by M. Sigmund Shapiro
November 13, 2002
Recently, someone asked me to define the major challenge facing
the logistics industry in 2003. This challenge can be answered in
one word dear to the heart of the jazz musician: improvisation. The
ability to anticipate problems has always been the forte of the
logistics manager/freight forwarder, but in this era of
unprecedented international unrest and turmoil, the practitioner has
to be ready for anything, know how to wing it to keep the client in
business, and deliver the cargo on time, if at all possible.
Security, be it "homeland" (I hate that word, but I guess it's
better than "national," "internal" or "fatherland") is going to be
the modus operandi for these troubled times. One can bet that the
rules will be changing every day. Both import and export cargo will
be subject to intense scrutiny as overkill takes charge and will
result in missed deadlines. The ability of the forwarder to keep the
client informed and offer alternatives will tax his tracking
systems, his talent, his patience and the patience of everyone else.
As in stressful times past, frivolous decisions of individual
administrators in the government sector loom large, and the ability
to have them overturned will require speedy, intelligent resolution.
This has never been government’s strong suit. Recall the import
surcharge that Nixon imposed in the 70’s. If implemented as
originally directed, it would have bankrupted importers and brokers
alike. Only after it was "explained" to Treasury Secretary John
Connolly in exquisite detail, did Nixon back off – and that took a
week.
Be there no doubt that anxiety and mindless decision-making are
going to drive international trade for the year 2003 and for the
foreseeable future. In the meantime, we can only hope that peace
will prevail.
