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  • BUSINESS

    Thailand as Asean logistics hub

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 10/08/2016

    » Thailand's central location in mainland Southeast Asia, bordering Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, as well as access to the Mekong River and a coastline along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, offers logistics opportunities that few other Asean countries can compete with.

  • BUSINESS

    Will there be sufficient logistics skills to meet region's future demand?

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 11/03/2015

    » It is coming up to 20 years since I arrived in Asia, and for most of that time I have worked in the niche professional field of logistics and supply chain consulting. Today there are many logistics professionals employed by large companies in functional roles ranging from procurement and transport to warehousing and demand management, but very few consultants.

  • BUSINESS

    The importance of reducing the impact of supplier risk in the global supply chain

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 05/04/2017

    » Supplier risk is not a new concept. We continually face supplier risk in both personal and business environments: when we invest in the stock market, await the next version of a smartphone, or even when we purchase groceries. For most organisations, reducing the impact of supplier risk on their respective supply chains is a key priority.

  • BUSINESS

    Developing sustainable logistics infrastructure

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 19/11/2014

    » Thailand is the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia, but low efficiency in its logistics systems contributes to relatively high logistics costs in relation to GDP. This is in part a result of the industrial structure, geographical dispersal of industrial centres, widely spread population centres and logistics infrastructure overfocused on road transport. Successive Thai governments have all taken proactive measures to improve logistics costs in relation to GDP, but ongoing improvement in logistics efficiency is critical for the sustainable development of the economy.

  • BUSINESS

    Need for Asean Supply Chain Integration

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 04/06/2014

    » Southeast Asian economic integration next year will create a competitive market of 600 million people with a combined GDP of $2.1 trillion, solid growth, low manufacturing costs and a rising middle class hungry for the consumer experience across 10 countries.

  • BUSINESS

    Mitigating risk factors is never an accident

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 09/10/2013

    » There have been some dramatic events in the news this year about major failures and incidents involving logistics infrastructure: train derailments, aircraft runway incidents, oil pipeline failures and horrendous transport accidents involving buses and heavy-load vehicles.

  • BUSINESS

    Making a difference in retail efficiency

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 17/07/2013

    » As consumers watch their spending closely in a tough economic climate, the Thai retail industry faces challenges as well as opportunities. In recent years some segments have contracted as strong players bought weak ones, and the weakest closed. Many retail chains cut back on expansion plans, closed poorly performing stores and reduced headcounts. A home-improvement store may have shrunk its bathroom department or moved to a lower-cost location while a restaurant chain deleted some menu choices and also increased prices.

  • BUSINESS

    Controlling the supply chain at retail speed

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 31/07/2013

    » Whether they're pooling loads or promoting best practices, Thai retailers are now recognising that consolidation and collaboration have been powerful strategies that have fuelled their collective success.

  • BUSINESS

    The palm Oil-Sustainability Trade-Off

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 13/02/2013

    » Oil palm is a remarkably efficient crop that provides the majority of the world's vegetable oil and generates valuable revenue for the developing countries where it is grown. Trade value is US$50 billion a year for the commodity that goes into about half the products on supermarket shelves (soap, margarine, ice cream, noodles and chocolate, to name a few), but palm oil has struggled on the road to sustainability. It is even a candidate for some UK power plants as a cheap but unsustainable fossil-fuel alternative.

  • BUSINESS

    Managing talent in the supply chain

    Business, Chris Catto-Smith, Published on 18/07/2012

    » In a business world of increasing complexity, globalisation, fluctuating economic conditions and rapidly expanding new markets, supply chain management has become a critical component to achieve success or even just ensure corporate survival. However, Southeast Asia faces an even greater challenge to match new investments in national infrastructure with effective supply chain and logistic capabilities to ensure competitiveness and sustainable growth. Ironically, some previously restricted markets (most recently being opened for development and enjoying an influx of financial investment to develop their economies) are facing a huge gap in supply chain and logistics talent to make it all happen.

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