APL TESTS LOGISTICS IN ASIA, LATIN COUNTRIES

   Emerging markets such as those in Asia and Latin America offer opportunities for developing effective supply chains, a senior executive of APL said.
    Lessons learned in emerging countries can then be "transplanted" to more developed markets, with reduced risk and lower implementation costs, said Donald McKay, director of logistics strategy for the business logistics unit of APL Logistics.
    McKay told an automotive logistics conference in Antwerp that, at first glance, the relative absence of infrastructure, technology and training in developing countries presents a "daunting picture" for firms pursuing global marketing and production strategies.
    But today’s new technologies, along with a strong emphasis on
training and education in emerging markets, are changing all that, he said.
    APL said that new Web-based technologies can easily be set up in remote or less-developed locations; the business environment in emerging countries is open to new ideas and processes.
    APL provides contract logistics services to global automakers, including General Motors Corp. at its new production facilities in China and Thailand. McKay said his company’s current work for GM in both Thailand and China offers "some hints for firms in virtually any manufacturing sector" that would like to globalize and better manage their supply chains.