Page 8 - Logistics News - September - October 2021

T H OU GHT L E A D E R SHIP

BPO steps up to meet demand

By Gean Botha, Managing Director of Programmed Process Outsourcing (PPO)

As warehousing booms, business process outsourcing (BPO) becomes critical to optimising processes.

outh Africa’s retail model growth will only continue in the years to come,
has changed dramatically and the warehousing element of the logistics chain
S in the last 18 months, needs to support the shift. There has already been
partially driven by the pandemic a significant expansion of industrial areas to offer
and lockdowns, which vastly greater warehousing facilities, especially close to
accelerated the growth of airports and major transport routes.
e-commerce and altered buying
patterns. This has put pressure This growth does, however, come with certain
on the warehousing element of challenges, such as effectively managing warehouse
the logistics chain, which has storage space and human capital. Managing the
had to adapt to these shifts in people element, especially given limitations on the
demand. number of staff permitted due to social distancing
requirements, has become a real challenge.
Optimising processes lies at Furthermore, warehousing businesses face the
the heart of the ability to store, challenge of sourcing trained and qualified staff due
manage and deliver stock to occurrences of illness and isolation, brought on by
at the pace required today, COVID-19. Ensuring levels of output are met while
which is where business balancing costs requires an intelligent approach.
process outsourcing can
play a pivotal role. The management of human resources is further
exacerbated by making necessary considerations for
A booming industry COVID-19 regulations, such as social distancing.
As traditional retailers Ensuring adequately trained and qualified
have developed more personnel further ensures business continuity
robust online sales should employees fall ill or be forced into isolation
strategies and people have due to the pandemic. It is of utmost importance
become more accepting to maintain a delicate balance between input and
of e-commerce in South output costs during this growth period, considering
Africa, we have the unforeseen challenges that could arise due to the
pandemic.
L O GI S T I CS NEWS this space. This Optimisation is the key
seen significant
growth in
There is a physical limitation on the amount of work
people can do, and increasing headcount is typically
the first step in increasing output. However, in the

6 SEP T E MB E R/O CT O B E R 2021 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a