We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
Home » A viral change in business
OUTBOUND

A viral change in business

Newspaper headline: The World Is Changing
March 19, 2020
Mitch Mac Donald
No Comments

When we last put fingers to keyboard to fill this space on Feb. 18, 2020, we knew that writing about the coronavirus crisis was a calculated risk. A monthly column often does not mesh well with a story that’s changing so fast that last hour’s news looks like ancient history.

At that time, we pointed to Feb. 18 as a watershed date in the media coverage of the coronavirus outbreak, noting that news outlets were beginning to cover the story from a business—not just a global health—perspective. We went on to predict that we’d soon see a steady stream of stories on the economic fallout of the virus. In this regard, we were right.

In that column, we also expressed cautious optimism that the world might be getting ahead of the scourge. In that regard, we were wrong.

Now, on March 18, 2020, as these fingers work to fill this space again, the narrative has veered off in a whole new direction. Any hopes of containing the virus have gone out the window—at last count, 145 countries had been affected. Our focus has shifted to mitigating the damage. For business leaders, that means addressing the question of how to maintain business continuity while still protecting the health and safety of team members.

That question became very real for our own company leaders as the Modex trade show approached last month. By that time, the Covid-19 alarm had been sounded, causing both exhibitors and attendees to withdraw from what is widely considered the most important domestic logistics trade show of the year. After much deliberation and after seeking input from every member of our team, we opted to proceed with our plans to cover the show.

At our final pre-Modex staff meeting, our publisher, Gary Master, set the tone for the event as a leader should. “This show is always important to us and the industry,” he told us. “This year, even more so. We have to approach Modex with all the same passion and enthusiasm we always do. But this year, we have to work even harder. This may be our last opportunity for several weeks, if not months, to be face-to-face with key players in our market.”

The team rose to the challenge. On the editorial side alone, our 10-member Modex news team cranked out 61 news stories; produced a dozen video reports; covered four, and moderated two, main-stage keynote addresses; published four “Show Daily” e-newsletters; and conducted over 100 interviews.

What they discovered in the course of their reporting is that the coronavirus is reshaping the practice of logistics and supply chain management—largely by accelerating trends that were already in play.

The most obvious example, of course, is e-commerce. With more and more Americans sheltering in their homes, the demand for home delivery has never been higher. In mid-March, as the crisis deepened, Amazon announced it was seeking to hire up to 100,000 workers to deal with the crush of online orders. In the eyes of consumers, e-commerce is no longer just a convenience; it’s a necessity.

It’s a similar story with the digital platforms for remote work and customer engagement. We’ve all known these solutions existed, and most of us have used them to some degree. But now, their use is not optional. And as we collectively become more comfortable with the technology, we’re betting companies will decide that for many working remotely just makes sense, whether mandated by current events or not.

Finally, there’s the renewed case for robotics and automation. Although these technologies have been around for a while, their adoption will certainly be accelerated as companies look to lessen their reliance on human workers who are subject to illness or quarantines.

Again, these trend lines existed long before we ever heard the term “Covid-19.” Our hope is that when we look back on this time a year from now, we’ll see evidence all around us that the logistics world has leveraged what it learned in a crisis and made it a part of its everyday routine.

Supply Chain Services Supply Chain Strategy Coronavirus Coverage
KEYWORDS Amazon.com coronavirus covid-19
  • Related Articles

    Food industry groups partner to keep supply lines open

    No, a robot will not take your job (but it might change it)

    Integration Challenges Persist As Companies Change Business Models Amidst Pandemic

Mitchmacdonald
Mitch Mac Donald has more than 30 years of experience in both the newspaper and magazine businesses. He has covered the logistics and supply chain fields since 1988. Twice named one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the U.S., he has served in a multitude of editorial and publishing roles. The leading force behind the launch of Supply Chain Management Review, he was that brand's founding publisher and editorial director from 1997 to 2000. Additionally, he has served as news editor, chief editor, publisher and editorial director of Logistics Management, as well as publisher of Modern Materials Handling. Mitch is also the president and CEO of Agile Business Media, LLC, the parent company of DC VELOCITY and CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly.

Recent Articles by Mitch Mac Donald

Thought I’d something more to say …

Digital supply chains, circular economies, and a whole bunch of uncertainty

Sorry, folks. This is not normal

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Relaxed regulations for drone parcel delivery to take effect in March

  • Gartner survey signals increased investment in resilience over the next two years

  • Increasing Urgency for Vaccine Supplies Drives Launch of New Vaccine Manufacturing Resources on Thomasnet.com

  • IBM survey says digitalization trends will sweep trucking industry by 2030

  • What Level of Automation is Right for Your Warehouse?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

Ef7899d1 1c83 487b 9291 8af692931c96

myQ Dock Management

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
Introducing myQ Dock Management. Connect your loading dock equipment and iDock Controls from Poweramp, McGuire, or DLM to the cloud and view your loading activity online with myQ Dock Management.Facilities with myQ can monitor the real-time status of their docks and be proactive in improving efficiency and safety. ...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Time to rethink your lift truck power

  • Warehouse Management System Project Toolkit

  • Solving Talent Management Challenges Now and In the Future

  • Shaping Up Last Mile Delivery to Surpass Customer Expectations

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing