Logistics professionals feel more stressed than last year

A survey commissioned by INFORM reveals that a worrying 45 per cent of logistics managers feel more stressed at work, compared with this time last year. According to the survey, increased levels of ‘fire fighting’ were the number one cause of unrest amongst professionals interviewed at the Logistics Link South exhibition 2010.  

This refers to the practice of guaranteeing service levels in industries where margins are tight. It is this threat that means businesses are happy to pay emergency courier costs to get stock in should they run out, as the drop in service levels can be fatal.

Cathy Humpreys, UK country manager at INFORM says: “It was no surprise that fire fighting was the scenario professionals in the logistics industry worry about most.  It can prove to be costly to service levels with customers looking to other businesses if standards drop which can prove extremely damaging.”

A closer look into the views of logistic professionals reveals that over two thirds of logistics managers believe their job is more important to their company, and better respected, when compared to five years ago. According to the research, only seven per cent of professionals interviewed thought their job was less important to the board, demonstrating the significance these roles represent to C-level.

“The survey illustrates that logistics professionals are succeeding in grabbing the attention of their board and increasingly the process of understanding, planning and optimising the supply chain is becoming recognised as being essential to business best practice,” explains Humphreys. “With this recognition comes additional pressures and if businesses don’t have the tools at their finger tips to get it right first time, the board are watching.” 

 

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