So many have been talking about the role of logistics and supply chain management but it seldom crossing the roles of maritime supply chain. Most universities who have such programs only stress the important of logistics role in land, sea, air, logistics providers and pipeline but less on maritime supply chain. Should I assume that its a new study but has long bee neglected about its very important roles in logistics activities?
Maritime supply chain offers new opportunities and challenges. Typically, in any supply chain the following three flows need to be managed:
Material flow, Information flow and Money flow.
Lot of transportation and logistics activities are handled through maritime link. The whole supply chain to keep these activities going require strong support from material s such as fuel, spare parts as these needs to be organised and managed. Information flow is also important to be managed. The money flow needs to be organised through web or enabling mechanisms such as e-commerce portals.
The challenge is speed and response time, especially during emergency or war times.
In my view, maritime SCM is a distinct discipline by itself and need to be given its prominent position it deserves in view of its importance in global economy and the enormous sea length it covers cutting across continents.
With the growth of sustainability and demand for short lead time products and services, maritime will be pushed to areas of high volume low cost applications, where planning is better, lead times are fairly constant and businesses enjoy a great deal of predictability.
Efficient road transport or rail road combination will be the future as businesses look to increase their responsiveness and also support delayed ordering to support greater customisation.
maritime supply chain is for many countries a main road of transport way basic products for industry, a food import, export. If you looking a base for analysis see informations about important role of convoys to UK under First and Second world Wars, see information about regulation of food distribution there. now maritime transport is main transport way between continents Asia, America, Europe. maritime supply chain has bigger capacity and transport possibility than land transport, train, road. the strongest connection with maritime supply chain has inland water transport, because transport capacity one barge on Ren river is as 150 or more road trucks, 2 trains.
In my opinion, maritime industry should be given the highest priority in the international business due to the ability in delivering higher volume of freight at the very lower cost. Although speed is not the main characteristic in maritime supply chain, companies can overcome the deficiency by improving the materials planning in their operations, so that the cost advantage can be secured effectively.
Having in mind that more than the 90 % of world merchandise is moving through the seaway , the “maritime & port” logistics chain represents one of the most important nodes of the global supply chain .
Ships, given the diversification of goods , with the rise of the container, allow to extend logistics beyond the port , and not only from port to port , but door to door , this change of concept , together with the big volume transported, let the marin transportation as the cheapest mode of transport, and also, according to studies conducted in the European Union , is the mode of transport that produce less pollution, so, this is a node of the supply chain with great importance and validity .
In the Faculties of nautical studies and maritime transport , as well as schools of logistics and international maritime commerce , we study all the details, implications , extensions and all issues related to maritime logistics , which of course is not isolated, as a node belongs to a large supply chain , but , like all international activity is subject to a number of laws , regulations, etc. ; and the combination of different professions , from those who work on ships and in port until all other stakeholders in the maritime logistics , having in mind that came frm a diverse nature.
Marine transport is important in most global markets when trade is strong. I would recommend SCM projects take a deeper dive and understand business drivers first. Second, understanding trade lanes and product flows. Connecting the dots; economic drivers and freight movement is an excellent area of study.
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