Portfolio Sophie
In my portfolio I wrote about my bachelor dissertation topic: what should we do if a reefer does not
get picked up from the quay. What can all parties do to avoid demurrage and detention cost? In my
first article they came up with the SOT program that provides extra storage space during covid.
Because of the mass of stay-at home order, importers are very busy and your package will be
delayed. Importers should be flexible and always look for opportunities.
My second article is about how poor communication drives up logistics cost. They listed everything
that has an influence on the logistics cost and how they can improve it.
My critical insights are: Working as one harmonised team (even with other companies), good
communication is a must, customer feedback is valuable data that must be listen at, use free storage
to help others, different laws can cause transport delays (look at the covid tests in UK), Optimizing is
an ongoing process and can be supported by an transparent platform.
Do you think that the SOT program will still exist even after covid?
Yes, in my opinion this can be used in more situations than just covid. For example storage of holiday packages
or discount period. If there is an abundance of packages that needs to be delivered this can be useful. In the
future, we have to start working together to reduce our costs and avoid extra cost. Maybe you, as an exporter
of goods can come to an agreement with the carrier for exemption for a SOT program.
What is in your opinion the best tip to reduce your logistic cost in your second article?
I think that all tips together will give you a better result. But if I had to choose one I would go for the last one. It
suggest to use one standardized platform where all information goes to within your company. It’s efficient and
everybody is up-to-date of the daily situation. In this way problems can be solved quickly, for example negative
customer service, too much stock, ….
Do you believe in open communication?
Yes, I’m a believer in NxtPort and all other platforms that can help disappearing borders in the long term. Like I
said in my report overview: communication and transparency will let companies grow and be more profitable.
Volatile Likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly, especially by getting worse.
Wholly Completely
Mitigate To make something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad.
Dire These people are in dire need of help.
Sought Past simple and past participle of seek; to try to find or get something
Wake If something happens in the wake of something else, it happens after and often because of it
To dray off A large, low carriage with four wheels, pulled by horses
Carrier-run storage
A place for sorting property by the carrier.
yards
Adjacent Very near, next to, or touching.
Safely In a safe way.
Maintaining To continue to have; to keep in existence, or not allow to become less.
Discern To see, recognize, or understand something that is not clear.
Repercussions The effect that an action, event, or decision has on something, especially a bad effect.
Incursions A sudden attack on or act of going into a place, especially across a border.
Circumvent To avoid something.
Leeway Freedom to act within particular limits.
Comprehensiv
Complete and including everything that is necessary.
e
Emphasis Special attention given to something because it is important or because you want it to be noticed.
, Automation
George Orwell: 1948 book about a controlled world full of cameras (big brother)
Philip K. Dick: a story about virtual reality (play station VR)
Simpsons: about the president and other predictions
Iain M. Banks: wrote books ‘the culture’ about how we would life in space and had only free
time and working/laboured robots (drones, WALL-E that refers to human dystopia)
Post scarcity: a world that has infinite raw materials, technology that can create pretty much
everything so that everyone is provided for. 3D printers printing food, asteroid mining for
resources/raw materials, no poverty due to low prices (or even no prices), … (sustainable housing,
printing organs, …)
1. Conveyor belt work, heavy lifting or heavy load jobs will disappear
2. We have to retrain or reskill people in new jobs that grow out of the robot takeover
TED TALK: 3 myths about the future of work (and why they’re not true)
1. Terminator Myth
Complement people (efficiency) and makes pie bigger and changes ingredients (farms to
offices) changing the labour of human being
2. Intelligence Myth
Automatic cars, identify birds, registrate diseases: artificial intelligence
(not) routine with algorithms
3. Superiority Myth
Lump of work (washers made with a machine – taking someone’s job – prices fall – more
production – so more work for everybody) It creates jobs but maybe a machine can also take
these jobs (ex. Automatic cars) LOLF
Jobs will be better done by machine in the future.
TEXT: automation aka when robots take over
It will eliminate 6% of the jobs in the US (customer service, drivers, logistics).
Artificial intelligence (Alexa) will grow into more complicated jobs like self-driving cars.
Customized agents that have access to your agenda, mail, music great assistance
Replacing truckers and driverless cars (Uber, Google, Tesla).
New jobs in maintaining the new systems but you need other skills BUT are there even people.
Replacing jobs can lead to social unrest and unemployment can lead to more drug use or crimes.
The government needs to inform people about getting a technical skill degree to shift in this technical
world.
