Inside Logistics March/April 20201

APRIL 2021

C A N A DA’ S S U P P LY C H A I N M AG A Z I N E

NOW INCLUDING:

Canadian Shipper

WOMEN AT WORK

Publication mail agreement #43008019

Making the supply chain a better place for female workers

i Better decisions through AI i UPS is ready for growth i Laurentia container terminal INSIDELOGISTICS.CA

3D

STORAGE

SOLUTIONS

L I M I T E D

1 (877) 557-2257

3DSTORAGESOLUTIONS.COM

We don’t sell our solution to your problem... It’s our problem to develop your solution.

Our accomplished sales and design team will assess your needs, provide custom designed solutions and project management, and install and maintain your storage system.

PALLET RACKING DRIVE-IN PUSHBACK

MEZZANINES PALLET FLOW CANTILEVER CARTON FLOW SHELVING

NOW INCORPORATING

CANADIAN SHIPPER C A N A DA’ S S U P P LY C H A I N M AG A Z I N E A PR I L 2 0 21 • V O L UM E 6 6 • NU M BER 0 2

CONTENTS In every issue:

5

Taking Stock

6

Supply Chain Scan

Container hunter

News and numbers from around the world

10

Movers + Shakers

Appointments and promotions

28 Trade Update

Canada’s trade in 2020

24

29 The View with Lou Raising the alarm

30

UPS Canada’s big new DC is ready to grow

ON THE COVER | PAGE 12

6

SUPPLY CHAIN SCAN

Quebec’s Laurentia container terminal on track | FedEx’s carbon-neutral commitment | Ontario backs autonomous trucking | Box backlog

12

14 cover image: kali9, ISTOCKIMAGES

On-on-one Giant Tiger’s Julie McCahon on being female in the supply chain

insidelogistics.ca

Safety First

Using ergonomics to ramp up safety

14

16

Roundtable How women make the workplace better

21

21 AI

Better decision making doesn’t have to be costly

27 Jobs How to bag a headhunter

3

SUPPORTING THE

UNDERGROUND

ECONOMY

HURTS EVERYONE HIRING DRIVER INC. CARRIERS COMPROMISES OUR HEALTH & SOCIAL RESOURCES

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CANTRUCK.CA

TA K I N G S T O C K

insidelogistics.ca EDITORIAL EDITOR: Emily Atkins (416) 614-5801 emily@newcom.ca CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Cardwell; Don Patten; Tom Pauls; Christian Siviere; Lou Smyrlis; Jacob Stoller; Stephanie Wallcraft LAYOUT AND DESIGN: Tim Norton (416) 510-5223 tim@newcom.ca ADVERTISING AND MARKETING MANAGING DIRECTOR: Lou Smyrlis lou@newcom.ca SALES MANAGER: Anthony Buttino (416) 614-5830 (514) 292-2297 anthonyb@newcom.ca PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jwad Khan (416) 510 6845 jwad@newcom.ca CIRCULATION MANAGER: Pat Glionna (416) 697-0049 pat@newcom.ca

MEDIA INC.

Inside Logistics is published by Newcom Media Inc., 5353 Dundas Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M9B 6H8. 416-614-2200 (tel) * 416-614-8861 (fax)

CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER: Jim Glionna PRESIDENT: Joe Glionna CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Trish Saltys VICE PRESIDENT – SALES: Melissa Summerfield VICE PRESIDENT – EDITORIAL: John G. Smith DIRECTOR – CIRCULATION: Pat Glionna COPYRIGHT © 2020 Newcom Media Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher.

ADVERTISING The advertiser agrees to protect the publisher against legal action based upon libelous or inaccurate statements, unauthorized use of photographs, or other material in connection with advertisements placed in Inside Logistics. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that it deems to be misleading or in poor taste.

CONTENT Inside Logistics receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. Inside Logistics, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part, in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. The contents of this publication are for information purposes only, and should not be considered individualized advice. Readers should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking individualized advice from qualified professionals.

SUBSCRIPTION A one-year subscription to Inside Logistics includes up to six issues. Subscriptions are provided free of charge to readers who meet pre-defined criteria. Fees for other readers: Domestic single copy $15, annual subscription $84.95. International single copy US$32.65; annual subscription US$159.95]. Visit www.insidelogistics.ca/ subscribe, email pat@newcom.ca, or call 416-697-0049 for subscription inquiries. Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, please contact us at pat@newcom.ca or call 416-697-0049.

MAIL Postmaster: Send address changes to Inside Logistics, 5353 Dundas Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M9B 6H8. Postage Paid: Canadian Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 43008019 ISSN No.: 0025-5343 (Print); 1929-6460 (Digital) Printed in Canada by: Annex Business Media Member: FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

insidelogistics.ca

Container hunter DO YOU KNOW where your cargo is?

Shippers the world over are frantically trying to find out where their containerized shipments are, and when they’ll reach their destination, as the global container shipping world grapples with massive backlogs. Ships loiter at anchor, waiting days or even weeks for a berth at the busiest ports, and container terminals are stuffed to overflowing. We can blame the Covid-19 pandemic for massively altering the way people spend money. The shift away from spending on travel and services has meant a corresponding boom in purchases of stuff. And, as we all know, stuff travels around the world from its point of manufacture to where the consumers are, usually by container ship. This has meant an unprecedented flow – and backlog – of goods around the world. I’m not laying blame on any one party in the supply chain. The roots of the backlogs and congestion trace back to a cascade of factors including earlier blanked sailings, the sudden surge in demand, carriers taking a cut-and-run approach to congested terminals (see our report on page 11 for details), and even shippers being unwilling to reroute their shipments despite knowing they would face delays. It’s a disgrace at this point in our history that our extremely sophisticated digital capabilities are not being better deployed to prevent and alleviate such congestion. New stories about the digitization of the container shipping industry drop daily. It seems that everybody from the liner companies, to terminal operators, to independent digital tracking services, and others, are perpetually busy at work building new solutions. project44, for example, is making its new port congestion tracking system freely available to shippers for a time. DP World is demonstrating a container racking system that reduces moves in a yard and dramatically multiplies the number of boxes a yard can hold. These are but two tiny examples of the vast resources that are at the ready to address this massive problem. As shippers, who are likely suffering increased costs as a result, you need to get on the pointy end of new digital solutions and apply them to your operations. But you also need to vote with your transportation budget and pressure your suppliers across the supply chain to get aboard. With business booming, there’s no excuse for being behind. If you’d like to comment on this or any of our stories, please drop me a note at emily@newcom.ca.

LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB? HOW TO LAND YOUR NEXT BEST OFFER. PAGE 27.

5

SU PPLY C H A I N S C A N |

by Mark Cardwell

Laurentia container terminal clearing final hurdles Regulatory approvals and financing are current challenges

AI FOR TRUCKS Two startups gain Ontario funding

8

MOVERS + SHAKERS

10

Laurentia will have an annual capacity of 700,000 TEU.

PLANS TO BUILD AND OPEN an ultra--

BOX BLOCK Container backlogs plague global liner shipping

11

6

The planned deep-water facility in Quebec City will help Canada better compete with American ports for the growing volumes of container shipping traffic now entering Eastern Seaboard waters.

green, deep-water container terminal in Quebec City by 2025 are on track. “We’ve completed the detailed design and we’re now in environmental hearings,” said Don Krusel, managing director of the $775-million Laurentia container terminal project. “Our hope is that we will have the necessary environmental approvals by August or September of this year (and) get construction started in spring 2022.” The port is also finalizing $90 million in financial support from both the federal and provincial governments. “The total ask is $180 million,” Krusel said. “We’re confident we’ll get it because there is widespread consensus and support for this project.” It will take three years to build the new terminal, which will use fleets of electric-powered equipment such as gantry cranes and automated stacking cranes. It claims it will be the greenest and most technologically advanced intermodal container terminal in North America.

It will be the third container terminal in Eastern Canada, in addition to Montreal and Halifax. Once open, the facility will have a throughput capacity of 700,000 TEUs. According to Krusel, who came out of retirement in 2018 to lead Laurentia after spending 25 years as president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, the planned deep-water facility will help Canada better compete with American ports for the growing volumes of container shipping traffic now entering Eastern Seaboard waters, much of it on mega ships from Southeast Asia that transit the Suez Canal. “It is a more economical route,” said Krusel. “The result is that the West Coast of North America is losing container market share to the East Coast.” According to Krusel, the impetus for Laurentia was the billions of dollars that the INSIDE Logistics A PR I L 2021

Photos: Laurentia

Appointments and moves in the supply chain sector

By Emily Atkins |

Port of New York and New Jersey began spending in 2017 to dredge waterways and raise the Bayonne Bridge to accommodate the larger hulls of the mega ships. Since 2017, the percentage of containers that arrive in NY-NJ on ships of 13,000 TEUs and more has risen from less than one percent to more than 25 percent. The Port of Halifax received its first Ultra-class vessel, with a 15,000-container capacity in September 2020, after installing Canada’s largest ship-to-shore super post-Panamax crane in July. “Laurentia is both an offensive and defensive strategy to help defend Canada’s interests,” said Krusel. Montreal, he noted, is limited to ships of 6,000 TEUs and smaller, while Quebec City is 1,000 km further inland than Halifax. “In intermodal, the cheapest form of movement is by ship, so you want to keep cargo onboard as long as possible and get it as close to market as possible to create a more economical supply chain system,” said Krusel. “Doing that can reduce overall shipping costs by 40 to 60 percent.” He added that 90 percent of containers handled at Laurentia would be transferred from ships to rail and then directed to markets in Ontario and the American Midwest. According to Krusel, the evident potential of the Laurentia project, which is modelled on the highly successful development of Prince Rupert as a major intermodal port on the Pacific, helped the Port of Quebec City land agreements in 2019 with its two heavyweight partners in the project: Hutchison Ports and Canadian National Railway. According to the terms of the joint venture, the deal three partners will share construction costs for the new multi-user terminal, which will be operated by Hutchison. Neither Hutchison nor CN would comment on their involvement in the Laurentia project. However, top executives of both companies expressed enthusiasm for the project when the deal was announced. “In an economy driven by consumer spending-derived freight, long haul supply chains need to be modern, cost-effective and reliable,” said CN president and CEO JJ Ruest. “Hutchison is a world-class container operator and we are confident that we are partnering with a group that can make the project a success.”

insidelogistics.ca

SU PPLY C H A I N S C A N

FedEx to be carbon neutral by 2040 Plans to spend US$2 billion in three-pronged strategy

Canadian-built BrightDrop electric vans will be a big part of FedEx’s strategy.

FEDEX CORP. PLANS to achieve carbon-neutral operations globally by 2040. To help reach this goal, the company will spend more than US$2 billion in three areas: vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration. As part of this plan, FedEx is spending $100 million to fund the creation of the Yale University Center for Natural Carbon Capture. The centre will research methods of carbon sequestration, with an initial focus on helping to offset greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to current airline emissions. The future of our business is tied to the future of the environment,” said Brie Carere, the company’s chief marketing and communications officer, in a media briefing on the announcement. “It is a critical part of our core business strategy.” FedEx currently operates 200,000 motorized vehicles, 680 aircraft and 5,000 facilities.

Zero-emissions vehicles The plan will see the entire FedEx parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet converted to zero-emission electric vehicles by 2040. This will be achieved through procurement of EVs. By 2025, half of FedEx Express global PUD vehicle purchases will be electric. By 2030 all purchases will be EVs. “This is a rapid acceleration of our electrification efforts,” Carere said. “We are very excited that partners like GM are ready with fleet solutions for us, that are cost effective and sustainable. We are at the tipping point and ready to accelerate our commitment.” Carere was referring to GM’s BrightDrop electric pallet and van program, which FedEx has been testing. FedEx Express is slated to be the first customer of the EV600 van, receiving the Canadian-built vehicles later this year. “FedEx’s announcement to fully electrify its fleet signals our economy is moving toward zero-emission transportation,” said Joe Britton, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association in a statement. “FedEx has made clear that vehicle electrification is the future.” Another key piece of the plan is updating the aircraft fleet by building on its FedEx Fuel Sense initiatives. Since 2012, the FedEx Fuel Sense and Aircraft Modernization programs have saved a combined 1.43 billion gallons of jet fuel and avoided over 13.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Alternative fuels are part of this plan. “There is no silver bullet for carbon neutrality in aviation,” said Carere. “That’s why we are developing a portfolio of solutions.”

7

SU PPLY C H A I N S C A N |

by Emily Atkins

TWO ONTARIO-BASED autonomous

middle-mile trucking developers have won funding from the Ontario government. NuPort Robotics, with funding of $3 million (a third each from Canadian Tire, the government, and its own resources) will retrofit two semi-tractors with its AI-enabled autonomy for testing on middle-mile routes. Gatik has been awarded $997,706 from the province, which it will use – along with another $8,000,000 in industry funding – to winterize its autonomous driving technology. Both projects are supported by Ontario’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network’s (AVIN) R&D Partnership Fund. AVIN is led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), and provides research and development (R&D) support, talent development, technology

NuPort Robotics CEO Raghavender Sahdev says the results of early testing with Canadian Tire are promising.

acceleration, business and technical supports, and demonstration grounds NuPort Robotics CEO Raghavender

Sahdev says their trucks are currently moving goods between a Canadian Tire distribution centre in the Greater Toronto Area and nearby rail terminals within a 20 kilometre radius, and “early results are promising”. “The aim of the project is to develop a system that incorporates an autopilot feature for conventional trucks with a driver, leading to the most efficient way to drive and increase safety. The sensors work as a ‘safety cocoon’ to cover blind spots and prevent accidents,” Sahdev added. The trucks always carry a human driver, and are fitted with high-tech sensors and controls, a touchscreen navigation system, and other autonomous driving features such as obstacle and collision avoidance. Sahdev said the result is peak fuel efficiency and driving performance. “Over the last three years, Canadian

π SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS

WAREHOUSE ESSENTIALS HUGE SELECTION OF PALLET RACKING AND ACCESSORIES IN STOCK

ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING WIRE DECKING

ADDITIONAL BEAMS PALLET RACKING

COMPLETE CATALOG

8

1-800-295-5510

uline.ca INSIDE Logistics APR I L 2021

photo: Canadian Tire

Autonomous delivery startups get funding boost

|

photo: Gatik

Gatik fleet Since establishing a presence in Toronto in 2019, Gatik’s fleet of fleet of 11to 26-foot box trucks has been moving goods on behalf of retailers such as Loblaw. Gatik has made use of Gatik’s cube trucks will benefit from winterization of their AVIN’s regional sites across autonomy technology to work better in Ontario’s climate. the province to access R&D resources, tools and equipTire has made a significant effort to solve ment for its winterization project. “Our solution provides customers with complex business problems by using the Canadian start-up artificial intelligence reliable capacity, control over service ecosystem,” said Cari Covent, vice presi- levels, and a sustainable and cost-effective dent of intelligent automation, Canadian way to scale hub-and-spoke operations,” Tire. said Gatik’s CEO and co-founder Gautam “NuPort Robotics exemplifies what we Narang. look for in a start-up with a focus on inno“Over 30 percent of global commercial vation, automation and artificial intelli- vehicle operations take place in winter gence.” conditions, and we want to serve this mar-

SU PPLY C H A I N S C A N

ket. The operational experience and data gathered in Ontario gives us a strong understanding of how inclement weather affects our vehicles’ movements and gives us a competitive edge in the B2B short-haul logistics market across North America.” “This project applies unique and madein-Ontario Artificial Intelligence technology that offers increased safety and efficiency, with a reduced carbon footprint, to the goods supply chains on which we all rely,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario minister of economic development, job creation and trade. “This is the latest example of how Ontario’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network acts as a catalyst, fostering partnerships between ambitious technology start-ups and industry to develop and commercialize next generation transportation technologies that strengthen our economy and benefit society.”

HIGH-BAY WAREHOUSE FOR DEEP FREEZE INTRALOGISTICS AT ITS BEST In Burley, Idaho, NewCold celebrated the grand opening of one of the largest frozen storage facilities of its kind. This impressive project includes a high bay warehouse with 90,000 pallet positions supplied by SSI SCHAEFER. The demand for deep-freeze products continues to grow. As volumes increase, requirements placed upon deep-freeze logistics are getting more complex. SSI SCHAEFER offers flexible, modular, and scalable solutions that optimize storage, picking processes, and profitability within cold storage facilities.

ssi-schaefer.com

insidelogistics.ca PR-1071 Inside Logistics Half Page Advert.indd 1

9

28/01/2021 12:27

SU PPLY C H A I N S C A N |

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Nadine Miller has joined the Drone Delivery Canada Corp. advisory board. Miller is a professional engineer with over 20 years of experience. She is vice-president of project development at JDS Energy and Mining. She has also led the business development departments for two of the world’s largest engineering consulting firms’ Toronto offices: Bantrel and SNC-Lavalin. Miller was president of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. She earned an M.Eng from MIT; and an MBA from Oxford. Frank Vannelli, senior vice-president, commercial and business development at Logistec Stevedoring Inc. has retired. Vannelli joined Logistec in 2007, with more than 25 years of experience in the maritime and international trade sectors. He oversaw the company’s sales and marketing efforts in North America and was instrumental in identifying many new growth opportunities for the company. Vannelli began his career with Cast Containers in Montreal and with the Montreal Port Authority, and moved into

vice-presidencies with Hamburg-Süd North America. “Frank stood out as a supportive leader, known for his authentic values, who leaves behind a strong team,” said Rodney Corrigan, president of Logistec. Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec-based fleet management solutions company Isaac Instruments has brought three transportation industry professionals aboard. Bill Vitti brings over 25 years of logistics experience, with leadership roles at truckstop.com, Swift Transportation and Cargomatic, to a position on the board of directors. David Mook also joins the board. He is the former COO of TMW Systems. Matt Ruth, former senior vice-president of professional services at TMW, is now TMS integration director for Isaac. Andy Transport has appointed Franck Marvel Ngandui as vice-president, legal and corporate development. Ngandui brings nearly 10 years of experience as a corporate and commercial legal advisor. He comes from Robic LLP, where he advised technology companies on commercial transactions. Previously, Ngandui was an

in-house legal counsel with Andy Transport, and began his career with McCarthy Tétrault LLP. Ngandui earned his law degrees from the University of Ottawa and is a member of the Quebec Bar. Jason Tasse has been appointed president of Lee Valley Tools. A 25-year employee with the company, Tasse will retain his role as chief operating officer. Robin Lee, CEO of Lee Valley, will continue as chairman of the Lee Valley Group of Companies, and president and CEO of Veritas Tools. During his career with Lee Valley, Tasse has led key systems implementations, long term strategic planning, digital transformation, the site selection and design of a 150,000-squarefoot distribution centre. Cando Rail Services has named Steve Bromley to the newly created role of chief commercial officer. He will lead Cando’s infrastructure development, service delivery and business development functions. He was previously vice-president commercial and service delivery. Bromley joined Cando’s leadership team in 2013. He has almost 40 years of operations and marketing experience in the North American rail industry, including 25 years as an executive, with CP and then Cando.

2YHU RI LQGXVWU\·V PLG WR VHQLRU PDQDJHPHQW LQ ORJLVWLFV FDUU\ DQ LQGXVWU\ JUDQWHG SURIHVVLRQDO GHVLJQDWLRQ 6R if you’re serious about having a serious career in logistics PDNH EHFRPLQJ D &,77 &HUWLÀHG /RJLVWLFV 3URIHVVLRQDO CCLP® D WRS SULRULW\ IRU &,77·V LV WKH ÀUVW GHVLJQDWLRQ FDOOHG IRU E\ &DQDGD·V 7RS (PSOR\HUV ,W KDV EHHQ HQGRUVHG E\ JRYHUQPHQW PDMRU DQFLOODU\ VHUYLFH WUDGH DVVRFLDWLRQV DQG LV WKH only ORJLVWLFV GHVLJQDWLRQ UHFRPPHQGHG E\ &DQDGD·V PRVW LQÁXHQWLDO JURXS RI VKLSSHUV :LWK WKH LQFUHDVLQJ FRPSOH[LW\ RI ORJLVWLFV VXFK D FUHGHQWLDO LV QRZ FRQVLGHUHG D UHTXLUHPHQW WR DFFHVV – DQG SURJUHVV WKURXJK – PDQ\ UROHV DQG FDUHHU SDWKV LQ WKH VHFWRU <RX FDQ TXDOLI\ E\ WDNLQJ &,77·V UHVSHFWHG RQOLQH &29,' IULHQGO\ FRXUVHV QH[W VWDUW 0D\ RU WKURXJK DFFUHGLWHG SURJUDPV SUHVHQWHG E\ &,77·V FDUHIXOO\ VHOHFWHG DFDGHPLF SDUWQHUV 2U LI \RX DOUHDG\ KDYH H[SHULHQFH DQG YHULÀDEOH VNLOOV \RX FDQ TXDOLI\ IRU \RXU CCLP GHVLJQDWLRQ via &,77·V VWDWLVWLFDOO\ YDOLGDWHG FKDOOHQJH SDWKZD\ DQG E\SDVV FRXUVH ZRUN DOWRJHWKHU 1RW VXUH \RX FDQ FKDOOHQJH LQ" 7DNH RXU SUDFWLFH WHVW EHIRUHKDQG DQG JDXJH KRZ \RXU DELOLWLHV PHDVXUH XS WR LQGXVWU\·V PRVW UHVSHFWHG SURIHVVLRQDO VWDQGDUG ®CCLP &,77 &HUWLÀHG /RJLVWLFV 3URIHVVLRQDO LV D UHJLVWHUHG WUDGHPDUN RI &,77

10

Call us 416.363.5696 to discuss your options. Or click www.citt.ca/cclp

INSIDE Logistics APR I L 2021

By Emily Atkins

| SU PPLY C H A I N S C A N

A global headache: Covid-caused container port congestion SHIPPERS EVERYWHERE are wonder-

ing when they’ll see their containerized cargo arrive. Container terminal and port congestion, largely at West Coast ports, has reached record levels this winter. In Vancouver, which has been hit only mildly, the average container dwell time was 4.7 days in the month of February, and CN alone had more than 130,000 on-dock footage, with dwell times of five to seven days. The situation is symptomatic of a global transportation sickness created by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Eleanor Hadland, Drewry’s senior analyst for ports and terminals, the congestion crisis was brought about by a combination of factors. When demand began to rebound last year, liner companies reacted by adding capacity on the strongest routes, particularly the transpacific. This meant that already labour-crunched terminals were flooded with more boxes than they could handle. As delays in container handling worsened, the liner companies adopted a “cut-and-run” strategy, Hadland said, which caused a build-up of empty containers, and only amplified congestion at terminals. Canadian ports have been impacted, Hadland said, mostly by the lack of schedule regularity as the liners skip past their regular calls at Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Hadland called on the industry to work together on clear the backlogs. “Unilateral decisions that are perfectly rational for an individual party, are bad for the system for a whole,” she said. She recommends working on increased visibility into port performance which will deliver early warnings and allow for earlier cargo rerouting and schedule adjustments. “When early warnings are seen, shippers should be encouraged or incentivized to reroute. It must be proactive to prevent congestion,” Hadland asserts. She acknowledges, however, “this will be a hard sell as an option to ship-

insidelogistics.ca

pers” who will have to absorb the costs of higher landside transportation as a result of rerouted cargo. Easing of congestion will also depend on market factors, which will be affected by Covid-19 vaccine rollouts. Once people

can travel freely again, demand for consumer goods should decline. However, Hadland cautions that if the backlogs are not eased by Q2 this year they will roll into the peak season, and “there will be no respite”.

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY

GX would like to take a moment to proudly recognize the extraordinary women working in our organization today. (Several were brave enough to allow us to use their photo)

We are proud of how far the industry has come towards workplace equality but we are not done! GX continues to work to celebrate women and encourage ĵŅųå ƋŅ ŸåĬåÏƋ ± ϱųååų ĜĹ Ņƚų ÏʱĬĬåĹčĜĹč ±ĹÚ ųåƵ±ųÚĜĹč ĀåĬÚ Ņü ŸåųƴĜÏåţ Our ongoing commitment to recruit and support women in transportation was ųåÏŅčĹĜDŽåÚ ƵĘåĹ :£ ųåÏåĜƴåÚ ƋĘå ƖLjƖLj ŅųĩŞĬ±Ïå %ĜƴåųŸĜƋƼ eƵ±ųÚ ĹŅƋĜĹč ƋʱƋ ƀƐŢ Ņü Ņƚų ƵŅĵåĹ ±ųå ĜĹ Ĭå±ÚåųŸĘĜŞ ŞŅŸĜƋĜŅĹŸţ Thank you to all the extraordinary women of GX Transport, throughout the transportation industry and to those of you who promote and celebrate workplace equality!

11

WO M E N I N SU PPLY C H A I N

| By Stephanie Wallcraft

BRIDGING THE

GAPS

How the supply chain industry can improve by becoming a better place for female workers

T

he supply chain industry needs to attract more women to ensure it has access to the best possible talent, and it also needs more expertise in STEMrelated (science, technology, engineering and maths) disciplines than ever before. But recent statistics and observations from industry leaders suggest there’s still work to be done to bridge these gaps and bring women with education and skills in STEM into supply chain and logistics roles. Currently, only 13 percent of senior leaders in supply chain and logistics are women,

yet women score higher than men in six out of seven leadership qualities, according to research published by Singapore-based consulting firm Novosensus in September 2020. Kicking off meaningful change in the industry requires a two-pronged approach: increasing awareness of opportunities in supply chain and logistics with students before they choose their careers, and improving the culture within the industry to increase retention and become a more appealing career destination for women.

Diversity equals success

Air Canada Cargo is proud to support the development of women in logistics through professional development and thought leadership.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we need to ensure we do not ignore the hardships women have faced and continue to face in the once male-dominated industry of transportation. Let us remember and let us recognize so we can all continue towards absolute equality. Let us also appreciate women’s perseverance and accomplishments. Polaris Co-Founder, Geri Cox’s brilliance and resilience helped to not only establish a growing, successful business but continues to help forge the path for future generations of women in transportation. As more and more women around the world choose a career in this industry, it benefits us all. Polaris women are brilliant, driven, and natural leaders. They have helped define our past and they continue to help define our future.

But why should the industry be concerned? Does gender diversity affect the bottom line? It turns out they do: companies with diverse leadership are demonstrably more profitable. A 2018 report by global management consulting firm McKinsey and Company reviewed 1,000 companies in 12 countries. Those companies with a degree of leadership gender diversity that fell within the top 25 percent were 21 percent likely to be more profitable than those with fewer women leaders.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

GX Transportation promotes a thriving workplace inclusive of women in all departments and management roles throughout our organization. We are committed to recruiting and supporting women throughout their careers and proudly received the Workplace Diversity award in 2020 from Trucking HR’s Top Fleet Employer committee. The GX team is nearly 50% female, and 73% are in leadership positions. With the technology, training and mentoring that GX offers, we believe there is no job a woman can’t do in our industry today. Please visit our new Video gallery at www.gxts.com to see several of the GX women and their roles today in BEING A GX TEAM MEMBER and as well as our GX DIVERSITY AWARD.

12

Air Canada actively advances diversity through a variety of activities and is committed to championing the next generation of women in non-traditional aviation careers through initiatives like the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, named in honour of our trailblazing, accomplished first female pilot. In recent years, Air Canada has recognized the accomplishments of women in aviation by operating special flights with all-female teams and behind the scenes video for International Women’s Day.

INSIDE Logistics A PR I L 2021

In addition, STEM-related expertise is highly transferrable between industries, and demand for it will only increase as artificial intelligence, software development, process engineering, and other STEM disciplines are needed to further technological advancement. Supply chain and logistics companies will increasingly be competing for skilled candidates against more organizations and industries, many of which have established reputations as providing better policies and career outcomes for women such as flexible hours, work-life balance, and clear career paths.

Today, a career in supply chain and logistics is still a path that people tend to fall into rather than choose deliberately, said Carol Valentine Fleck, co-ordinator of the supply chain management program at Mohawk College’s McKeil School of Business in Hamilton, Ontario. Fleck said that while enrolment in Mohawk’s post-graduate program is consistently 40 percent women, few to none of those students are coming from technology degrees. “We even have students that join the supply chain class and really don’t understand what supply chain is,” Fleck said. “Whatever they wanted to take isn’t available.” This is despite the promising career prospects that come from an education in

In the over 60 years since CITT was founded, women have made incredible strides in the transportation and logistics business. The industry is attracting more women than ever before, and they are better represented in the ranks of senior management. But there’s still a long road ahead to equity and inclusion. CITT is committed to getting there – and is proud to represent women in the sector. This May, CITT is hosting an online event centered on building inclusion in the logistics industry. To learn more and take part, visit www.citt.ca/inclusion.

Image: sturti, ISTOCK IMAGES

Not yet a destination

supply chain management. According to research published by the Supply Chain STEM Educational Outreach Program, university students in supply chain management programs often receive multiple job offers before graduation, are placed in multiple internships from as early as

Championing and promoting women in supply chain is a cause dear to CIFFA’s heart. On an annual basis since 2015, CIFFA has offered the Donna Letterio Leadership Award in memory of former CIFFA President Donna Letterio, who passed away in August 2013. The award recognizes a woman in the global freight logistics sector and is open to any woman in international freight forwarding, transportation or global logistics who demonstrates professionalism, commitment (to industry, colleagues, family and community), and leadership as an advocate for the industry or for a cause. CIFFA donates $1,000 in the winner’s name to Bladder Cancer Canada. www.ciffa.com

first year, and earn high average starting salaries of roughly $60,000. On the STEM side of the equation, the fact that these disciplines are not yet attracting high proportions of women themselves is compounding the problem. A report published by Statistics Canada in 2019 stated that representation of women among Canadian-educated STEM bachelor’s degree holders was 36 percent for 30-year-olds and 37 percent for 40-yearolds as of 2016. And while women have accounted for 30 percent of the growth in STEM employment since 2010, they still comprise less than 25 percent of employment in these occupations, according to a study published by TD in 2017. This lack of female representation is also contributing to a gender-related wage gap. The TD study quotes another study performed in the United States that showed 75 percent of technology occupations had gender pay gaps above five percent, which is higher than the national average. “Even though women earn higher wages within STEM occupations relative to most other jobs, they still earn less than men after controlling for education, experience, geographic location and other faccontinued on page 14

insidelogistics.ca

13

WO M E N I N SU PPLY C H A I N

|

continued from page 13

Leadership roles

VERA FRIEDRICH CEO, Dematic Canada

tors,” the TD study said. In supply chain and logistics, the gender pay gap is even more stark. In the most recent Inside Logistics compensation study, published in February 2020, men were shown to earn an annual average of $96,344 as opposed to the $77,971 average earned by women. This amounts to a difference of $18,373, a gap of 21.1 percent.

But perhaps the most challenging aspect of attracting women to the industry is the fact that, while there is a distinct lack of women in senior roles, those women who do enter senior management report experiencing a lack of respect in their leadership. Before transitioning into education, Fleck held a plant manager role for a major producer of glass packaging. She was the only woman out of 87 people in equivalent positions, which she said led to her feeling treated as the “token female”. “The first question I got asked was, ‘So, who did you sleep with to get here?’,” Fleck said. “I worked at it three and a half years, [and then] new leadership that came in literally did not believe that women could run plants, that it was definitely a man’s job. We parted ways.” Vera Friedrich, CEO of Dematic Canada, in Mississauga, Ontario, said that she has

also encountered situations where she believes she was not afforded due respect because of her gender. However, she cautioned that women may default to assumptions that criticism is gender-related when it’s actually intended to be constructive, a situation she said can be “counterproductive.” “I really try hard to look behind it and say, does [gender] have to do with it or not?” Friedrich said. “We need to recognize and have self-awareness of whether … it is because of performance.”

Establishing and publicizing career paths The first part of the two-pronged approach to increasing engagement among female STEM graduates is to educate them young on the opportunities and career paths that exist in the industry’s developing tech roles. This process should start as early as high school and university undergraduate pro-

Hear the roar Julie McCahon of Giant Tiger shares her experience BY EMILY ATKINS

C

anadian discount retailer Giant Tiger is an outlier when it comes to hiring women. More than two thirds of the company’s employees are women – 6,700 in a total workforce of 10,000. But even more outstanding is that 42 percent of senior executives are female. At a time when women only hold 13 percent of leadership positions in the supply chain (see page 12), Giant Tiger is showing exemplary leadership in its hiring and promotion practices. We sat down with Julie McCahon, the company’s loss prevention manager for supply chain/transportation, to talk about her experiences

14

as a woman in supply chain, and what it took to get to get to the top of her field. McCahon began 25 years ago with a formal education in Law and Security Administration at Mohawk College in Brantford, Ontario. This led her into the loss prevention industry, where she started her career as a floor-walker with K-Mart. After six years another retailer recruited her, and that position really helped her “find her groove” in the industry. It was here that she recognized how results-driven she is.

Pivot to supply chain She worked her way up to national management positions, including director

of loss prevention for Roots Canada and national loss prevention manager for Red Apple Stores Inc. In February 2020, McCahon joined the Giant Tiger team in her current position, pivoting from focusing on reducing shrink at the store-level to overseeing loss prevention issues that impact the supply chain. In her new role McCahon manages 14 staff and oversees loss prevention in both the company’s warehouses and during transport. “You have to get into all the minutia, a lot of reporting and analytics,” she says. “It’s looking at shrink and losses on a different scale; it’s more volume as opposed to a store level, more unitbased, so that’s been one of the biggest differences from

my former roles.” Along with that change, arriving in February 2020 meant McCahon also landed at Giant Tiger along with the Covid-19 pandemic. “I loved every minute of it,” she says of her arrival and how the company handled the disruption caused by pandemic shutdowns. “I was blown away. It’s an amazing organization, an amazing group, and they have amazing leaders, so I think it was just like skipping over a puddle rather than the tidal wave that hit other organizations. It was a challenge, of course, but you go with the flow, figure out what’s best for the organization, and that’s what we did. “

Opportunity knocks As a woman who started out in a traditionally male dominated field – security – INSIDE Logistics A PR I L 2021

grams before students begin to make decisions about their next level of education, said Nadine Miller, a Toronto-based professional engineer who holds non-executive director positions with three mining firms and strategic advisor roles with Drone Delivery Canada and venture capital fund Awz Ventures. “It’s important to have women in lead-

ership roles doing fireside chats with [young women],” Miller said. In some corners of technology, programs are being put in place to do exactly that. For example, artificial intelligence cluster Scale AI announced in November 2020 that it will invest up to $1 million over the next two years in projects intended to raise awareness of STEM education and career paths among at least 12,000 young Canadians. Having women who have successfully earned senior roles act as mentors, both through formal and informal structures, is important in helping women gain confidence as they navigate their careers. Friedrich said she has been acting as a mentor for a female engineer in her organization for five years and another for one

year, and she sees how her advice has helped them. “Five years ago, there were very few women around in similar positions,” Friedrich said. “It’s a competitive environment, and as women, sometimes we just need to stand our ground in the same way as men do.” Both men and women who are industry leaders can also play a role as champions for women to help more of them advance, Miller said. “A champion can have a very powerful advocacy role in your career,” she said. “One thing that women don’t do well is they don’t market themselves. … [The support of a champion] helps build your self-confidence.”

Changing culture

NADINE MILLER a Toronto-based professional engineer who advises mining companies and sits on the board of Drone Delivery Canada

McCahon has had plenty of opportunity to observe the dynamics of being in the minority at work. But she doesn’t believe that being a woman led to lost opportunities in her career. “I’ve been fortunate enough that being a woman with my skill set,” there have not been lost opportunities, she says. “I’m a strong individual, and I was born and raised by an amazing woman, I’ve been surrounded and mentored by wonderful women my whole life, and told that really nothing’s really out of reach. If I missed an opportunity, I didn’t notice, and here I am today, so I like to think I didn’t.” McCahon credits a couple mentors with teaching her important lessons on how to navigate professional life. “I reported to Lori Ann Romano as my district loss prevention

insidelogistics.ca

manager back with Walmart,” she recounts. “She had this spark and nothing stopped her. She had a way of delivering a message, of being people-caring, as a woman just naturally, and I learned a lot from her from that respect. To be able to see that you can still be a compassionate woman and care about things, and still hold the line.”

These shifts may attract more women with STEM expertise into the industry, but retention could be an issue if the supply continued on page 16

that’s respected, in line with what I do.” Giant Tiger is a revelation, she concludes, because “I’m surrounded by women everywhere here and we have

some great leadership. I’m proud to have joined this team, not just as one of the leaders but one of the female leaders. I’m not the exception here, which is great.”

Recognition for what counts While there are times when McCahon says, “I’m conscious that I’m a woman in this industry, just based on numbers,” she adds that her experience has shown what matters is drive and capability. “I think I’ve been recognized for what I bring to the table, in terms of being a woman who likes numbers, is results-driven, can push and try to push someone in a way

JULIE McCAHON loss prevention manager for supply chain/transportation, Giant Tiger 15

WO M E N I N SU PPLY C H A I N

|

continued from page 15

Only 13 percent of senior leaders in supply chain and logistics are women, yet women score higher than men in six out of seven leadership qualities

ANITA RAJ vice-president of product marketing at industrial operations AI company ThroughPut Inc. chain and logistics industry is unable to adopt policies that are the norm in other industries, such as flexible hours and worklife balance.

Allowing flexibility in scheduling shows empathy regarding the dual pressures of work and family that are placed on women today, said Anita Raj, vice-president of

product marketing at industrial operations AI company ThroughPut Inc., based in Palo Alto, California. “What we, as a technology company in the supply chain space, say [to employees] is plan your day, plan your work, based on your schedule,” she said. “If you have kids you’re trying to take to school, or if you’re

ROUNDTABLE | by Emily Atkins

Challenging the status quo Female leaders prescribe antidotes to inequity in the workplace

A

s part of our International Women’s Day 2021 celebration, Inside Logistics hosted a webinar to take a look at one of the persistent challenges in supply chain human resources: female representation, leadership and compensation. Tara Migneault, director of distribution operations at Giant Tiger; Michelle Arseneau, managing partner at GX Transportation Solutions; Jacqueline Boudreau, manager, cargo services Atlantic Canada at Air Canada; and Pina Melchionna, president and CEO of CITT were the panellists, joining moderator Julia Kuzeljevich, public affairs manager at Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association. It’s a perpetual paradox: women as a group possess numerous attributes that make them valuable employees and leaders. Yet they are seemingly stuck with lower wages and less representation in leadership positions than men in most industries. Numbers tell the story, from a lingering 20 percent salary differential, to the low rates of female representation in boardrooms (see main story), and high unemployment among female university graduates in the sciences. But, just because a situation has persisted, doesn’t mean it cannot be changed. As women who all work in the field, our panellists offered insights and suggestions to upset the status quo. Here are some gems of advice the panel shared with the industry, individual companies, managers and women working in the field.

16

Personal responsibility Pina Melchionna: Women have to take the lead when it comes to their own training and development, they can’t leave it to their manager. Make the conscious choice to invest in yourself. Be your own advocate. Be bold. Don’t sell yourself short; let employers know you are upwardly mobile. Tara Migneault: Get involved. Become an expert, then put yourself out there and teach somebody else to do that job. That’s going to show your leadership skills if you want to move up. When a job becomes comfortable it’s time to find a new challenge.

Education Michelle Arseneau: We need to focus on the elementary [school] level and really humanize supply chain so women are more interested.

Recruiting Melchionna: With the goal of deepening the talent pool, sometimes you need to take a chance and hire on attitude not skills. Skills can be taught, but attitude is ingrained. Arseneau: Recruitment strategies, particularly in the trucking industry, are not geared towards women; they are primarily geared towards men. When we are recruiting women we need to talk about what jobs entail. Long-haul truck driving, for example, is not for everyone, but there are lots of trucking INSIDE Logistics A PR I L 2021

trying to do different activities, I don’t think it’s effective if we are very stringent about how people manage their time. [For] companies on the manufacturing side, it is difficult, but you do have shifts. If you are working in that kind of atmosphere, offering some flexibility in terms of shifts that are a lot more rotational and flexible based on [employee] needs and requirements, that’s the right way to do it.” Women sometimes drop out of technology roles when they have children because a stigma still exists around leaving the workforce for extended periods. Corrie Banks, general manager of Quasar, a supply chain visibility platform developed by Cando Rail Services and based in Calgary, Alberta, said that making it easier for

women to rejoin the workforce when they return from parental leave can keep talented people engaged. “We have some really strange biases about it in the industry,” she said. “If someone chooses to take time off, which is important for a lot of women, we need to build structures so that they can come back in. Coming back into the workforce [after having children], I was a stronger person and way more valuable, I think, because I had this different experience.”

Starting from the top With the future of the industry increasingly dependent on technology, shifting attitudes and structures to make careers in supply chain and logistics more appealing to young

and talented employees will become essential to the industry’s future success. “This generation typically wants to see a lot more diversity,” Raj said. “They want to make sure that the policies that the company is talking about in the media, that they are walking the talk.” Attracting that diversity and shifting the reality, and later the perception, that supply chain and logistics is a male-dominated industry, will require commitment from its leadership to effect change right from the top. “It’s an acknowledgement that starts from the top in any company that it’s a company of equal opportunities,” Friedrich said. “That’s what it takes. It’s the top leadership driving that awareness.”

jobs that will appeal to women who want to continue looking after kids or share parenting responsibilities with a partner.

debate; innovation comes not when people agree, but when there are differences of opinion.

Compensation

Combatting overt sexism

Jacqueline Boudreau: We need competitive salaries, especially for single mothers. We need good benefits, flexibility and parental leave. Melchionna: Women tend to lowball themselves compared to men. Salary transparency makes companies squeamish, but it really helps people know what they are worth.

Migneault: The biggest obstacle is that women with ideas or opinions are seen as bossy or pushy, while men with the same traits are seen as assertive and effective. We need to remove preconceived notions of gender specific jobs. Boudreau: Experiencing sexism at work gave me more determination to succeed. I turned it into a positive and used it to fuel my drive for success.

Leadership Arseneau: There aren’t enough women in leadership positions in supply chain and logistics. If we really want to tap into that market and bring more women into the industry – into the positions where we have labour shortages – we need to have more women at the C-level in leadership. These women will pave the way for other women to follow. Melchionna: Women and men have different leadership styles. Men tend to be more transactional, while women are transformational. One style isn’t better than another, both are needed. The best leaders will tell you they encourage new ideas and

Pina Melchionna, president and CEO of CITT

insidelogistics.ca

Tara Migneault, director of distribution operations at Giant Tiger

Mentoring Arseneau: Mentoring is very, very important. It’s always easier to navigate the path that’s already been cleared. There are many successful women out there who are willing to share their experiences. Melchionna: “Allyship” is growing in importance alongside mentorship. Allyship means having allies who will bring your name forward, and say “this is a person worthy of development”. We need allies in addition to mentors.

Michelle Arseneau, managing partner at GX Transportation Solutions

Jacqueline Boudreau, manager, cargo services Atlantic Canada at Air Canada

Moderator Julia Kuzeljevich, public affairs manager at CIFFA

17

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

HOW ‘BEING COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE’ HELPED POLARIS TRANSPORTATION EMBRACE

TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY 3£!8-9 8!29638;!ধ32 83<6 8'9-&'2; !=' 3?T 8'('88'& ;3 ;,' -1683=-9'& +!1' !9 [#'!ধ2+ ;,' #3;9W\ -;, ;,' $316!2@Z9 8'$'2; ;8!29-ধ32 ;3 !<;31!ধ2+ -;9 &3$<1'2;f ,!2&£-2+ 683$'99T 931' 9;!(( 1'1#'89 ;8-'& ;3 683=' ;,!; ;,'@ >'8' 7<-$0'8 ;,!2 ;,' 2'> ;'$,23£3+@ #@ [#'!;-2+\ ;,' 83#3;-$9f #!9'& 9@9;'1W [ ,'@ ,!& ;3 #' $32=-2$'&T\ 9!-& !=' 3?T 8'9-&'2; 3( 3£!8-9 8!29638;!ধ32T ! -99-99!<+!T 2;!8-3f#!9'& ;8!29638;!ধ32 $316!2@ >,39' $£-'2;9 £!8+'£@ !8' #!9'& -2 ;,' W W [ 2$' ;,'@ 9!> >,!; ;,' ;'$,23£3+@ $3<£& &3T ;,'@ #'+!2 ;3 8'!£-A' ;,!; ;,'-8 /3#9 ,!& /<9; +3ħ'2 ! £3; '!9-'8W ,' 83#3ধ$9 >'8' +3-2+ ;3 &3 ;,' >380T (8''-2+ <6 ;,'-8 3>2 $!6!$-;@ ;3 &3 2'> ;,-2+9 g ;3 #' 138' $8'!ধ=' ;,!2 ;,'@Z& '='8 ,!& ;,' $,!2$' ;3 #' #'(38'W ' $311<2-$!;'& (831 ;,' ;36 ;,!; ;,-9 >!92Z; !#3<; '£-1-2!ধ2+ !2@32'Z9 /3# g -;Z9 ,'8' ;3 1!0' @3< #'ħ'8W 2& ;,!; ,!& ;3 9-20 -2W $<£;<8!£ 9,-đ ;!0'9 ধ1'W <; -; >!9 >38;, -;W\ ,-9 ধ&!£ $,!2+' -2 36'8!ধ329 3$$<88'& ! ('> @'!89 !+3 >,'2 -; #'$!1' $£'!8 ;,!; 3£!8-9 >!9 9;8<++£-2+ ;3 0''6 <6 >-;, -;9 6!6'8>380W 3£!8-9Z £'!&'89 &'$-&'& ;,' $316!2@ 2''&'& !2 !1#-ধ3<9 !2& 9>''6-2+ $,!2+' ;3 ;,' >!@ -; 36'8!;'&W ,' $316!2@ !&36;'& -2;'££-+'2; 683$'99 !<;31!ধ32T ! ;@6' 3( 83#3ধ$ 683$'99 !<;31!ধ32T ;3 1!2!+' ;,' *3> 3( !&1-2-9;8!ধ=' &3$<1'2;9W

,' 8'9<£;9 >'8' ;8!29(381!ধ='W 8'=-3<9£@T '16£3@''9 $32;8-#<;'& ;3 ;,' $<9;319 &3$<1'2; 683$'99 g 8'1!80!#£@T ;,'8' !8' 23> 32£@ ;>3f!2&f,!£( ;3 ;,8'' 9;!ø 1'1#'89 &'&-$!;'& ;3 -;W ,' 8'9; ,!=' 9,-đ'& ;3 138' $329'7<'2ধ!£ $<9;31'8 9'8=-$' >380W [ 38 <9T -; >!9 !#3<; ;8!29(381-2+ 3<8 $316!2@ (831 ! ;8!&-ধ32!£ >!@ 3( &3-2+ #<9-2'99 !2& 13=-2+ -2;3 ! 138' &-+-;!£ (8!1'>380T !££3>-2+ 9@9;'19 ;3 &3 138' 3( ;,' ,'!=@ £-đ-2+ 8!;,'8 ;,!2 3<8 6'36£' ,!=-2+ ;3 -2;'8='2' (38 '!$, !2& '='8@ ;8!29!$ধ32 ;,!; ,!66'2'& >-;,-2 ;,' 38+!2-A!ধ32T\ 9!-& !=' 8!/03=-$,T ,-'( '$,23£3+@ ă$'8W [ 9 >' +8'> 3='8 ;,' @'!89T ;,39' 1!2<!£ 683$'99'9 ,!& /<9; #'$31' <29<9;!-2!#£'W ' 2''&'& 2'> ;'$,23£3+@ ;3 9$!£' <6 !2& 36ধ1-A' 3<8 683$'99'9W\ <$, ! &8!1!ধ$ ;8!29-ধ32 8'7<-8'& >-&'968'!& #<@f-2 (831 '16£3@''9 !$$<9;31'& ;3 ! $'8;!-2 >!@ 3( &3-2+ ;,-2+9W ,' 6<9, (38>!8& !£-+2'& >-;, ! $31132 8'(8!-2 3? 8'6'!;'& !83<2& 3£!8-9T [ 38+'; >,!; @3< 023> 8-+,; 23>W ,!; &3 @3< >!2;S ,!; $!2 >' &3 ;3 +'; ;3 ! #'ħ'8 683$'99S\ [ ;Z9 !#3<; <2&'89;!2&-2+ ;,' 36638;<2-ধ'9 ;,!; $!1' 3<; 3( ;,-9 g -;Z9 >,@ -;Z9 93 -1638;!2; ;3 £'!82 ;3 #' $31(38;!#£' >-;, #'-2+ <2$31(38;!#£'T\ 3? 9!-&W [ ;Z9 ,3> +83>;, !2& 683+8'99 ,!66'2W\

tech@polaristransport.com

[ 'Z=' &''6'2'& 3<8 8'£!ধ329,-69 >-;, 3<8 $<9;31'89T\ 3? 9!-&W [ ' ,!=' ;,' (8''&31 23> ;3 !90 >,!;Z9 +3-2+ 32 -2 3<8 $<9;31'89Z >38£&W ,!; !8' ;,' ;8'2&9 ;,'@ 9'' (38 ;,'-8 #<9-2'99S 8' ;,'@ -2=3£='& -2 2'> 683&<$; £-2'9 38 £!<2$,'9S ,39' !8' ;,' ;@6'9 3( -1638;!2; 7<'9ধ329 >' 9!&£@ $3<£&2Z; 96'2& ! £3; 3( ধ1' 32 >,'2 -; >!9 ! ='8@ ;8!29!$ধ32!£ >38£& ;,!; 3£!8-9 £-='& -2W ,' 83#3ধ$9 !8' &3-2+ ;,' ,'!=@ £-đ-2+T 93 >' $!2 ,!=' 91!8;'8 $32='89!ধ329 >-;, 3<8 $<9;31'89W 'Z8' #<-£&-2+ &''6'8 £'='£9 3( ;8<9; >-;, 3<8 6!8;2'89T !2& >'Z8' 9'8=-2+ ;,'1 #'ħ'8 ;,!2 >' '='8 ,!='W\

Digitization has remodeled the way Polaris collaborates with its customers.

<3@'& #@ -;9 '?6'8-'2$'T 3£!8-9 ,!9 #''2 -296-8'& ;3 $32ধ2<' ;3 ;!0' ! $<ষ2+f'&+' !6683!$, ;3 2'> ;'$,23£3+@ 93£<ধ329W 2 T 3£!8-9 £!<2$,'& 38;,9;!8 -+-;!£ 3£<ধ329T ! $316!2@ &'9-+2'& ;3 !<;31!;' !2& $3293£-&!;' 9@9;'19 ;'$,23£3+@ ;,83<+, 83#3ধ$ 683$'99 !<;31!ধ32T 1!$,-2' £'!82-2+ !2& !8ধ)$-!£ -2;'££-+'2$'W [ 'Z8' +3-2+ ;3 9;!@ ='8@ !++8'99-=' !#3<; $32ধ2<-2+ >-;, 3<8 ;'$,23£3+@ !&=!2$'1'2;9T\ 3? 9!-&W [ ' >!2; ;3 !£>!@9 0''6 6<9,-2+ (38>!8& !2& +'ষ2+ #'ħ'8W ,!;Z9 3<8 >!@W\

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

FRONT AND CENTER: Women in Air Canada Cargo’s Operations Johanne Cadorette

WHILE WOMEN FILL THE RANKS in many areas of air cargo and supply chain logistics ĮķÆì ­Į Į­ăÐĮș ťĊ­ĊÆÐș ăÐæ­ă ÆďķĊĮÐăș ðĉĨďīĴ ďī export management, the numbers dip when it comes to operational leadership roles. When Air Canada Cargo Vice President Lise-Marie Turpin retired in 2017, she left behind a strong team positioned to continue developing women in positions of leadership. As of 2020, three key leadership positions in Air Canada Cargo’s Canadian operations are held by women. All three manage the physical premises and operational activities, managers and front-line employees at busy cargo facilities that receive, load and unload freight air freight. Bridgitte Barr, Manager, Cargo Services, Alberta is responsible for all cargo operations and facilities in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan and is based in Calgary. Barb Johnston, General Manager, Cargo Services, Eastern Canada is responsible for the Montreal cargo hub, all stations east as well as Ottawa. Jacqueline Boudreau, Manager, Cargo services, Atlantic Canada is based in St. John’s and manages all facilities and operations in Atlantic Canada. All have had long careers at Air Canada, working in different areas of the passenger and cargo business. Here they share some of their insights about their career paths, day-to-day challenges and advice for women looking to embark on a career in supply chain and logistics. Q What brought you to air cargo operations? BB: My Air Canada career in 2005 as a part-time station attendant on the ramp. Over the years, I worked my way up to my current position, assuming the responsibility of six Air Canada Cargo stations across Alberta and the Prairies. BJ: I fell into cargo by accident 31 years ago, not knowing such a department even existed. Although opportunities could have allowed it, I have never left. JB: I came into cargo as a claims representative. My background was in

BRIDGITTE BARR

operations but in passenger service. When an opportunity arose as an operations manager for cargo, I applied, and I never looked back. Once you have operations in your blood, it stays. Q ì­Ĵ Ìď řďķ ťĊÌ ĉďĮĴ åķăťăăðĊæ ­ĊÌ rewarding about your work? BB: Overcoming all the daily challenges. I like going home at the end of the day with a sense of accomplishment. BJ: Having worked in almost every possible department of cargo, it has been most satisfying to develop and support others on their career path. JB: I would say developing my skills and helping to foster the growth of my team. ÐðĊæ ÆďķīĴÐďķĮș ķĊÌÐīĮĴ­ĊÌðĊæș řÐĴ ťīĉș ­ĊÌ staying true to who I am will be the qualities that most people will value. Acknowledging each person’s strengths and the areas they want to work on allows me to help them grow. As I teach others, I am reinforcing my own knowledge and understanding. Q ðī Æ­īæď ďĨÐī­ĴðďĊĮ ­īÐ ďåĴÐĊ īďķĊÌ ĴìÐ ÆăďÆāș ĮÐŒÐĊ Ì­řĮ ­ œÐÐāȘ >ďœ Ìď řďķ ĉ­Ċ­æÐ ĴìÐ Ì­řȭĴďȭÌ­ř ÌÐĉ­ĊÌĮȟ BB: In my opinion, every job has its challenges, and it is all about balance. But understanding your priorities is key. BJ: Its a balancing act between ensuring your team is working safe, while delivering on the operational and commercial objectives. Being on call 24-7 is not for everyone. To make it work, you must be passionate about your work and about those who work with you, and derive a lot of satisfaction from solving problems quickly and effectively. A lot people depend on you: employees, colleagues, customers, regulators, vendors - you need to be willing to take that ďĊș Ĵď åķăťăă ĴìÐðī īÐĪķðīÐĉÐĊĴĮ ­ĊÌ ĉÐÐĴ expectations, as well as have the ability to build a team that can be depended upon to ensure everyone succeeds. JB: I prioritize my day-to-day events and

BARB JOHNSTON

JACQUELINE BOUDREAU

balance out the work loads. It is very important to be in the know, so seven days a week and round the clock is not an issue. Q ďķ ­ăă ăÐ­Ì ă­īæÐ ĴЭĉĮ Ĵì­Ĵ ÆďĊåīďĊĴ Ì­ðăř Æì­ăăÐĊæÐĮȘ AĮ ĴìÐīÐ ĮďĉÐĴìðĊæ řďķī ĴЭĉĮ ­ÆÆďĉĨăðĮìÐÌ řďķ ­īÐ Ĩ­īĴðÆķă­īăř ĨīďķÌ ďåȟ BJ: In Montreal, the team effectively launched ĴìÐ ĊÐœ Æ­īæďȭďĊăř ŦðæìĴĮș Į­åÐăřș ĪķðÆāăř and effectively, during a global pandemic. Considering all the challenges that were imposed on the front-line operational teams, this task required passion, dedication, teamwork, courage and strength from all. JB: In December, we were advised one week out in Halifax that we would get an ad-hoc Æ­īæďȭďĊăř ŦðæìĴ Ĵď ĉďŒÐ ­ ăďÅĮĴÐī ĮìðĨĉÐĊĴ overseas. This type of shipment, due to its size, time sensitivity and fragily, requires all careful advance planning and all hands on deck on the Ì­ř ďå ĴìÐ ŦðæìĴȘ ðĴì ĉðĊðĉķĉ ĮĴ­åå ­Œ­ðă­ÅăÐ at the time and the Christmas Holidays on our doorstep, we were faced with the possibility of not accomplishing our task. In the end, the team rallied together and made this possible. Q ì­Ĵ œďķăÌ řďķ Į­ř Ĵď œďĉÐĊ ­Ĵ ĴìÐ ÅÐæðĊĊðĊæ ďå ĴìÐðī Æ­īÐÐī Ĩ­ĴìĮ ­ÅďķĴ ĴìÐ ÅÐĊÐťĴĮ ďå ÐŘĨăďīðĊæ ­ Æ­īÐÐī ðĊ ăďæðĮĴðÆĮȟ BB: Do not let your insecurities stop you, and avoid comparing yourself to people who have years of experience, or you will end up feeling small and discouraged. Remember that you are just starting out and there is so much more for to learn and experience. Focus on yourself rather than measuring your achievements through someone else’s standards. We are all ÌðååÐīÐĊĴȘ ďķī ÌÐťĊðĴðďĊ ďå ĮķÆÆÐĮĮ ĉðæìĴ ĊďĴ be the same as the person next to you. BJ: Continually push yourself outside of your comfort zone to ensure you are realizing your true potential. JB: Be open to opportunities. Be prepared to spot growth opportunities when they present themselves.

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

WOMEN OF Above: Sylvie Hoggarth of GX

GX Transportation Solutions has been providing road, rail and dedicated delivery services across Canada and the United States since 1997. With two-thirds of the ŅƵĹåųŸĘĜŞ ÆåĜĹč üåĵ±ĬåØ :£ ĜŸ ŞųŅƚÚ ƋŅ Æå ± ÏåųƋĜĀåÚ ) Š ŅĵåĹ ƚŸĜĹ域 )ĹƋåųŞųĜŸåš ŞųŅĵŅƋĜĹč ŸƚŞŞĬĜåų ÚĜƴåųŸĜƋƼ ŞųŅčų±ĵŸ ĜĹ ±Ĺ±Ú± ±ĹÚ ƋĘå ĹĜƋåÚ Ƌ±ƋåŸţ Rachel Arseneau

Michelle Arseneau

å ÆåĬĜåƴå ĜĹ ƋĘå ÆåĹåĀƋŸ Ņü čåĹÚåų ±ĹÚ ÏƚĬƋƚų±Ĭ ÚĜƴåųŸĜƋƼ ±Ÿ ± ÏųĜƋĜϱĬ ĜĹčųåÚĜåĹƋ üŅų ± ƋĘųĜƴĜĹč ÆƚŸĜĹ域 ±ĹÚ Ƶåųå ŞųŅƚÚ ƋŅ ųåÏåĜƴå ƋĘå ƖLjƖLj %ĜƴåųŸĜƋƼ ¼ FĹÏĬƚŸĜŅĹ eƵ±ųÚ Ņü )ƻÏåĬĬåĹÏå üųŅĵ ƋĘå ŅŞ 8ĬååƋ )ĵŞĬŅƼåųţ Ů å ʱƴå ÆƚĜĬƋ ±Ĺ ĜĹÏĬƚŸĜƴå ÏƚĬƋƚųå Ęåųå ±Ƌ :£ ±ĹÚ ŸƋųŅĹčĬƼ ÆåĬĜåƴå ĜĹ ŞųŅĵŅƋĜĹč üųŅĵ ƵĜƋĘĜĹţŰ åƻŞĬ±ĜĹŸ Managing Partner Rachel Arseneau, P.Log “We are committed to building a strong, diverse culture ĜĹÏĬƚŸĜƴå Ņü ƵŅĵåĹ ±ĹÚ Ï±Ĺ ŞųŅƚÚĬƼ ÆŅ±ŸƋ ƋʱƋ ƀƐŢ ±ųå ĜĹ Ĭå±ÚåųŸĘĜŞ ŞŅŸĜƋĜŅĹŸ ƋŅÚ±Ƽţ Ů Managing Partner Michelle Arseneau, CCLP, recently participated in Inside Logistics; “STEM and the Fem” ƵåÆĜűų ŅýåųĜĹč ƋĘåŸå ƵŅųÚŸ Ņü ±ÚƴĜÏå Ů%ŅĹűƋ Æå ±üų±ĜÚ ƋŅ čåƋ ƼŅƚų ʱĹÚŸ ÚĜųƋƼſ Ĭå±ųĹ åƴåųƼƋĘĜĹč ƼŅƚ ϱĹţŰ When asked how we can get more women applying for the traditionally male-dominated roles, “Imagery if you can see it, you can be it - we need to promote and share the images of female role models in order ƋŅ ÏʱĹčå ƋĘå ĵĜĹÚŸåƋţŰ GX has invested heavily in our culture, with a desire to make work awesome; happy employees are ŞųŅÚƚÏƋĜƴå åĵŞĬŅƼååŸţ Director of Human Resources, Tamara Allaby, CHRL, CCP, shares her own åƻŞåųĜåĹÏåţ Ů å ±ųå ± ƴåųƼ ޱŸŸĜŅűƋå čųŅƚŞ ±ĹÚ åƻƋųåĵåĬƼ ÚåÚĜϱƋåÚ ƋŅ ŸƚŞåųĜŅų ÏƚŸƋŅĵåų ŸåųƴĜÏåţ XŅčĜŸƋĜÏŸ ĜŸ ± ü±ŸƋ쪱ÏåÚ åĹƴĜųŅĹĵåĹƋ ě åƴåųƼ Ú±Ƽ ĜŸ ± ĹåƵ ±ĹÚ åƻÏĜƋĜĹč ÏʱĬĬåĹčåţ Ęåųå ±ųå ĹŅ ƱųųĜåųŸ to entry at GX; we have many positions for women new to the industry that provide the opportunity to ÆƚĜĬÚ ± Ÿ±ƋĜŸüƼĜĹč ±ĹÚ ųåƵ±ųÚĜĹč ĬŅĹčěƋåųĵ ϱųååųŰţ

Tamara Allaby

Dewami Trivedi

IT has always been a priority for us at GX, utilizing the latest technology, including a robust network that allowed 98% of our non-driving team to work remotely at the immediate onset of COVID, mitigating our üųŅĹƋĬĜĹå Ƌå±ĵ ±ĹÚ ÏĬĜåĹƋŸ ųĜŸĩ Ņü ƚĹĹåÏ域±ųƼ åƻŞŅŸƚųåţ )%FØ {åŅŞĬåĹåƋØ a ±ųå ģƚŸƋ ŸŅĵå Ņü ƋĘå ŞųŅÚƚÏƋŸ ƚŸåÚ ƋŅ ŞųŅƴĜÚå ±ƚƋŅĵ±ƋåÚ ƴĜŸĜÆĜĬĜƋƼ ŅĹ ±ĬĬ ±ÏƋĜƴĜƋƼţ Information Technology Manager, Dewami Trivedi, says “The GX platform develops and nurtures - with hard work & perseverance you can trust and share ƼŅƚų ĜÚ屟ţŰ

Here is what some of our female managers shared about their experiences at GX and their advice to women everywhere.

At GX, we believe in continuing education, providing emotional and ĀűĹÏĜ±Ĭ ŸƚŞŞŅųƋØ ±ĹÚ åĹÏŅƚų±čĜĹč

“Being part of GX is an empowering career in logistics, be part of a team that supports and believes in you!” Naseem Uddin, CCLP, Dispatch Manager

all our employees to continue ĜĹƴåŸƋĜĹč ĜĹ ƋĘåĵŸåĬƴåŸţ ĜƋĘ training and mentoring, there is

Naseem Uddin

Aman Mand

Ů å ŅŞåĹ ƋŅ Ĭå±ųĹĜĹč ±ĬĬ ÚĜýåųåĹƋ ±ŸŞåÏƋŸ Ņü ƋĘå business, do not stop at your current responsibilities, each freight move consists of chain links performed ÆƼ ÚĜýåųåĹƋ ĜĹÚĜƴĜÚƚ±ĬŸØ Ĭå±ųĹ ĘŅƵ ƋĘåƼ ÏŅĹĹåÏƋţŰ Aman Mand, Accounting Manager “Be willing to learn and soak up every single opportunity, encourage problem-solving, be self-aware and most ĜĵŞŅųƋ±ĹƋĬƼØ Æå ĩĜĹÚţŰ Simone Manbodh, Manager, Logistics & Customer Service

ĹŅ ģŅÆ ± ƵŅĵ±Ĺ ϱĹĹŅƋ ÚŅ ĜĹ Ņƚų ĜĹÚƚŸƋųƼţ We support one another by challenging stereotypes and confronting bias and will continue ƋŅ ĵŅƴå ƋĘå ĹååÚĬå üŅųƵ±ųÚţ

1.877.740.3940 gxts.com

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

| By Jacob Stoller

DATA Seeing through the

THE SCIENCE OF PREDICTION MEETS SUPPLY CHAIN

Image: metamorworks, ISTOCK IMAGES

C

ontrary to what many believe, artificial intelligence won’t automate supply chains anytime soon. It does make possible planning decisions that are far better informed than previously possible. Although the inner workings of artificial intelligence (AI) are horrendously complex, the technology can be described from a business perspective as a utility for making low-cost predictions. This argument forms the central thesis of Prediction Machines, the influential 2018 book by Canadian entrepreneurs and business professors Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb. insidelogistics.ca

“It can look at a lot of data and make predictions that we never would come up with on our own, and it can do them very, very quickly.” – Sheldon Fernandez, DarwinAI

“When we’re talking about AI, it’s the scope and speed of prediction that’s unique here,” says Sheldon Fernandez, CEO of Waterloo, Ontario-based AI

startup DarwinAI. “It can look at a lot of data and make predictions that we never would come up with on our own, and it can do them very, very quickly. So that’s the benefit in a nutshell.” Predictions, of course, vary widely depending on context. The AI “brain” in an autonomous vehicle might predict that a shape spotted by a camera represents a safety hazard. A medical app might identify a dark spot on an MRI image as a health threat for a patient. A supply chain AI can single out a numerical trend pointing to an impending parts shortage. “At its heart, we have to think of AI as continued on page 23

21

Wednesday, September 22, 2021 Thursday, September 23, 2021

The Meeting Place for

Espace Saint-Hyacinthe

CANADA’S TRUCKING INDUSTRY

Montreal (Saint-Hyacinthe), QC NEW LOCATION NEW DATES

PROMO CODE:

INLEX REGISTER NOW!

expocam.ca

Platinum Sponsor:

w w w .e xp oc am .c a

NEW Equipment Products Technology Services

200,000 sq ft

Produced By:

Endorsed By:

Official Show Publication:

Official Radio Partner:

of Exhibit Space 22

INSIDE Logistics A PR I L 2021

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

|

continued from page 21

just a new set of statistical models,” says Clement Bourgogne, COO and vice-president of strategic programs at Scale AI, a government-sponsored supercluster supporting the integration of AI in Canadian supply chains. “What AI does is help make predictions in a more detailed and accurate way than our current or previous statistical models.” In supply chain applications, these models learn to discern patterns in massive amounts of unstructured data – text, numerical, graphic, video, audio – from sources such as government websites, corporate information services, media publications, and social media platforms. This provides a far greater scope than was previously possible. “With demand planning, business optimization, and supply chain decisions, there are still a lot of people pulling data manually and plugging it into apps to build their decisions,” says Warren Shiau, research vice-president at IDC Canada. “So they decide what their reliable sources are, and stick with them -– that’s human nature and it can de-optimize decisions in times of uncertainty. AI can change that by looking for and pulling data from anywhere and any new source that’s relevant to the decisions being made, and constantly running new analysis searching for best outcomes.” “A lot of people usually just think from an internal data perspective,” says Dr. Alexander Wong, University of Waterloo engineering professor, Canada Research Chair in the area of artificial intelligence, and a founding member of the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute. “But a lot of times when you build models just on your local perspective, if there’s any kind of large fluctuations due to external factors, you really can’t take care of them properly.”

AI’s analytic scope is particularly compelling for supply chain owners whose world has been upended by the pandemic.

Canada is an AI powerhouse

we’re in big trouble if we plan 2021 based on 2020. We need to be able to take stock of what’s happening right now in the world.” “Most companies rely on historical sales,” says Bourgogne. “But those predictions don’t account for special events, weather factors, or major global events that could influence demand. AI is able to capture this information from other sources and integrate it using very strong statistical models that are not based on gut feeling or what ‘makes sense’ to somebody. It’s based purely on statistical analysis, which is what makes it so powerful.”

A world upended AI’s analytic scope is particularly compelling for supply chain owners whose world has been upended by the pandemic. “Basing our 2020 plans on 2019 did not serve us well,” says Shari Diaz, innovation, strategy, and operations director, IBM Sterling, based in Columbus, Ohio, “and

insidelogistics.ca

says Wong. “One for which there is huge interest is inventory management. We’re finding that in many situations there’s a big discrepancy between what people have and what’s on their spreadsheets. So we might get a red flag at some point that we’re running out of a part.” Another area is inbound quality inspection of parts, which leverages AI’s unique ability to spot anomalies that signify a significant variation from the norm. “If a particular component is faulty, then whatever you assemble will have an inherent flaw,” says Wong. “So having automated systems that will inspect your incoming components becomes a very great time and money saver.”

Seeing an accurate picture Not all AI predictions rely on external information – vision systems and AI are becoming a powerful combination for understanding the status of physical goods within a facility. “We’re seeing huge interest in computer vision AI for a wide variety of tasks,”

Canada is now recognized as a global leader in advanced AI. DarwinAI, for example, is providing complex supply chain solutions for Lockheed Martin, Honeywell Aerospace, and other large corporations. Missing from its customer list, for a large part, are Canadian manufacturers. Scale AI is working to change attitudes, and is sponsoring a variety of projects in areas such as demand forecasting for aircraft parts, supply chain forecasting for drug distribution, and fleet management. “We have identified, just in the first year, more than 100 startups applying AI for supply chain,” says Bourgogne. “What’s missing is the market to adopt these technologies. So there needs to be a shift in mindset where you’re willing to partner with less established players. If you do that the payoff can be tremendous.” A common misconception is that artificial intelligence is an all-or-nothing proposition that takes an enormous investment. “You’ve got to start small,” says Diaz. “You’ve got to scope these projects very distinctly, do a business value assessment, and everybody’s got to know going in what you expect to get out of it.” Another myth is that the bar of entry for AI is too high for all but the largest companies. “Smaller companies can move quicker on this than very large manufacturers,” says Fernandez, “so that could very quickly turn into a competitive advantage for them.”

23

CO U R I E R

| By Emily Atkins

SORTING THE FUTURE UPS Canada’s largest facility is ready for growth

“I

t’s like watching a child taking its first steps,” says Gordon Reed about seeing UPS Canada’s largest package sorting and delivery facility up and running. As the director for special projects in UPS’s industrial engineering department, Reed has spent long hours working to get the massive, 850,000-square-foot facility in Caledon, Ontario, from a hole in the ground to operational. And, as if building a sortation hub wasn’t a challenge all on its own, UPS has had to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic during construction, and now, operations. Located at Dixie and Mayfield roads on a 102-acre plot that used to be a corn field, the facility is an automated sorting hub and package centre – two operations under the same roof. It was conceived as part of a $500 million Canadian investment plan announced in 2018. Operations began in the final quarter of 2020 in anticipation of the annual increase in volume that started around Cyber Week in November and continued through January 2021. The sorting facility handles about 100,000 pieces a night, taking in parcels from all over the UPS network. Inbound tractor-trailers arrive at 21 dock doors starting at 11pm, and are unloaded. Parcels are sorted and loaded again, either into the local delivery trucks or into truckloads that head for depots in other cities across the country. Around 9 am every

24

day, about 200 of the familiar UPS brown parcel vans leave, covering deliveries to addresses from Milton through to Brampton, and from Lake Ontario up to Orangeville. Soon, capacity will expand to 35 inbound doors and 116 outbound, once the second half of the building opens this spring, Reed says.

Pushing for the rush A year ago, when Covid-19 was declared a pandemic, the building was under construction. And the deadline was to make it operational to handle the 2020 holiday rush. Pandemic construction shutdowns and subsequent workflow modifications to allow for physical distancing and safety protocols slowed construction, Reed recounts. “We were shut for six or seven weeks where all construction was shut down in the province, and that obviously had a big impact on us,” he says. “Once we were able to open up again, there were days you never knew how many people were going to show up.” They added additional portable washrooms everywhere, broke up lunchrooms to make smaller groups, and made sure tasks were organized to have people working independently whenever possible. Once those measures were in place they were able to add shifts to spread people out, and were able to catch up from the shutdown. “It stabilized, everybody understands when to come to work, when not

to come to work, how to protect themselves,” Reed notes. A bigger challenge, however, was supply chain issues as a result of Covid. “Suddenly components are arriving out of order, out of time, we couldn’t get what we needed when we needed them and had to work around it. That took a lot of coordination. That was probably the number-one problem we’ve experienced.”

In-house automation Reed calls the hub “state-of-the art”, and while many companies boast this of their facilities, UPS can genuinely make the claim. It designs the automation in-house, using the best from many disparate vendors to create systems unique to its operations, and standardizes them across many facilities. “We do all of our own development, and then we hire contractors to essentially assemble it, and connect it to us,” Reed says. “The nice thing about that is if I have problems, I can talk to any of my counterparts in any other automated building in the world, and we all speak the same language. So if I’m trying to do something to satisfy a customer, or a building, or a scenario, I can talk to others and say, ‘How did you do it?’, figure out what they did and then I can mimic that.” In Caledon, human de-stuffers place parcels on automated conveyors that extend all the way into the 53-foot inbound trailers. That’s one of the few places where INSIDE Logistics A PR I L 2021

human hands touch the packages that flow through the building. Conveyors then move the parcels to the mezzanine level of the 45-foot-clear-height building where they enter the sorter. The sorter automatically puts the boxes in a straight line, and gaps them so there’s at least six inches between each box. They then go through a sixsided scanner that is reading where the box is going and its size. The system then knows which depot that parcel will be headed for and directs it accordingly. A puck sorter takes the destination information and box dimension and shoots the parcel into one of 13 secondary sorters, which then direct it down to truck level. Once it reaches the outbound dock area, another human will take the parcel off the conveyor and load it in the right truck. “When everything works perfectly, then the only two people who ever touch that box are the person who unloads it, and the person who loads it,” Reed says.

new guys in the neighbourhood, and the neighbourhood hasn’t grown up yet. But we have not had a significant issue getting employees.”

Expansion plans

While the Caledon facility is already the biggest in Canada, UPS built it with “no end date in sight”, Reed notes. “When we build buildings, we want them to last a long time. We The 850,000-square-foot building will be able to handle 58,000 have the ability to almost doupackages an hour. ble the capacity when the need arises. If you were in here, you would see gaps where there’s just nothing there. We’ve already planned additional sorters to go in. The basic infrastructure’s there, all the steel work’s in place, but today we don’t need that sorter, we don’t need the 21 doors that would have attached to them.” The capacity expansion means being able to jump from 21,000 packages an hour at the time of opening late last year, to 35,000 this spring, and up to 58,000 in the future. On top of that, Reed adds, they are also building an automotive shop. “We’ll be able to fix our own trucks, our own The dimensional scanner directs the parcels to the correct sorter. tractors, our own trailers. Low-touch, lots of hands We’re putting in an automated Although the sorting system car wash so we can wash our is low-touch, UPS Canada vehicles, and our own fuelling employs 500 people on site. stations. Right now I can fuel In addition to the loaders and propane on site, and in the unloaders, which are the largspring I’ll also be able to fill est crews in the workforce, gas and diesel vehicles.” there are the parcel van drivReed notes he’s being coners and about a dozen servative in promising the mechanics and engineers who facility will be fully operational run the building, and an IT by the end of 2021, hinting team of about five who keep that the end of Q2 is possible. But even then, the facility will the automation systems up Keeping tabs on the big picture. A worker in the control room makes sure the parcels keep flowing. and running. remain poised for the future For any facility that employs growth that UPS baked in so many, getting to and from work can be “Transportation links don’t exist,” he says. from the beginning. “When we build these an issue. Fortunately, Reed says the hub’s “The closest bus stop is almost a two-kilo- things, it’s very forward-thinking,” he conremote location has not been an issue. metre walk, so it’s not ideal. We’re the cludes.

insidelogistics.ca

25

Keep “Your Inside Track to Canada’s Supply Chain”

Visit InsideLogistics.ca to SUBSCRIBE to the e-newsletter. Delivered every Tuesday and Friday.

GUEST OPINION

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER… Tips on navigating the hot logistics job market THE SUPPLY CHAIN job market in Canada

is hot. Supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have brought a new awareness of supply chain, causing many companies to take a close look at their in-house logistics talent and seek out ways to upgrade their workforce. Supply chain trends including digitization, increased online shopping, and transportation capacity constraints have created a labour shortage in supply chain, creating an increased number of job opportunities for the supply chain sector. However, over 70 percent of those jobs are not advertised. Employers may not post jobs for a number of reasons – they may not wish to sort through hundreds of applications, they may be looking to replace an underperformer, they may prefer getting candidates through employee referrals, or they may simply promote from within. Many of these “hidden” jobs are filled by recruitment firms. The recruiting and staffing industry is massive. There are over 5,000 recruitment firms across Canada, and each employs anywhere from one to 1000-plus recruiters. With so many to choose from, how does the job seeker choose who to work with? Will those recruiters be able to help you land your dream job?

What a recruiter does Recruiters get paid by companies to find the best possible candidate for a given job opening. We don’t get paid by job seekers, and a good recruiter will never promise to find you a job. If your background matches a current job opening, or if your experience is potentially of interest to one of their clients, the recruiter will do their utmost to introduce you to their client. A recruiter is essentially a matchmaker – we get to know our clients as well as our candidates, and when we see a potential match we make an introduction.

ILonline.com

TOM PAULS, CCLP is the owner and managing director of SCL Search Consultants Ltd., a recruitment firm with an exclusive focus in supply chain and logistics. tpauls@sclsearch.com

In addition, many recruiters offer advice around job-search strategies and salary negotiations. A good recruiter will share resume-writing tips and interview tips as well. We try to allow our clients to interview for skills and personality fit. We don’t want them missing out on a great candidate because of a poorly written resume or mediocre interview skills.

Who to choose The first step in selecting a recruiter is narrowing the field. Build a list of recruiters who specialize in supply chain and logistics. Google “logistics recruiter” or “supply chain recruiter” and see what pops up. Associations such as CITT, SCMA, APICS or CIFFA may be able to recommend one. Once you’ve narrowed the field, look for Google reviews and LinkedIn endorsements. Chances are, you’ll quickly come up with a handful of recruiters who specialize in your field of expertise. Send the recruiter an e-mail with a resume attached. It’s also a good idea to send a connection invite on LinkedIn, along with a personalized note of intro-

duction. If the recruiter has a job posting that matches your background, apply to the posting as well. After sending your resume and a LinkedIn invite, follow up with a phone call. Confirm they received your resume, and ask if they have a moment to speak. In your initial contact with a recruiter, they will likely want to know what sort of work you do, and what type of job you’re looking for. The more specific you are about the job you’re targeting, the better. Many job seekers will present themselves as a jack-of-all-trades, thinking a broad background in supply chain may qualify them for almost any opportunity. In fact, the opposite is true. For most job openings, we look for candidates who specialize and have the exact experience our clients are seeking. Prepare questions for the recruiter. Make sure they actually specialize in the roles you’re targeting. Ask about their background in supply chain, what type of companies they represent, and what job opportunities they have currently.

Next steps If your background is a close match to one of the recruiter’s current job openings, they should be able to “make the match” and introduce you to their client right away. If they don’t have anything at the moment that matches your background, make sure they have a good idea of your capabilities and what you’re looking for. Ask the recruiter if, and how often, you can keep in touch. Also ask how they would like you to touch base, as some prefer e-mail or LinkedIn, while others prefer a phone call. The job market in supply chain and logistics is hot, so recruiters today are busier than ever. Getting a recruiter’s attention and staying on their radar is not easy, but the opportunities and advice they can provide may prove invaluable.

27

T R A D E U P DAT E

PPE, E-COMMERCE AND U.S. RELATIONS The pandemic’s impact on Canada’s international trade COVID-19 was officially declared a pan-

demic on March 11, 2020. Let’s look at how the lockdowns and resulting slowdown of economic activities impacted our international trade. This is an interesting measure of our economy’s performance. According to World Bank data, exports of goods and services account for about 32 percent of Canada’s GDP, while imports of goods and services account for about 34 percent. For the purposes of this column, I will look only at imports and exports of goods. In 2020, Canada’s international merchandise exports fell 12.3 percent, while imports were down 8.6 percent, reflecting in a vivid way the pandemic-related economic downturn. This led to an international trade deficit of $36.2 billion, more than double the 2019 deficit. If we compare to the dip created by the 2008/2009 financial crisis, these figures are modest: in 2009, our annual merchandise exports dropped 24.6 percent and our imports fell 15.7 percent. Canadian exports reached $522.5 billion in 2020 and exports to the U.S. represented US$383.8 billion or 73.5 percent of the total. In 2019, total exports amounted to $592.6 billion, of which the U.S. accounted for $446.68 billion, equivalent to 75.4 percent of the total. Our dependence on the U.S. market went down a little, possibly through more utilization of our other main Free Trade Agreements – CETA with Europe, and the TPP with 11 countries including Japan. On the other hand, motor vehicles and energy products were the industries most affected by the decrease in exports. These industries export primarily to the United States. In 2020, our imports amounted to $542 billion, with U.S. imports accounting for $264.1 billion or 49 percent of the total. Our 2019 imports amounted to $601.7 billion, and $305.2 billion. Of that, 51 percent came from the U.S.

28

CHRISTIAN SIVIÈRE runs Solimpex and is an international trade consultant and lecturer. christian.siviere@videotron.ca

Sporting goods and PPE Our imports of clothing, footwear and textile products fell, while personal protective equipment, sporting goods and pharmaceuticals went up. Overall imports of consumer goods rose 1.1 percent, driven, in good part, by the growth of e-commerce. How did 2021 begin for Canada’s international trade? The year started with a bang, as we posted a trade surplus of $1.4 billion in January, the first since May 2019 and the largest since July 2014, thanks to a sharp 8.1 percent increase in merchandise exports, while our imports were up a mere 0.9 percent. The U.S. market was behind the gain as our exports there rose 11.3 percent in January, the highest since September 2019, while our imports from the U.S. were up 0.4 percent. Canadian exports to other countries increased only 0.3 percent in January, and imports were up 1.7 percent.

Losing the trade war In the U.S. meantime, 2020 exports decreased 15.7 percent and 2020 imports

were down 9.5 percent. Following several years of “tariff wars” initiated by the Trump administration against China, the U.S. trade deficit with that Asian powerhouse reached new heights, illustrating the failure of that policy. Canadian businesses watch developments south of the border very closely and two positive factors augur well for the post-pandemic recovery: CUSMA, which replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020, and the election of Joe Biden as president. Both Canada and Mexico are relieved to have the new agreement in place. It will now allow them to focus on business development. The orderly transition of power between the 45th and the 46th presidents couldn’t be taken for granted but did happen, if a little roughly. With the change of guard in the White House, Canada now has a more predictable partner who spends more time working and less time golfing. He has placed U.S. interests first, with the strengthening of the Buy American Act and the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline. But he is also putting the U.S. back on the map, encouraging multilateralism, working with allies to contain China, rejoining the Paris Accord on the environment and the World Health Organization, working with the World Trade Organization, rejoining OECD discussions on a digital tax (the Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple tax, also known as GAFA), all actions that affect Canada positively. In economic news, the massive US$1.9 trillion stimulus bill will inject vast federal resources into the economy with direct payments to Americans, jobless aid, vaccine funding, relief for states, cities, schools and small businesses, all helping the post-pandemic recovery south of the border. When things get better in the U.S., it’s always good for our international trade and for Canada. INSIDE Logistics A PR I L 2021

THE VIEW WITH LOU

RAISING THE ALARM We are in danger of losing years of painstaking progress on gender diversity OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES we’ve

awakened to the reality that a profession can’t sustain itself by attracting talent from only half the working population. There has been a slow but meaningful effort to bring more women into supply chain. Yet the past 20 years of painstaking progress toward gender diversity is suddenly under threat. The adjustments we’ve had to make to continue working under the grim spectre of Covid, particularly in an industry deemed an essential service, have turned our workplaces upside down. The boundaries between work and home, already blurred for many in transportation and supply chain’s management ranks, have been almost completely torn asunder. That’s a challenge borne by all but not a challenge equally borne. A recent study tracking the progress of women in corporate America, conducted by McKinsey & Company, clearly shows women are being negatively impacted far more than men. This is because the pandemic has intensified challenges women already faced. The study, which reflects contributions from 317 companies and more than 40,000 people surveyed about their workplace experiences, points out that working mothers always worked a “double shift” – a full day of work, followed by hours being the primary caregiver for children, aging parents and doing household work. Popular thinking would have us believe the relationships of dual-career couples have evolved to the point where men and women share household labour almost equally, yet the stark reality, proven by research, is that working mothers are as much as three times more likely to be responsible for most of the household chores. A particularly eye-opening takeaway from the McKinsey research examining dual-career couples is that

ILonline.com

LOU SMYRLIS is managing director, Newcom Media’s Trucking & Supply Chain Group

The number of management-level women feeling burned out and considering leaving their jobs should be an emergency for corporations. while 72 percent of fathers thought they were splitting household labour equally with their partner during Covid, only 44 percent of mothers agreed. That almost 30 percent difference in opinion between working men and women should tell you something. Before Covid, there were supports – school, childcare, after-school activities, etc. – that made this juggling act, although extremely challenging, at least possible for working women. Those supports have largely fallen away or became unreliable under Covid. The intensification of working this “double shift” for more than a year now is leading to senior-level women being significantly more likely than men at the same level to feel under pressure to work more, to feel as though they have to

“always be on” and, subsequently to feel burned out, the McKinsey research discovered. Before Covid, men and women left their companies at comparable rates. But now, as a result of the pressures brought on by Covid, senior-level women are 1.5 times more likely than senior-level men to be considering what would have been considered unthinkable prior to Covid: downshifting their role or leaving their job altogether. Three in four cite burnout as the main reason. The successes we’ve seen in bringing more women into supply chain over the last 20 years are plain to see. For example, when you attend a CITT graduation ceremony and note the increasing number of women who are part of the graduating class. Or if you take in industry conferences, which not too long ago used to primarily be the domain of men, but now are in many cases orchestrated by and frequented by female supply chain professionals. And in the growing number of women in leadership roles, whether it’s as managers of supply chain or as executives of transportation companies. In fact, research shows that the most significant gains in recent years have been in getting more women into senior vice president and C-suite positions. Are we willing to let all that slip away? The number of management-level women feeling burned out and considering leaving their jobs should be viewed as an emergency for corporations. We are at risk of losing women in leadership roles and turning back the clock on years of progress toward gender diversity. We have a clear choice. We can ignore the clear warning sign or we can turn this crisis into an opportunity to take the decisions and make the investments necessary to build more flexible, more empathetic workplaces that nurture gender diversity.

29

SA F E T Y F I R S T

POWER UP SAFETY WITH ERGONOMICS Ergonomics is an underutilized safety and productivity tool WITH COVID-19 fuelling explosive growth

2 Get to know applicable standards,

in e-commerce, now is the time to consider the role of ergonomics in machine/ robotics safety programs. Otherwise, your workplace may be missing out on significant benefits. Ergonomics and machine/robotics safety programs are not competing, as some workplaces may believe, but work in tandem to make the workplace safer and more productive, especially as warehouses and distribution centres try to keep up with the rapid growth in e-commerce. These changes may take the form of designing and introducing more productive equipment, machinery and processes. Collaborative robots are just one example. Designing and introducing machines and robotic systems that meet the strengths of the people who operate them, which is what ergonomics is all about, can eliminate errors that may lead to injuries and costly downtime.

including: CSA Z432-16 – Safeguarding of Machinery; CSA B335 – Safety standard for lift trucks; CSA Z1004-12 – Workplace ergonomics; and CSA Z434‐2014 (ANSI/RIAR15.06‐ 2012) – Industrial Robots and Robot Systems.

Identify hazards I can’t overemphasize the importance of carrying out a risk assessment before modifying an existing system, designing a new process or purchasing new equipment. The assessment will help you identify and control ergonomic and machine hazards. Otherwise, you may be laying the groundwork for acute injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which can be costly to manage and result in lost time and productivity. MSDs aren’t the only concern when ergonomic principles are not considered as part of a machine/robotics safety program. There is also greater potential for acute injuries. By ignoring ergonomics, workplaces may be reducing risk in one area, but increasing it in another.

Consider all tasks Consider the potential consequences of not taking ergonomic considerations into account, after a worker removes a cumbersome conveyor guard because it gets

30

DON PATTEN is a registered kinesiologist, a Canadian certified professional ergonomist, Canadian registered safety professional, and a member of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists. He is a published author who volunteers his time for ergonomics-related endeavours.

3 Ensure you have a strong risk assessment

process to determine safeguards needed for every possible scenario. If you have or are considering robotic systems, consider bringing in an outside expert to help develop a robot-specific assessment. 4 Involve internal and external stake-

in the way of completing a task. During a risk assessment, you should consider all minor tasks (i.e. non-maintenance tasks) that are part of a machine’s intended operation. This ensures that safeguarding solutions protect workers from machine hazards while allowing access to necessary areas, and permit tasks to be carried out in an ergonomically sound manner. Now consider a situation in which a high volume of goods has led to pallet loads left in aisles, forcing pickers to bend and reach around these pallets to access goods on racks. Having to lift heavy items while reaching and twisting puts these pickers at high risk of MSDs. More effective inventory and storage practices can prevent injuries, keep aisles clear, and maximize productivity.

holders, including engineering, maintenance, health and safety, quality assurance, and even your contracted robotic systems integrator. 5 Develop a checklist before you purchase

to ensure equipment and devices have the right ergonomic features, meet the necessary requirements, and comply with standards and regulations. 6 Train employees on safe work practices.

Don’t wait for the pandemic to end. Virtual training options exist. 7 Include robotic systems in monthly

inspections to ensure robotic equipment continues operating safely, and to catch any hazards that may develop after installation.

Need help integrating ergonomics? Six ways to build in safety 1 Learn more about ergonomics and

MSDs. Download the MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario, which recommends a generic framework for preventing musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. The framework is suitable for any Canadian jurisdiction.

Download a free MSD hazards checklist. Visit http://wsps.news/ MSDchecklist. Watch a pre-recorded webinar on CSA-Z434-14, industrial robots and robot systems. Visit http://wsps.news/ robotsafety. INSIDE Logistics APR I L 2021

<ষ2+f'&+' ;'$,23£3+@ -2$£<&-2+ !8ধ)$-!£ -2;'££-+'2$'T 83#3ধ$9T &-9;8-#<;'& £'&+'8 !2& 91!8; $32;8!$; 683$'99 '£-='8-2+ ;3 !2& (831 !££ 63-2;9 !2& !2!&! 2;'££-+'2; $<9;319 &3$<1'2; 683$'99-2+ (38 'ă$-'2; $8399 #38&'8 9,-66-2+ ;3 !2!&! {

1.800.409.2269

2£-2' 38&'8-2+T 8!ধ2+ { 8'!£ ধ1' ;8!$0-2+ T !2& +£3#!£ !8',3<9-2+ !2& &-9;8-#<ধ32 2&<9;8@f£'!&-2+ ;8!29-; ধ1'9 !2& 32fধ1' &'£-='8@ <£ধ6£' 9'8=-$' £'='£9 -2$£<&-2+ 8-38-;@ £<9 2'?; &!@ 9'8=-$' #@ 2332