – and how powerful it can be when it flows (naturally) from the hearts and mouths of your employees, in addition to your clients. When all things are equal in the customer’s mind (cost, product, etc) you can bet that the people they deal with, your employees, are really what make them chose your company time and time again. So best we invest in them wisely.

Imagine spending R5 million on sponsoring a big golf day only to have your customers overhear a group of your employees bad mouthing your leadership team at the next hole. It kind of negates any goodwill created. Because what employees think, say and do around your brand counts for a lot more than we think.

I once heard someone say that a brand is like an iceberg – 10% of it is visible externally and 90% hidden and its this 90% that determine how the 10% is perceived. A big chunk of that hidden iceberg is your employee base. Their actions, behaviours and attitudes are every bit as important as the policies, products and procedures they carry out.  How your employees feel about the company affects how they deal with your customers. But here’s the trick – it has to be authentic. So a few teambuilds here and there won’t really make much difference.

But do we even how our employees feel about our brands? And even if they do feel empowered, motivated and inspired, is what they are saying and doing necessarily in line with the brand’s values and how we want the brand to be perceived?

Let’s turn this on ourselves for a second. Would we know how to “sell” our brand? Would we know what the brand stands for and not just what innovative products we offer? Would we know how to answer the difficult questions about our past as much as the exciting ones about our future? I bet it might be harder than we think. Perhaps it’s time to put ourselves on the spot and see whether marketing would give us a 10/10 for good intentions and a 3/10 for proper execution.

And that’s another point. If we want to turn our employees into brand ambassadors we need to integrate this into your company’s workings, which means marketing has to work closely with HR. In Deloitte, there is a group of people who focus specifically on the ‘talent agenda’ (recruitment, inductions and development) and are jointly responsible for reporting into to marketing and HR. They know that how they grow the company’s employees has to be in line with the brand’s values and how they want the brand to perceived in the public arena.

We would do well to remember that our employees are our biggest brand ambassadors or saboteurs, whether you want them to be or not. So best we make sure they tweet good things about the company on Twitter instead of talk badly about it around the braai.

From doing background checks and calling up employment references to conducting psychometric tests on would-be candidates to see if they are the right “fit” for the job and the company, we really know how to put a person’s skills and personality under the microscope.

But what about our own companies/departments/teams? Would they survive the scrutiny of a potential employee? How would your company’s business record read on the CV of its life? Would its policies and procedures around skills development and onboarding attract top talent? At some point in our lives we should all take stock of our company, departments or teams and wonder if they are as attractive as the employees they are trying so hard to attract. Let’s put it this way – if your company/department/team were a new recruit, would it be head hunted by a top company or passed over for a better candidate?

It takes a great employer to make a great employee. It’s that simple. You create the working environment and set the management style that your employees work within. This framework is everything. If it encourages a silo mentality and a blame culture, don’t expect your employees to take responsibility for their actions or not to have a good moan behind about the company your back. And you can forget about creating positive brand ambassadors of your employees. It’s not going to happen.

So what do great employers have in common? Five things, say the experts. 1) Inspired leadership 2) Unique company culture 3) A focus on growing talent 4. Strong sense of accountability 5) Aligned HR practices and excellent execution.

The funny thing is that, we probably all know this but are still not making sure we execute each and every one of these areas to our full capacity. How many of us have a great onboarding programme for new recruits or train our managers before they move them into supervisory positions? How many of us put aside five to ten percent of our gross on training every year? Because, simple as these things may be, they enable retention and employee loyalty, which makes for happy customers at the end of the day.

But even these things are just “bog standard”. The next level, and this is where companies can really stand out, is how you promote good corporate citizenship and become leaders in your industry. Here I’m talking about environmental policies and employee wellness programmes that  would necessarily include things like employee volunteerism initiatives and their like. Because, let’s face it, it’s one thing working for a company that has nice offices and sponsors the odd charity golf day and quite another working for a company that is making a difference in the lives of its employees and the communities they live in.

Among other things, best employers will…

• articulate their unique organisational culture, and they hire people for “culture fit.”
• create a unique employment experience and emphasise promotion from within
• provide access to more training channels and are more likely to implement one-on-one mentoring.
• embrace a culture of high performance, stress company values, and have systems and practices in place to inspire their workforce to do their best.
• have leadership teams that set the example for commitment to their companies and their people.

Our industry may be transport and logistics but our real business is people – making sure our customers are happy and our employees motivated and empowered. And the end of the day it’s our responsibility as business owners/managers/team leaders to make sure we are creating an environment that encourages and enables the best in our employees. Drawing on words of JFK “ask not what your employee can do for you, ask what you can do for your employee.

So here goes. The top 3 (business) lessons I will take away from this great sporting event, now that my Vuvuzela and Makarapa have become historical relics.

1)    German precision isn’t everything. If there is one thing the rise and fall of the great German team taught us it’s that you can be technically perfect, flawless even, and yet still be open to failure. Usually when we are at the top of our game we are also most vulnerable to being toppled by our toughest competitors. We need to make sure we always keep vigilant, play with heart and work as a team, even if we are down a key player. For the most part, the German team looked unbeatable but then, when it counted the most, they failed to make good on their potential. Perhaps their game plan relied on the entire team (and they were down a key player), in which case they should have formulated a new game plan based on a new dynamic. That’s business. Perhaps, in their winning streak, they underestimated their next opponent, which is something we do all to often. Either way theirs is a lesson in the fact that you can’t always rely on your great track record to see you through the next test. You have to be on your toes, at all times.

2) Make it your own. We all know that FIFA runs like a well-oiled machine with its own set of rules and regulations. Yes, this world cup has definitely been run like a true FIFA event, but it has also been wrapped in a distinctly African feel too. From the Vuvuzelas and Makarapas to the local “gees” on the streets and at the fan parks, these past 4 weeks will stand apart from the rest and forever be remembered as a uniquely, distinctly African world cup.

3) Don’t underestimate the power of team morale/unity. We saw it with the French team, and in some ways the English team too. Team morale and unity are vital if you want to be a serious contender on the international stage. If your team isn’t operating as one team with one vision, your business will suffer. Believe it. We need to constantly assess that we have the right players with the right attitude or else we are doomed to failure, when it counts the most.

No doubt the months to follow the WC will teach us how to plan and stick to a budget, so that your future earnings don’t get affected. But for now, let’s just bask in the glory of a game well played. Because it was very, very well played. Viva Africa viva!

On the other hand, the industry is facing increasing pressure from local regulatory bodies to comply with global “green” initiatives. (More than most businesses.) It is understandable considering that 75% of a company’s carbon footprint stems from transportation and logistics. Ouch.

Of course it’s not all doom and gloom, financially speaking, as there is always the opportunity to earn and trade carbon credits. But that’s another topic for another day. Right now I think we should explore some new and innovative ways in which logistics management is contributing to the environmental movement while increasing business productivity, helping facilitate better management visibility, optimise operational costs, etc, etc.  Because, yes, it’s possible.

Ever heard of the International Air Transport Association (IATA)? They recently embarked on a project that will see 67% of all documents required in e-freight transactions processed electronically. It’s not going to be an easy shift but, if they get it right IATA estimates it will also result in an annual saving of $4.9 billion, reduce their paper documents by over 7 800 tonnes (that’s 80 Boeing 747 freighters) and enable better traceability, improved process efficiency, etc, etc.  That’s a lot of savings over and above the “greenbacks” (that’s what I like to call the new green savings).

And then there’s UPS’ carbon neutral programme, which offers US shippers the option of paying a small fee to calculate and offset the climate impact of the shipment of each of their packages. The price includes the cost of calculation, administration and the actual offsets, which are based on the client’s specific emissions. It’s all very accurate and scientific apparently as the calculator is based on Greenhouse Gas Protocol (the international standard for carbon accounting) while the carbon offset process is certified by The CarbonNeutral Company. So there’s little room for guesswork here.

But, as with many programmes, you always have to ask – do they sound good on paper or is their any real value-add for clients besides obligation (which is never really a value add).

In this case, I would say UPS has really put their money where their mouth is, promising to match the offset purchases, thus effectively doubling the offsets purchased in 2009-2010, by up to $1 million. Nice touch.

The point is that there is so much innovation and opportunity to come of “the green machine”, that it really just depends on us and how we view these new rules and obligations. Do we see them imposed barriers that are hell bent on destroying our bottom line or as a chance to create leaner, cleaner greener businesses?

It’s our choice.

But what is considered valuable to this new generation of consumer is not always what we think or value ourselves, ie: cost is not necessarily the bottom line here. Because, in the age of consumer consciousness, more people are “buying into” socially and ecology friendly products and services and putting more value on brands that subscribe to these shared values.

High up on the socially-conscious list is charitable giving, but of the new-age kind that makes giving and donating painless, if not automatic. A firm favourite is the “buy one give one away” business model which allows the consumer to buy the brand’s product, knowing that the same quality product will be given to a person in need.

A good example of this is Australian brand, Baby Teresa, which manufactures and sells cotton “onesies” for babies and, for each one purchased, donates another to a baby in need somewhere in the world.

Every time a consumer buys IKEA’s solar-powered SUNNAN LED desk lamp, another one is donated to UNICEF who give it to children without electricity in refugee camps and remote villages.

Now in it’s fourth year, the partnership between Procter & Gamble and UNICEF is still going strong. Each time a pack of Pampers or Fairy brands bearing the special logo is purchased, the medical giant donates the cost of a vaccine to UNICEF.

Even football teams are getting in on the socially-conscious game. Barcelona FC features the UNICEF logo on the front of the club’s premier football jersey, giving UNICEF an estimated brand exposure of 20 million Euros a year. (It looks like UNICEF is well ahead of the game on this one than most.)

In South Africa, Bobsforgood (www.bobsforgood.co.za) is a relatively new social enterprise that is making a difference through this very model. Started by Bob Skinstad and Ron Rutland, the business gives away a pair of brand new school shoes to a child in need for every pair of “quality, South African manufactured bobsforgood shoes” sold through the business.

What is really interesting to me is that this kind of embedded value crosses all industries and services and no longer falls under the patronage of big corporate brands. You don’t even have to manufacture or sell a product that would be of value to the needy; you just have to find an opportunity that speaks to your brand and customers’ innate values.

Perhaps it’s time for existing and startup transport and logistics businesses to start thinking of incorporating new business models that would generate a win-win situation for all.

Perhaps we should start by looking at what we (or our suppliers) often waste – like space for instance. Space is a commodity you could offer a charity, or even one that your client already support.

What about a model like – pay for 90% of the container; give 10% away to a charitable cause of your clients’ choosing? Now there’s a thought.