We are talking mid 90’ies when I got my first big assignment in Logistics: reorganising the complete transport network of my employer because the decision was taken to close down a serious number of warehouses.
Lots of meetings with lots of transport-companies in order to have their creative input. Disappointing; too many of them did not get further than some sales talk and prices. But conceptual thinking and designing, no Sir. Transport-documents were still on paper with here and there an exception, namely integrators that started to offer EDI. Tracking and tracing, also driven by integrators, became known, but as a gadget and not really as a tool.
Customs were still seen as watchdogs and policemen. If you thought about trade facilitation, you did not necessarily think about Customs. Those were the days when Customs Officers and Shippers often facilitated trade over lunch or dinner. Nothing illegal, just another way of doing things.
We are talking mid 2000’s when I got introduced to the Belgian Shippers’ Council. Only then I realised that the rules of the game that I had been playing the previous ten years were to a great degree determined by governments, institutions, associations linked with transport modes and … unbelievable … occasionally a “shippers association”. But, so I was told, the term “partnership” was still a rather dirty word. Understandable given the fact that after 9/11 it was all about increased security, through increased controls leading to security surcharges as imposed by the shipping industry and slower Supply Chains.
The conclusion was quickly made: Shippers should raise their voice in order to keep their goods flowing at a higher speed, with acceptable costs and excellent quality.
Today the rules of the game are still determined by these same “usual suspects”. But partnership is no longer a dirty word; on the contrary. “Track and Trace” is part of the so needed Supply Chain visibility and “hard copy documents” turns into a dirty term. AEO, although still not perfect, gave the clear sign that Customs recognises that the image of a trade lane should be the one of a highway: speedy, without traffic lights but still safe and secure for all involved. And, according to well-placed people in Customs, this is just the beginning of a mind shift.
Logistic Service Providers understand that focusing only on the physical handling is the wrong choice. Most of them realise that their job ideally starts when a shipper calls them to the drawing board. And last but not least, shippers have been raising their voices.
All of these new views on how Supply Chains should work, nicely come together in CORE. And with the help of ICT technology of today (and tomorrow) it will be demonstrated that is isn’t just theory. Just like in relay-races it will take serious efforts to make CORE a winner. Every participant will not only have to prepare his own part of the race, but also the handover part. And only when all participate with the goal to win the gold medal as a team, we will succeed.
CORE will eventually bring the goods from “door to door “ with enhanced speed, reliability and efficiency and at the same time enhancing effective supervision and safeguarding the security.
But this is not the only challenge. CORE itself will have to be brought from “door to door”. Only through 21st century missionary work, CORE will become THE reference point!