Aifreight is not
exorbitantly expensive
when you take into
account the cost of
inventory, says Alyda
le Hane, director of the
Supply Chain Council of
Southern Africa.
According to Le Hane, a
clear understanding of the
supply chain is necessary.
“Often people just don’t
have the time to sit down
and proactively plan and
strategise their supply
chains. Many businesses
think they have one supply
chain when in fact they
have many and that each
product in the organisation
may have to be
approached differently.”
She said unplanned
supply chains often
resulted in unplanned
costs. “If a business wants
to be more competitive
it has to take the time
to invest in its supply
chain, making sure it is
working to its optimum.
Modes of transport are
not the supply chain –
they are merely enablers.
So airfreight might be
expensive for one supply
chain, but for another it
saves cost,” she said.
“In the modern business
environment we are not
competing product to
product any more but
rather supply chain to
supply chain. In other
words the consumer wants
what he wants now. The
more successful one’s
supply chain, the more
successful one’s business.”
CAPTION
Alyda le Hane ... ‘Airfreight not
exorbitantly expensive.’