02 September 2010

Bolam calls for competitors to collaborate

Published:: 19 June 2009
Channel:: Distribution

Brian Bolam, director of ELUPEG, has called for companies to open up more to collaboration, not just with suppliers, and service providers, but with direct competitors.

“It’s time to accept reality” said Bolam who was keynote speaker at the Operational Efficiency in Logistics conference hosted by The Awareness Group at the London Hilton Metropole hotel today.

He pointed to third party logistics providers as the key “enablers” to drive collaboration forwards, also describing them as “a bunch of reprobates” until now in this area.

He urged listeners to “rigorously pass on non-defrayable cost increases”, something which he said was particularly important for 3PLs.

“It’s surprising how many companies, particularly 3PLs, don’t know what their costs are. They could double their profitability if they charged properly, but they end up giving a lot away for free, because they don’t measure their costs properly.”

He also stressed the importance of sharing forecasting, saying that companies should become “fanatical” about doing so.

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