Hello, it’s IINO.
I would like to broadcast IINO san’s Logistics Radio.
Today, I would like to talk about the article, “Interview with Seino Schenker and President Ong Shu Wei”.
Daily Logistics Radio by IINO san in 25th Feb. 2022
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About Seino Schenker
Last September, an Asian woman named Ong Shuwei was appointed president of Seino Schenker, a joint venture between DB Schenker of Germany and Seino Holdings of Japan.
They are working on digitalization, diversification of human resources, and sustainability.
I found these activities interesting, so I would like to introduce them here.
She is a very innovative president who is already putting into practice what is necessary for the future of the logistics industry.
Recent Work
What is The Current Status of Japan Business?
She said “It’s a challenging situation as customer demand for logistics is growing strongly, especially in the semiconductor, electronics, healthcare and automotive sectors.”
Currently, port congestion, labor shortages, and space shortages are occurring around the world.
How Do You Respond to Disruptions?
She said, “There is a growing demand for alternative solutions that Seino Schenker have been providing for many years.”
There are multimodal transportation services.
For example, there are Sea & Air service, which uses ocean and air transportation route and Sea % Rail, which combines ocean transportation with train service.
They also provide regular charter flights to Europe and the U.S. for urgent air transport needs, and arrange spot charters.
Response as Only a Forwarder Can
They are a company that is able to solve transportation problems through such free combinations, a move that only a forwarder can make.
She reported, “One of the strengths of a global forwarder is that it has built strong relationships with air and ocean carriers and holds capacity in advance, which is another strength of a global player.”
She continued, “We share information between Japan, Singapore, and our headquarters in Germany to optimize our purchasing.”
If you are a major forwarder, you can negotiate with carriers based on the huge volume of goods on a global scale.
Challenges for the Japanese Business
Here is the main topic that I found interesting.
Are There any Challenges to the Japan Business?
She said, “It’s not limited to Japan, but we want to change quickly and flexibly to further promote digitization, automation, and robotization in Japan.”
It is said that Japan lags behind in digitization and automation in the logistics field compared to the manufacturing field.
“There is still room for evolution in Japanese logistics. As we accelerate digitization, we can draw on the top-level knowledge that DB Schenker has accumulated around the world.”
“We will combine this with Japan’s unique approach to meet the needs of our customers,” she said.
Introduction of Automated Equipment
This is a view that can be seen only because they are a major foreign company. They are trying to customize and introduce it to the Japanese market based on their achievements and experiences outside Japan.
In Japan, Seino Schenker has introduced automation equipment in B to C logistics operations and other areas.
In its forwarding operations, the company uses robotic process automation for documentation and other tasks, and is taking steps to allow employees to focus on more value-added work.
In this day and age, simple paperwork can be done without people doing it.
We are in an industry where there is really a lot of paperwork, so I think that the paperwork for general operations should be automated more and more.
What are Your Sustainability Efforts?
She said, “Sustainability is a key issue for DB Schenker, and as part of this, we are working to decarbonize our supply chain, including the introduction of EV and trucks in 2022.”
I think this is an innovative company that is doing what is said to be necessary and important in the future of logistics.
Recruitment of Human Resources
Furthermore, and this is another key point, the most important thing is to “attract human resources to the logistics industry.”
According to the president, “In Singapore, experts in industrial engineering and automation are active in the logistics industry.”
That’s what I would expect from a foreign company.
How Do You Tackle the Recruitment of Human Resources?
Seino Schenker is committed to gender diversity and values individual talent regardless of gender.
“The supply chain industry has historically been male-dominated, but we have several women in management positions.” She said.
And, “We want to encourage more women to join the industry and become leaders in the future.”
Gender-neutral Human Resource Assessment
I think this point of human resources is very important in the future.
I don’t know what kind of personnel evaluation is done in Japanese companies.
However, I believe that there should be male employees who are somehow being evaluated and really excellent people who are not being evaluated.
Excellent human resources should be evaluated fairly regardless of gender.
About My Future Startup
The company I’m going to start is a recruiting business in the international logistics and supply chain industry. I plan to focus on three main areas, global personnel, female managers, and IT personnel for logistics.
I have a female board member as a partner, and I am currently studying programming as hard as I can.
I myself believe that human resources are really important, and I have actually experienced that excellent human resources can make a big difference in a business.
After reading this article, I would really like to meet President Ong of Seino Schenker.
She is innovative and I would like to see a large company overturn the business practices of an old industry.
I would like to continue to support the company.
That’s all for today. Thank you.
