APL TESTS LOGISTICS IN ASIA, LATIN COUNTRIES
Emerging markets such as those in Asia and Latin America
offer opportunities for developing effective supply chains, a senior executive of APL
said.
Lessons learned in emerging countries can then be
"transplanted" to more developed markets, with reduced risk and lower
implementation costs, said Donald McKay, director of logistics strategy for the business
logistics unit of APL Logistics.
McKay told an automotive logistics conference in Antwerp that, at first
glance, the relative absence of infrastructure, technology and training in developing
countries presents a "daunting picture" for firms pursuing global marketing and
production strategies.
But today’s new technologies, along with a strong emphasis on
training and education in emerging markets, are changing all that, he said.
APL said that new Web-based technologies can easily be set up in remote
or less-developed locations; the business environment in emerging countries is open to new
ideas and processes.
APL provides contract logistics services to global automakers,
including General Motors Corp. at its new production facilities in China and Thailand.
McKay said his company’s current work for GM in both Thailand and China offers "some
hints for firms in virtually any manufacturing sector" that would like to globalize
and better manage their supply chains.