The Global Logistics Team (GLT) has always relied on remote working due to its global setup, delivering logistics service both within OSRL and to members. In fact, the team was formed with the vision of embracing collaboration through remote working. Their experience on remote collaboration in the last few months took to a brand new level as remote working became the new norm. We talk to a few GLT members on their remote working experience from the viewpoints of a service provider, a training delegate and a conference attendee.
As a Service Provider
Sean Beeton (Global Logistics Specialist) worked with a member during a recent exercise to demonstrate that we can support our members amid this COVID-19 pandemic.
"In April 2020, I was part of the OSRL Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) team as the logistics section during a member's table-top exercise. Remote working, at first, can be a bit daunting, especially because you don't have any team members physically there to talk to quickly. However, with a good communication platform and the integration of established procedures, these shortcomings can be overcome."
As a Training Delegate
Mark Keightley (Global Logistics Specialist) attended online training to re-certify his Dangerous Goods qualification for Air, Sea and Road transport. Being able to deliver its logistics capability during project and emergency response cargo movement, is integral to OSRL.
"Compliance and professional development remain important even during the current pandemic situation. Instead of the usual face-to-face delivery, Members of the Global Logistics team turned to training delivered online. Thankfully the provider had made the sensible choice to split the sessions over several days which made the technical subjects easier to digest remotely."
As a Conference Attendee
Alice Linley-Munro (Travel Manager) has to maintain professional development to ensure that OSRL implements the most current practices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also critical that she maintains contact within the travel industry to be aware of new developments and practices adopted by airlines, hotels and of course border control measures.
"At the start of May, I attended a 2-day virtual conference with over 900 other global delegates. It was nerve-wracking as I knew how much planning had gone into it, however thankfully it went off without a hitch. It was great to be able to dial in from the comfort of my own home, and yet still get great educational content and networking opportunities. It certainly proved what is possible with the power of technology, and the delegates had a 97% satisfaction score."
Although this period has been testing on everyone, having remote experiences from different viewpoints enables us to explore and further improve our service delivery. Learning what pitfalls to avoid and what makes for a pleasant albeit remote customer journey can be shared and incorporated into our services. As the world moves towards a more virtual work setup, OSRL will not linger behind.