AsstrA News

For the AsstrA corporate group, the beginning of the year was marked by a remarkable event – a victory in a tender organized by a leading global automobile manufacturer. The route to be serviced runs from the United States to Russia. The customer’s requirements for the transport company included knowledge of the logistics in the region, high-quality services, below-market rates, and a warehouse near the manufacturing plant.

The global pandemic highlighted the need for smooth supply chain operations. The measures introduced by governments to limit the spread of the virus have affected all aspects of life, including logistics networks. Mykolas Tokarenko, Head of AsstrA’s Baltics & Belarus Container Division, discusses how the coronavirus and quarantine have changed the maritime transport market.

The year 2020 will go down in history as an inflection point where life – as we knew it – changed. Previously forgotten basic truths took on newfound significance. Face-to-face conversations with loved ones and evening walks in the park became more valuable than the latest gadget or fashion accessory from a new collection. Doctors began to receive sincere applause, and everyone remembered that good health is in fact the most important possession.

“As a nation we are creaking back into action and beginning the return to work. However it seems that our workplaces can’t adapt easily to the ‘new normal’ overnight where we take care to distance ourselves properly and compliantly. We are used to making the most of our premises, using every spare inch, so it’s inevitable that we’re all going to need more space. We have been talking to a few businesses about the safe supply of additional buildings in preparation for a slow reverse of lockdown.

It’s only when you get the chance to take a few minutes and look back at the past three months of a global pandemic that you realise what has really been achieved in the world of logistics.

Spain and France are among the European countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The countries’ governments imposed strict quarantines at the end of March 2020, and residents spent 7 weeks at home. National leaders eased the self-isolation regime in early May.

The quality of services an international logistics company or transport partner provides is the result of the coordinated work. Good teamwork is an indicator of a company’s competitiveness and a key factor behind its successful development.

Every day, tens of thousands of vehicles operate on international highways. Occasionally, these vehicles includes convoys of trucks moving oversized, non-standard cargo like medical modules, components of petrochemical plants, and even homes.

The world experienced the spring of 2020 in self-isolation mode. Governments of numerous countries around the world imposed quarantines, and many people have been forced to stay at home and be content to go out only to walk pets or shop for food.

May has marked a turning point in the easing of quarantine measures and restrictions. After a strict quarantine, Western Europe is gradually returning to the usual rhythm of life. The first countries to return have been the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

While clientele of industrial project logistics providers place considerable importance on experience and the ability to execute complex shipments as required in the industrial sector, matters are further complicated by the Covid-19 outbreak that has impacted almost all industries. Even today, in spite of the severe restraints resulting from today’s global situation, the AsstrA Industrial Project Logistics (AIPL) team maintains daily dialogues with the company’s Customers.

The services sector is key to the entire UK economy, as it accounts for ¾ of the country’s GDP. The economy of the United Kingdom ranks 10th in the world in terms of GDP per capita at purchasing power parity.

What plays a decisive role in a client’s choice to partner with a product manufacturer or service provider? According to a Nielsen study, environmental concerns are important to 85% of global consumers. 84% of participants said that a company’s transparency and honesty are key factors.

Between their places of manufacture and end use, production line elements must often travel thousands of kilometers. In several such cases, the AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG corporate group team organized production line shipments from Asia to Poland. Janusz Bulinski, Head of the AsstrA Sea Freight Department in Gdansk, shares the details of these successful projects.

When it comes to logistics teamwork, it is important to focus upon a common goal and consistently work together to achieve results. That’s why the AsstrA corporate group emphasizes this approach both with Customers and internally. The AsstrA Industrial Project Logistics (AIPL) team in Italy cites it as a key to success.

Whether a shipment involves electrical appliance parts from China to the EU, pharmaceuticals from Belgium to Poland, or cosmetics from the USA to Russia, warehousing services are a core component of the logistics chain for customers in almost any industry. In April 2020, AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG opened its own warehouse for customers in Poland.

What is trust and how to earn it? What characterizes trust in business? Over the past ten years, researchers and society have paid close attention to understanding what makes for good business relations, successful partnership, and the role trust plays in both.

When thinking about a future profession, young people today are often said to focus on their own desires and ambitions. Almost every first-year university student imagines taking a prestigious position in an international company. But when such students finish university without professional experience, they are traditionally qualified only to be a trainee, assistant, or intern. Some applicants consider such positions a waste of time. But in reality these roles are often stepping stones to career advancement and greater responsibility in the future.

How to choose a logistics company? What should one pay attention to? Some are guided by the recommendations of colleagues, others look for information with search engines, and some look for references in the media.

To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of office workers have already switched to telecommuting. Logistics and supply chains continue to function regardless of the circumstances. The AsstrA transport and logistics corporate group team also continues to handle its daily duties, but now in a new mode. There are pluses and minuses to working from home, which therefore requires its own set of practical skills and competencies.