LNME
TALKING POINT
THE FUTURE OF LOGISTICS
Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, tells us about the five lessons learnt from a global pandemic
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ore than a year since the first COVID-19 case came to light, uncertainty still drives our decisions. Despite widespread vaccinations and control mechanisms put in place across the globe, we continue to fight a prolonged battle. As challenging as the situation may be, it contains within it the seeds of learning and growth. Here are five lessons distilled from the pandemic, critical to the future of our business. 34 | LOGISTICS NEWS ME | NOVEMBER 2021
1. PEOPLE OVER PROFITS Best-in-business companies have always operated with this ethos. But COVID-19 really drove this lesson home. A people-centric approach during challenging times is not just ethically correct, but it also makes sound business sense. If employees are happy and motivated, their productivity is greater than those who feel undervalued or unappreciated. Businesses should remember that it’s their people who work to achieve the profit in the first place, therefore they must always
Amadou Diallo
be priority. People-first companies are not only great places to work, they are also profitable enterprises. 2. CRISIS SITUATIONS HELP TO BENCHMARK RESILIENCE Uncertainty and volatility are the only certainty today. Logistics providers had to showcase real strength in situations when things are not going according to plan. We expect the unexpected, and plan for it. This builds resilient organizations. From shipping large quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE) to communities that urgently needed it, to shipping shipping vaccines around the world so they can be used to save lives, logistics providers have been crucial in the fight against the pandemic. We have the monumental responsibility of distributing approximately 10 billion doses of vaccines over the next two years. Uncertainty also drives flexibility and agility. Businesses and people WWW.CBNME.COM
