Chances are EFL has helped send a package to your home. They have 37 years in the business and 60 offices in 25 countries, and they are continually updating their technology to support global logistics tracking.
Ahmed is Head of Marketing and Communications for EFL, a global logistics company based in Sri Lanka.
While many global businesses have been reducing operations during the pandemic, the global logistics industry has ramped up.
Their normal duties of making sure freight and parcels get to the right place now has the added responsibility of getting PPE to the right places ASAP.
Moving freight during a pandemic
EFL was once primarily fashion focused.
These days, they’re sending more tech products, and during the pandemic, more healthcare and pharmaceutical products.
“We are shifting the focus away from just being a traditional freight forwarding company to being a global supply chain solutions company.
“The pandemic has created new awareness around supply chain and logistics,” Ahmed said.
“We still need items delivered in lockdown.”
Staying agile to stay ahead
Ahmed said it was vital for logistics companies to stay agile. When natural disasters can impact your daily business, it means always having a contingency plan so products keep moving.
“One of the things that we’re working on is a centralized control tower to give visibility everywhere.
“Now, when you’re moving their product for us, we’re looking at the Stock Keeping Unit in a consolidated way, but the brand’s still expecting information to come in that system.
“Then you have to create technology that connects with their systems, integrates with our system, and then also integrates with an airline or shipping line and their system.
“It’s all about identifying those steps and then innovating our technology in global logistics tracking.”
Tech: The backbone of shipping freight
Communication, security, and visibility are vital for EFL, and that means technology is incredibly important.
“It’s about keeping tabs on the different people, managing your shipment, and using technology to create visibility,” Ahmed said.
“When you talk about shipment, even between our own offices, there’s a lot of communication that goes back and forth.”
The business’ old dependence on email is changing.
“We’re introducing a lot of communication tools to push information to clients, as opposed to them having to request updates,” Ahmed said.
EFL created middleware to connect customer information, using that data to feed the supply chain and give them visibility of freight movement.
“In supply chains, you must plan for disruptions. They could be related to technology, adverse weather, or even political instability.
“We have connectivity and systems because we’re linked to the customers. That gives us visibility to manage and plan things beforehand,” Ahmed said.
“It’s been very helpful to have a team that can give you the on-ground knowledge, which can then inform the customer.”
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