In the era of ‘Business
Unusual’ companies
should be leading with a
visionary, pro-active and
innovative approach, said
Mark Cleeve-Edwards,
executive: business
development at Barloworld
Logistics.
Speaking at the launch
of the 12th annual
supplychainforesight
survey compiled by Frost
& Sullivan on behalf of
Barloworld Logistics, he
said the fast-paced speed
of change had brought
degrees of disruption
to conventional ways
of doing business but it
had also opened up new
opportunities for future
growth and development,
provided the changes were
managed correctly.
The survey, conducted
amongst 370 high- to
mid-level professionals
representing companies
across South Africa, found
that 50% of businesses
in South Africa were
essentially “letting change
happen” and that only
22% perceived change
as a means of realising
new strategic objectives.
“Companies that simply
let change happen are
invariably not adequately
predicting change, and are
not taking advantage of
the opportunity to change,
and in so doing up their
competitive advantage,” he
commented.
While 50% of
companies defined change
as ‘adaptive’, 93% of
respondents recognised
that only focusing on
short-term survival would
result in South African
industries losing ground in
global markets.
Businesses that think
strategically in the face
of change find innovative
ways to keep costs low,
even in the face of change,
said Cleeve-Edwards.
“They always anticipate
change and adapt quickly,
manage market volatility
and ensure that they get
the right skills and new
talent on board."
Cleeve-Edwards added
that good business plans
did not deliver results.
“People deliver results.
People are vital to
change.”
INSERT & CAPTION
Businesses that think
strategically in the
face of change find
innovative ways to
keep costs low.
– Mark Cleeve-Edwards
