11 minute read
From the SCLAA
FOSTERING CROSS-BORDER RELATIONSHIPS
AMANDA O’BRIEN CHAIRMAN SCLAA
The SCLAA has just completed a very successful trade mission to China. Back in November 2018 we were delighted to be the first Association to enter into a significant Memorandum of Understanding with The Australasian International Trade Association (AITA) with the implementation of the “Belt and Road Australia-China Supply Chain and Logistics Alliance”.
Given the recent media coverage and poor assessment of what these alliances mean to the wider business community it has never been more important than it is now to forge closer partnerships with our number one trading partner China.
The Alliance will serve its members and facilitate Australia and supply chain and logistics development and cooperation. This will include a wide range of services including conferences, exhibitions, business consultation, overseas visits, training programs and will enhance communication amongst alliance members including functional government departments, industrial associations, institutions and corporate enterprises.
In China the SCLAA, with AITA, also signed additional significant Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with other peak bodies including the Tianjin Transportation and Logistics Association and the TCEA (Tianjin Cross Border E-commerce Association) as well as many others where an Alliance of partners will foster the development of knowledge across borders and increase potential trade with business’ in Australia.
There were meetings with the Hebei Federation of Industry and Commerce, the Tianjin Trade Promotion Council and a conference at Cangzhou Municipal Government as well as discussions held with the Guangzhou Port Authorities and the Zhanjiang Government. A comprehensive briefing pack will be available to all SCLAA members in the coming weeks. It is significant to note that China is to top 50 per cent of global GDP by 2040 and drive 40 per cent of the world’s consumption.
A statistic too hard to ignore is that the Guangzhou port handles 15 million TEU’s per year as opposed to our biggest Port; Port of Melbourne that handles 2.5 million TEU’s and may reach capacity in the next 20 to 30 years. Significant development is continuing in the Guangzhou Port with an extended logistics park facility that covers over 340,000 square metres and will greatly enhance the Port’s ocean-rail transportation capability, will have a positive impact on the Port’s container throughput and will be operational by 2020. There is significant development and growth in the cruise ship industry and the ports, that will greatly enhance tourism, and will start to receive cruise ships in November
Guangzhou Port.
of this year. Perhaps in Australia we can see some infrastructure development in our ports taking shape and much needed rail projects commencing.
The tour and meeting with officials in Huanghua Port will undoubtedly give the SCLAA a solid platform to promote collaboration with Australian industry. The Port is expanding rapidly in size and in the functional orientations of bonded processing. The comprehensive free trade zone of Huanghua Port is located in Cangzhou Bohai, a new area of Hebei abutting Huanghua Port. By means of attracting domestic and foreign manufacturers and trade circulation, enterprises will form a fully equipped logistics infrastructure platform. The Huanghua Port is not only the most convenient and rapidly transported port in mid and west of China, there are plans to build an additional 209 berths. They have built 200,000 tons of deepwater shipping lanes and Internationally they have built the shortest Eurasia artery between Huanghua Port and Rotterdam in the Netherlands so the Huanghua Port is now called the new artery bridgehead of Eurasia. SCLAA also met with Bureau Heads of Tianjin Airport Economic Area where multiple national strategic opportunities are available. The Tianjin Airport Economic Area Committee manages the areas which are part of the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone, the Tianjin Airport Economic Area and the Harbour Economic Zone.
Total management area is 284 km with the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone 6.2 km, the Tianjin Airport economic area 81.2 km and the Harbour economic zone 200km. Tianjin is one of the four cities that report directly to the Central Government and are the centre of economic growth in Northern China. More than 150 Fortune 500 companies invest here and over 30,000 enterprises are registered in TAEA. So far more than 1700 enterprises are registered in Tianjin Aviation Logistics Park. They include Tianjin Airlines, DHL, FedEx, TNT, COSCO, SINOTRANS and SF Express just to name a few.
In Beijing the Welcome Banquet in Honour of the SCLAA and AITA Trade delegation was held with the attendees including Key Chinese Central Governments and NGOs. The dinner was aimed at inviting more key organisations to join the alliance and provide networking opportunities for interested parties from Australia, New Zealand and China in logistics, trade and beyond. Making a key note address, it was with great pride that the SCLAA presented certification to new joiners of the Left to Right: Mr Geoff Matthews Consul (Political/Economic), Mr Don Nardella, Mr Michael Guo (CEO of AITA) Mr Chris Halford (Deputy Consul-General), Mr Paul Sanda (Deputy Consul-General (Commercial) Senior Trade Commissioner, Ms Amanda O’Brien (Chairman SCLAA), Ms Sue Tomic (Treasurer SCLAA)
alliance including the China Communication & Transportation Association, the China Vegetable Marketing Association International Exchange and Cooperation Committee and The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, China.
The SCLAA and its delegates also met with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission in Guangzhou China
The SCLAA delegation and AITA were delighted to meet with Mr Paul Sanda, Deputy Consul-General (Commercial) Senior Trade Commissioner; Mr Chris Halford, Deputy Consul-General; and Mr Geoff Matthews Consul (Political/Economic) from the Australian Government to discuss issues concerning the Australian business community and, more importantly, the opportunities given the current economic climate and critically important trade relationship between China and Australia. An Information and Briefing Pack on the trade visit will be made available to our members and will include information on opportunities that have become possible due to the alliances we have forged with our largest trading partner.
It is also timely to remind anyone who would like to nominate or be nominated for the prestigious 59th Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Awards, that nominations close on 6 September.
A number of international delegations will be attending the Awards on Friday 22nd November and this will provide valuable networking opportunities. Information on the Categories and Criteria as well as the Awards Gala Dinner are linked here can be found on the SCLAA website. ■
ASCI APPOINTS CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
The Australasian Supply Chain Institute (ASCI) is continuing its strategy to bring professionalisation to the supply chain domain and, as such, has appointed new Chapter Presidents in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.
ASCI Chapter Presidents are volunteer-based roles. New appointments include:
MATTHEW JACKSON, VICTORIAN PRESIDENT Matthew is a leader within the Supply Chain and Operations practice of Deloitte focusing on Manufacturing & Industry 4.0. He has over 18 years as an operations lean practitioner across Australia, North America and Europe. His particular skills are in the design and implementation of large scale transformations through coaching and mentoring teams in both service and manufacturing environments. Adept at engaging both front line and C-level whilst motivating them to embrace and generate operational improvement. Able to tackle change management issues effectively and in real time. Expertise and pragmatism
have combined to deliver a string of consistently successful programs that have produced significant benefits in quality, cost and delivery.
BRENDAN O’KEEFFE, NSW CHAPTER PRESIDENT Brendan has over 20 years of recruitment experience across supply chain, operations for ASX listed organisations and SMEs. With demonstrated expertise in executive search and talent management, he has become a trusted adviser for his service delivery and long lasting partnerships within the industry. Brendan has worked in partnership with change management programs and is actively involved in industry networks where he actively contributes and provides insights and market knowledge . He sees this as a competitive benefit to organisations who are serious about these initiatives, particularly in the current challenging times. This includes his history with APICS and now ASCI as a supporter of the organisation and sponsorship of its endeavours. Brendan has a passion for the professional sector that he partners with and is committed to supporting professionals in their career’s but also making a key contributio n to industry for a more sustainable future.
INDRASEN NAIDOO, WA PRESIDENT Indrasen has drawn on his dual academic pathways of finance and industrial engineering to shape a 25-year career in supply chain in South Africa and Australia. He has held executive leadership roles in organisations including De Beers, Mondi Group, FirstRand Bank and Roy Hill Holdings as well a non-executive founding director role with the South African Supplier Diversity Council. His leadership of transformation initiatives draws on his skill a leadership coach, to facilitate dialogue that reshapes mindsets and beliefs to reframe business models, embrace technology innovation and adapt behaviours to establish a predictable future of thriving at a system and network level.
Indrasen holds Bachelor of Commerce, Chartered Management Accounting, Master in Business Leadership, Master in Engineering qualifications and is currently engaged in doctoral research focussed on integral supply networks in a digital economy. He has certifications as Member of International Coach Federation, Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and Prosci Change Management.
JAMES SCOTLAND M. INT. MGT., G.A.I.C.D., F.I.L.M, QUEENSLAND PRESIDENT Currently engaged by The Australian Industry Group (AiG) and the Federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science as national Supply Chain facilitator, James’ role is to assist and enable SMEs to prepare for, and to access Global Supply Chains. Current clients include Volvo Group Australia,
Shell QGC, Bustech Australia and the Australian Organics industry. The focus of the role is in the digital integration along and across the supply chain continuum. James has management consulting experience, corporate trainer with
companies such as BHP and Rio Tinto and CEO of a Vocational Training organisation.
Prior, James was Group Regional Manager, Mayne Nickless Express Freight Group (now Toll) based in Darwin after a career in many roles across the organisation. These roles were 3PL operations, including running 24-hour operations of air
to working with them to realise the vision of Supply Chain Management becoming a formal profession in Australia. This will be a first in Australian history, shaping the cornerstone of our industry and continuing the legacy and rich history of our Institution when our predecessors brought APICS to Australia in the 1970s to set best practice standards for inventory management,” he said.
ASCI is working to set the minimum knowledge and education requirements for supply chain professionals. It has already developed a recognised minimum
freight, road freight and couriers, and included building relationships with clients and working across organisational silos with clients and within Mayne Nickless. In NT, James was Chairman of the International Business Council (IBC), Chairman of Australian Industry Defence Network (AIDN-NT), board member of the NT Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NTCCI), Chairman of the Oil & Gas network and President of the Australian Institute of Management NT (AIM-NT).
EDDY QURESHI SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR Eddy is a contracts and procurement specialist with over 10 years’ experience in contract administration, risk strategy, contract analysis and negotiations for IMC Hospital (300 bed, $200M revenue, 400 suppliers,14,000 items), and Procter & Gamble (7 markets, $150M revenue, 20 suppliers, 100 items). He has led negotiations of complex contracts underscored by 150+ contracts, valued at 500$M+, involving multiple categories (medical equipment, beauty products, finished food products, supplies and maintenance).
Eddy holds an MBA from the University of Warwick, and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering. According to Ivan Imparato, CEO, ASCI, Chapters have always been an important component to the ASCI organisational structure for the past 50 years. Now, more than ever, there is an enormous amount of work to strive towards the ASCI vision. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing Chapter Presidents including Henry Santamaria and David Hogg who have both dedicated their expertise into developing sustainable programs and teams within their states.
“Congratulations to our new Chapter Presidents and look forward standard of a supply chain body of knowledge; an ethics management program; and is developing an industry risk management program, and a continuous professional development program, including its annual ASCI2019 conference. In 2018, ASCI launched the evidenced-based Practitioner Registration process in logistics, operations and procurement, available to the entire supply chain community. This registration will become a pre-requisite for practitioners in the Supply Chain domain to be able to register as Professional Supply Chain Managers, after the successful completion of an examination, entitling them to the designation PrSCM.
ASCI is working closely with its corporate members; collaboration partners and sponsors to
provide a platform for research and development opportunities with the tertiary, government and industry sectors. ■
