Coronavirus: Are your logistics and transportation partners properly prepared to avoid disruptions to your supply chain?

While the full impact of the coronavirus on supply chains may not become clear until sometime in the next few months and beyond, it is important that shippers investigate how prepared their transportation partners are to mitigate disruptions to operations.   

The first step is to recognize that disruptive events like the coronavirus are going to happen over time. The key is to understand the nature of the threat that a company faces and carefully review the policies and procedures your logistics provider has in place to protect its employees, customers, and operations from the spread of the virus. 

Providers should have short term and long term strategies in place to deal with such situations.  Short term strategies should include things like routinely disinfecting high touch surfaces, incentivizing sick workers to stay at home and sending workers with respiratory illnesses home immediately to avoid the spread of viruses.

Longer-term strategies should include initiatives such as the following:

Maximizing flexibility to work remotely if necessary.

• The coronavirus outbreak has prompted many companies to consider their remote work policies. Remote work is a strategy employees should be equipped for if the need arises. The ability to work remotely via laptop computers and a VOIP phone connection could emerge as a vital public health strategy.  

Preparing for absenteeism

• Providers should establish a plan for handling workplace absences during an epidemic to determine how to keep the business running smoothly during high levels of unplanned absences. Schools and daycare may be impacted, preventing employees with children from coming into the office. Implementing staggered shifts or other alternative work schedules so that fewer employees are in the office together at the same time should be considered.

Suspend non-essential travel for employees.

• Transportation providers should consider suspending non-essential business travel and events for its workers during sustained community spread. This may include postponing or canceling conferences or in-person meetings.  Local health departments continue to issue guidance about whether events should be canceled in a specific area.

Ensure supervisors adequately trained on the implementation of an infectious disease outbreak response plan.

• Firms should train supervisors about the implications of Covid-19.  Management should have access to necessary information regarding infection control and company policies and should know who to contact to report exposures. Supervisors or other designated persons in the company should promptly notify local public health authorities about any suspected exposure. In the US, supervisors can also contact the CDC at 800-232-4636 with questions about coronavirus.

While diligent planning for these types of health emergencies can help protect employees, customers, and the business, plans are only as good as their execution.  Responsible logistics providers should use the current situation to optimize and battle-test their plans to ensure that clients’ shipping needs are not disrupted as events unfold over the coming months.