What are the best strategies to make your container shipping operations more resilient?

In my view, developing strong relationships with multiple carriers and ports can also increase resilience. By cultivating partnerships up and down the supply chain, companies can enhance communication, gain more influence in allocating capacity when disruptions occur, and collaboratively solve problems. Additionally, improving transparency through data sharing and integrating advanced analytics to optimize operations across transport modes can drive efficiency. Ultimately, a holistic, partnership-based approach can yield creative solutions to overcome challenges.

The best strategies also include building redundancy into operations. Companies should identify alternative routes, carriers, and ports that can be utilized if primary options become unavailable. Cross-training staff across operational areas also provides crucial backup when disruptions occur. And maintaining safety stock buffers and expanding warehouse capacity helps protect inventory and ensure continuity of customer fulfillment. The goal should be creating layers of protection across the entire supply chain ecosystem - from procurement through final delivery - so that if one element falters, resilient systems provide stability. This kind of comprehensive, systemic approach is essential for managing risks.

"When working at an import company, I encountered various difficulties related to the floating exchange rates at Vietnamese banks. Consequently, payment processes also involved significant risks. Therefore, in the field of logistics, having financial expertise can provide valuable insights or suggestions, such as considering pre-booking exchange rates in the future to mitigate risks amidst the unpredictable global dynamics, especially in times of war."

One thing I find valuable is understanding the supply and demand dynamics of the industry and customer preferences. Being able to measure inventory levels and implement a sensible warehouse storage strategy is also crucial.

The best strategies involve taking a proactive and forward-thinking approach to developing talent. Companies should focus on upskilling employees to prepare for future disruptions, not just reacting to current challenges. This means encouraging workers to expand their skillsets into emerging areas like automation, predictive analytics, and sustainability. It also requires dedicating resources for ongoing training in crisis readiness, contingency planning, and adaptation. Building these capabilities across the organization, while promoting strong communication channels and knowledge sharing, will help drive a culture of ingenuity, problem-solving, and resilience.

In addition to the above issues, I believe that logistics operations need complementary elements such as finance and technology to be better developed

True resilience stems not just from technical solutions, but from visionary leadership and a workplace ethos that empowers people to expect the unexpected. As the adage goes, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Shipping companies that proactively shape their destiny will be best positioned to weather any storm. I recently read about a carrier that purposefully designates certain vessels in its fleet to be used as "swing capacity" that can be deployed anywhere in the world on short notice. When major congestion issues arise, these ships can quickly be re-routed to alleviate bottlenecks. This creative approach provides crucial agility to respond to unpredictable demand shifts or supply chain disturbances.