Local knowledge is critical in logistics, in part because the very core function of moving goods requires familiarity with local infrastructure. But outside some executive or senior management roles, most companies are unlikely to relocate logistics workers. This can leave a gap in "institutional knowledge" or formal systems approaches that proliferatesas networks expand or are reconfigured. That's true domestically as well as globally. In addition, cultural issues arise in today's diverse workforce.
A "shared understanding among the leaders," is how Peter Barnesby, managing director of transportation and logistics provider BDP International's (www.bdpinternational.com) Asia Pacific southern region, describes his approach to developing a local workforce.