Who says logistics is a boring business?

At our job we sometimes have to trudge through pages and pages of photos to put in the magazine. During one such session late in the night I came across this image that stopped me in my tracks.


While some may look at it like a silly, even frivolous thing to do (or in Singapore the colloquial terms "eat already nothing to do"), it made me chuckle and think: there's so much being said about not being able to find good talent because the supply chain is not a sexy business, but is that really true? Being in charge of a whole network that drives a company means you have to get creative to get an advantage, so why the boring stigma?

I don't think logisticians and supply chain professionals deserve the "boring" title. Don't believe me? Here's more proof. Check out this Christmas carol from William Martin of Total Logistics Solutions I got in the mail:

It was the night before Christmas, when all through the warehouse, Not a forklift was stirring, not even a mouse;

There were no stockings hung, only safety signs that read, Pedestrians beware, or you could end up dead;

As I looked around I noticed, the inventory was not nestled where it was supposed to be,

The warehouse was out of space and all the world could see;
The supervisor in his kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down and told me, the consultant, "he was sick of this crap;"

Inaccurate inventory, not enough space,

Constant employee turnover, a pile of returns,

He took a deep breath, and then put his hands on his face;

How did we get here, he asked, what are we doing wrong,

How will we catch up with receiving, I thought to myself,

"This is the same tired song;"

Next comes the dreams of a Warehouse Management System, to save us next year,

But it never comes, because a lack of ROI is what the executives fear;

I tell him the lack of ROI is not because of the software,

But because few organizations address their problems,

Before implementing a solution that big,

They merely end up putting clean clothes on dirty kid;

He says, nothing ever changes and wonders if we will be able to keep our sanity,

How many more customers will we lose and blame on the economy;

What will we do when the customer on the phone asks, "Are you sure you have that in stock,"

Smile like always and say, "Can you hold while I check my receiving dock;"

Just then the CEO enters and asks how is it going,

The supervisor smiles and says, "Its going, as you can see its going;"

The CEO then tells of a simpler time when customers weren't so demanding,

When inventory levels were low and all he thought about was expanding;

Well expand we have done, with a warehouse bursting at the seams,

But is the warehouse too small he asks, or do I need to speak with the Purchasing team;

The supervisor responds no I think we will be okay,

We just need to catch up on the receiving that came in the other day;

Well we definitely need to get those receivers entered so we can close out this year,

So do what you can, to make it disappear;

As he began to stroll away, down the aisle, he stepped over numerous piles of inventory, He then turned and said, "Merry Christmas you two," and that is the end of Warehouse Christmas story.

Now to all of those who think the supply chain business is boring and "not sexy" enough should think twice. Clearly people can get pretty creative on this. And even if some might look at it and laugh, what it actually highlights is just how much passion and interest the community has in their work - something that has drawn me in since we kick-started the magazine.

Passion. Now that's pretty sexy, isn't it?