Peter de Haan of Ortec writes about the lack of competences that some transport planners still have. Especially now that the software is increasingly complex. "The man behind the buttons is all too often a former driver. It is time to recognise that the role of transport planner is underestimated."
The complexity in trip planning is increasing more and more. Customers expect ever smaller delivery windows, same-day delivery is quite normal, some municipalities are even more creative in imposing restrictions than others. More horizontal and vertical cooperation is desirable to keep costs low and efficiency high.
Advanced planning software seems to be keeping up with all these developments. Real-time, the consequences of every status change and plan action on the entire logistics operation are calculated and made visible to carriers, shippers and its customers. With smart support, planners can quickly make the right decisions in an increasingly complex world.
Meanwhile, just like 10 years ago, the man behind the controls is all too often a former driver. In this area, little seems to have changed. Is it realistic to expect these planners to be comfortable with such a sophisticated package in such a complex world? What about this at other control towers I wonder. Is the control tower at Schiphol manned by former pilots? Are there mostly former accountants walking around at the stock exchange? It is plausible to expect the complexity of planning to increase even further. It is time to recognise that the role of transport planner is underestimated.
The 'tie' in the title of this article is a metaphor for a set of competences. Important are skills such as switching quickly between plan proposals, being able to interpret them and translate them into practice. Instead of thinking that a distribution ride across the afsluitdijk is 'not done', want to understand why the plan package does propose this option. A healthy amount of practical experience is indispensable for this. Nothing is more important than being able to properly assess the feasibility of a proposal. How do we find this all-rounder and how do we retain him or her? How do we get this person to proudly talk about the work at a birthday party? Tie or no tie, the interpretation of the transport planner deserves attention!
Peter de Haan - Senior Solution Architect at Ortec
