2011 was a significant year in supply chain management due to the natural and man-made disasters in Japan (earthquake) and Thailand (flood) that had a huge impact on the supply chain performance. As manufacturers spent years building low-cost global supply chains, natural disasters are showing how fragile those networks are. Natural disasters, political unrest and trade restrictions have shown how businesses and governments alike need to have a trusted network and undertake detailed scenario planning to identify and mitigate risks to supply chains. For instance, in the automotive supply chain, Toyota Motors, Inc and Honda took the biggest hit where the parts supplies were limited.

Economists have started to predict the slowdown of the global economy in 2012 as early as mid of last year. Oil prices remain high and transportation costs remain a major component of the logistics costs that shippers need to manage. The fact that there is an over-capacity in the container traffic is adding a new twist to the issues and challenges faced as liners containers to seek innovative ways to raise rates and cut capacity.

The Supply Chain Asia Shippers’ Roundtable brings together various  industry professionals from leading industries such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, oil & gas, fashion wear, luxury & perfumery as well as the high tech  to share their views on challenges faced by their companies in 2012.

The discussion will focus on the various concerns and issues that these companies are facing in 2012 and how they intend to cope and meet them head-on. The panel will also share their views and perspectives to the services provided by the industry service providers and what the key differentiating factors of the success of some of these players in the market today.

The event will be held in Singapore at the Supply Chain Asia Training Center on 29 Feb 2012 from 2-5pm.

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Limited sponsor passes are available to shippers. To register for this pass, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Seats to the event is limited and registration will be based on a first-come-first-served basis.

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano reinforced the report’s warning. “We must continue to strengthen global supply chains to ensure that they operate effectively in time of crisis; recover quickly from disruptions; and facilitate international trade and travel,” she said.  “As part of this effort, we look forward to working closely with our international partners in the public and private sector to build a more secure and resilient global supply chain.”

The emergence of the global knowledge economy has put a premium on learning throughout the world. Ideas and know-how as sources of economic growth and development, along with the application of new technologies, have important implications for how people learn and apply knowledge throughout their lives.

Lifelong learning is becoming a necessity in many countries. It is more than just education and training beyond formal schooling. A lifelong learning framework encompasses learning throughout the lifecycle, from early childhood to retirement, and in different learning environments, formal, non-formal, and informal. Opportunities for learning throughout one’s lifetime are becoming increasingly critical for countries to be competitive in the global knowledge economy.

Lifelong learning is education for the knowledge economy. Within this lifelong learning framework, formal education structures - primary, secondary, higher, vocational, and tertiary - are less important than learning and meeting learners’ needs. It is essential to integrate learning programs better and to align different elements of the system. Learners should be able to enter and leave the system at different points. The learning system needs to include a multitude of players, such as learners, families, employers, providers, and the state. Governance in the lifelong learning framework therefore involves more than just ministries of education and labor.

On 13 Jan 2012, Supply Chain Asia conducted a site visit Schaefer Tech Center. The center is Schaefer's investment in putting together live showcases of variois innovative picking technologies as well as the latest storage and picking systems.

Visitors to the center will given an overview of how these technologies are being applied as well as being able to get a hands-on feel on how these technologies actually work.

The picking systems simulated in the Tech Center include:

• Parallel Picking with RF technology
• Goods to man picking with pick to tote
• Pick by light using Multi light
• Pick to Light using E pick
• RF picking with shelving
• Mobile picking with pick to voice

In addition, participants also get to view the high density 8 deep Orbiter satellite operation, powered by in rack electrical supply for 24/7 operation with no down time recharging battery.

The highlight of the site visit was the Vertical High Density Storage using the Logimat, a crane operated picking system with shelf trays 2.5m long  x 0.8 m wide for loads up to 750 kg x 7m high with variable shelf location, complete with touch screen controls, and unique tilt tray operation for ergonomic picking (click here for more information).

We hope to host more such educational site visits to bring knowledge and innovation closer to the community. If your company is keen to host such visits, do let us know so that we can organize more such visits in the near future.

Supply Chain Asia and Singapore Shippers' Academy, an entity of Singapore National Shippers Council have signed a Memoradum of Understanding to collaborate and develop skills and knowledge based training program for the shippers, logistics and supply chain industry.

The MOU was signed on 4th Jan 2012 and provides a platform for both organization to come together and offer niche and industry focused training for professionals in it. The collaboration will see SCA co-locating its administrative and training structure together with the Singapore Shippers' Academy training facility located at 51 Cuppage Road, #10-13, Starhub Centre. This facility in centrally located in the famous Singapore Orchard Road - behind the major shopping centre called Centrepoint.

The SA-SCA venture will lead to various programs being offered by the joint entities. The 2 upcoming programs are as follows:

• 13 Jan 2012 - An Education Site Visit to Schaefer Tech Center in Singapore (8.30-12.30pm)(Click here to sign up as seats are allocated on a first come first served basis. Seats are limited)
• 16-18 Jan 2012 - Certificate in Trade Compliance Management (Incorporating Incoterms 2010) (Click here for more information)

Interested candidates who want to register to the training programs offered can contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Happy New Year to all our community members and supporters.

It looks like an exciting 2012 for us. With immediate, Supply Chain Asia has co-located our office with the Singapore Shippers' Academy. The Singapore Shippers' Academy is an entity of Singapore National Shippers Council (SNSC) is a non-profit organization formed in 1972. SNSC is a national body representing cargo owners, including importers, exporters, manufacturers and international traders.  The council is known for having played pivotal roles in the shippers’ community locally, regionally and internationally.

The Academy @ Supply Chain Asia will work in joint collaboration with the Singapore Shippers' Academy to run practical industry programs for both communities, starting with the Certificate Trade Compliance that is scheduled to run from 16-18 January 2012. In addition, we will also be hosting regular educational site visits to promote knowledge exchange and development of innovation in supply chain. Our first educational site visit will be to the Schaefer Tech Center on 13 January 2012.

Our new admin and training office is now located at 51 Cuppage Road #10-13 Starhub Centre (located behind Centrepoint).

As we approached the end of the year and reflect on the development in Supply Chain Asia, we are thankful that we have managed to expand our reach and grow this community through our networking efforts. Over the last six years, the success of Supply Chain Asia has been attributed to the sacrifices of many folks, many of whom are members of our Advisory Council and Executive Committee.

We like to think that Supply Chain Asia is not all about our events or web portal or magazine. As a community, SCA seeks to bring comfort and support to its own. It’s with this mission that we are often engage in helping and assisting community members in need – not for a fee, but for a desire to see that we do take care of our own. We want to build platforms that connect, share and raise the level of profile and knowledge in this industry. We seek to bring this industry forward in terms of adoption of innovation and attracting young talents.