Fraser Direct: Overcoming Supply Chain Issues Post Vancouver Strike

This case study addresses the challenges faced by Fraser Direct following a strike that crippled the port of Vancouver, leading to significant inventory stagnation. The document outlines recommendations to Steve Hogg, Director of Supply Chain Services, focusing on strategies to mitigate the impact of the strike and expedite the delivery of goods. Key solutions include prioritizing deliveries based on urgency, enhancing communication with customers to manage expectations and offer alternative solutions, and optimizing internal operations through increased staffing and extended work hours. Additionally, the document suggests proactive measures for client companies, such as maintaining buffer stocks and exploring alternative supply routes, to prevent future disruptions. The proposed strategies aim to restore customer confidence, minimize financial losses, and safeguard the company's reputation in the international market by ensuring efficient and timely product delivery. Desklib provides students access to a wealth of resources, including similar solved assignments and past papers, to support their academic and professional development.

To: Steve Hogg
From:
CC:
Date:
Re: Vancouver dockyard stagnation issue
It is really a matter of concern when there are inventories stagnated in the port or docks
for delivery and are unable to be delivered to their desired destination. The business image is at
stake and the brand name goes down in the international market. The same must have happened
in this case also. The urgency for the products has been created in the market thus the
business needs to make necessary changes to supply the products as soon as possible. The excess
inventories have to list in a single document along with their date of manufacturing, demand
date and delivery date. The products that are stagnated in the dock have to delivered to the
required destination with a proper maintenance and service strategies. You can inform the
customers who are waiting for the products about the issues that are occurring presently in the
dock and assure them a fast and immediate delivery as the issue is solves(Beygo,2015). The
customer should be updated about the information’s and situational changes that are occurring in
the work area. They can be suggested to use substitution products for the time being to reduce
the gap that has been formed due to the delay of product delivery. The customers must be
assured about the management steps taken by the port authority for an immediate delivery. The
customers can be also informed about alternate resources that can be used by the companies
unless the required products are required.

I would recommend actions that would help the customers to meet their demand as soon
as possible. The customers are the one who will suffer the most in such cases. The companies
will also incur a huge loss if the products get destroyed or partially damaged. The management
should make sure that the products are well maintained and returned back to the owner or the
receiver carefully. I would recommend listing the important dates for delivery and again
making a request to the customer for a delayed delivery. The revised list will contain a feedback
from the customers where again the new list can be made depending on the priority list. There
might be an extreme urgency for few products or a medium requirement for products. Depending
on that basis the products can be delivered once again. Initially the products have to unloaded or
loaded on the required urgency list. The extremely urgent products have to be loaded first and
shipped to their destination. The other products can wait for the time being and can be delivered
as the other ship comes back. There can be provision for extra ship and staffs for the time being
to deliver the products to their destination(Mörek, Tavacioglu & Bolat,2013). The management
should make necessary changes to increase the work hours of the staffs, unload the ships, and
again reload them depending on the new priority list. I would also recommend starting double
duty for the staff and authority in the dock so that the crowd is reduced as soon as possible. If
these steps are taken then there are chances for the stagnated inventories to be reduced in a short
span of time.
The reason for starting such actions is the companies need to meet the customers demand
and maintain their reputation in the international market. The company will have already faced a
negative impression from the client companies, thus when the issues were resolved they must
take urgent and immediate steps that would clear the stock and reach to the required destination.
Thus the steps that I have suggested are appropriate to meet the requirement at this moment. The

steps include a proper listing of the priority list where the details will be given about the
countries that require an urgent delivery of products. The companies might lose their contract if
the necessary steps are not taken. The company might incur a huge loss for a delayed delivery of
products. These steps will reduce the tie loss and increase the product delivery. It will save the
country and company image in the international market. The priority list is a major issue in such
cases. The second step that the organization must take is they must involve other staffs and
machineries to speed up the whole process. The urgency to speed up the process is very
important thus they have to make sure that the work pressure is divided among the workers and
the number of workers is increased. A seep up process will help the system to meet the
requirement and reduce the work pressure. Thus, I have suggested these steps and I am sure that
if these steps are taken then the issue will be resolved to a certain extent. Both the strategies will
be equal help to the customers however; an increased labor in the work process will be more
helpful to provide the required changes and speeding processes in the system. this will any how
speed up the process and help the organization to meet the customers need as soon as the dock is
free from chaos and conflicts. The selected procedure will also help the worker to earn extra
money that was stagnated for the past few days and has incurred a loss to them too. Their
efficient and extra work will pay them and give them an extra income to meet the gap that took
place in the last days.
The organization should take care that such incidents should not last for long. However,
the client companies can also take few necessary steps to prevent such loss or delay in their work
process. The paragraph will discuss about such incident in details. There can be dual adjusted
from both the side of the trading companies to prevent such delay in work. If these companies
become a little more conscious about their production and delivery process then they can

meet such issues and prevent such situation. The companies must be following the necessary
steps to maintain a regular exchange of products. The company can make a deal with the client
companies about the product delivery system(Levering et al., 2013). The client companies have
to place the order when they already have a stock of 50% in their storehouse. The host company
will receive the message, start preparing their products, and get ready for delivery with 10 days
of the request. The companies will have an approx idea about the client company’s necessity and
deliver the products on time. The host company will still have a stock before hand with
themselves and that will help them to meet the need if such crisis arises. The companies can use
this stock for the time being. It is expected that with a time span of 15 days the issues are
generally resolved in most areas, especially places where international trade is connected with
such high connectivity. The company can assure their clients that by the time their stocks are
getting over they are sending the new orders. Another way of maintaining such issues can be the
client companies can be suggested a substitute sources that might fill the gap for the time
being. These sources will help the companies to meet their demand only for the time being and it
is expected that by that time the issues will be resolved. These strategies might help the
companies to meet such adverse conditions. The companies can also arrange some alternate ways
to deliver the products in the market(Bilal, Jangir, & Bhakar). The airline or by roads ways can
also deliver the product to the customer in case of necessity. It is helpful to the companies
especially when the client companies give an early order the host companies. The companies that
have an emergency can give an early order so that incase the orders are stuck in such incidents
the host company can arrange for the alternate production and send it through some other rite
ways. This can only be possible if both the companies have a good relation among each other.
The client company is always giving an early order to the host company. Then only the host

company can arrange for such ways to deliver the products and reach the destination on time or
may be within a short span of time.
Thus, it can be concluded with this thought that every system and organizations have
challenges and conflict in between them. if a group of people are working together then there are
chances that there will be an issue related to their decision or demands. Thus, the companies and
organizations must stay aware about the consequences and take necessary steps to prevent such
issues. Even when the challenges cannot be faces but right measures and steps can be taken to
meet such issues in a peaceful manner.

References:
Beygo, C. (2015). Proposals for redevelopment of Haliç Shipyards from the perspective of local
economic development. A| Z ITU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, 12(1), 205-219.
Bilal, M. K., Jangir, J. M., & Bhakar, S. S. DEVELOPMENT AND STANDARDISATION OF
MOTIVATION MEASURE FOR DOCKYARD EMPLOYEES.
Levering, R., Ligthart, R., Noorderhaven, N., & Oerlemans, L. (2013). Continuity and change in
interorganizational project practices: The Dutch shipbuilding industry, 1950–
2010. International Journal of Project Management, 31(5), 735-747.
Mörek, U., Tavacioglu, L., & Bolat, P. (2013). The Role of Human Organizational Factors on
Occupational Safety; A Scale Development Through Tuzla Region Dockyards. Marine
Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation: STCW, Maritime Education and Training
(MET), Human Resources and Crew Manning, Maritime Policy, Logistics and Economic
Matters, 159.