The logistics sector, including the refrigerated logistics and cold storage sub-sector, has been rather busy late. With increases to at home deliveries, and shopping from home on the rise, it has lead to surge in demand.
Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne have introduced limits on the workforce to be in one location at any one time. Specifically only 2/3 of the workforce is able to be on site at any one point in time. Whenever I read these restrictions I think about how we would adapt if it were to occur here in Adelaide. APF Cold Storage and Logistics is agile enough that we would not be affected by these such restrictions. We have multiple warehouses, with multiple teams, and can run multiple shifts if required. From our perspective this would not affect us. I do think about how a reduction in workforce would affect the distribution of FMCGs through the cold chain. While you can run multiple shifts, there is flow on affects that could cause a slow down in the logistics chain. This could lead to an increase in wastage, or a lack of supply.
Don’t Panic when reading the above. It’s more an open thought wondering how logistics will adapt to this. The logistics sector, and the service centric companies that operate within it (Such as APF Cold Storage and Logistics) always find solutions. However solutions inedibly cost money. Which leads us back to the argument between economy and health. I am an optimist, and believe we can have both, and I look forward to seeing a positive solution come about in Melbourne. Perhaps it will increase a workforce, and create jobs that may be lost from retail?
