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Council News
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Results of Monthly HR Trends Surveys
Since August 2009, the Council has been conducting brief monthly surveys on the hiring, layoff and training expectations of Canadian supply chain employers. The four-question survey also asks about key challenges and their implications for employees. Our intent with each survey is to capture the sector’s outlook on the coming month.
- Hiring and Recalls: While no respondents anticipated an increase in hiring in August, as of February this year, 21 percent were predicting a rise in the month ahead.
- Layoffs: Twenty-nine percent of respondents in February – the highest percentage since we started the surveys – expect layoffs to be down for the next month. This is nine percentage points higher than the second-best result of 20 percent in November 2009.
- Training Investments: As in the areas noted above, feedback from stakeholders related to anticipated training investments indicates growing positive expectations. In February, 43 percent of survey participants believed that investments in training at their companies would rise over the month to come. Again, this is the most-positive outlook we’ve seen since beginning this exercise.
Although these findings are based on the input of a small number of participants, they appear to be in line with predictions for economic recovery beginning this year. It’s good to know that at least some in the supply chain are already feeling more positive about things to come.
Connecting Volunteers with Organizations in Need
We all hear frequently about the logistics difficulties charitable organizations have in getting much-needed aid to the stricken in catastrophic situations. The need for supply chain expertise in such cases is obvious. But there are many other, perhaps less obvious, areas where the knowledge and skills of supply chain practitioners are required by non-profit organizations. Such groups vary widely in their needs and focus.
The Council plans to help connect non-profits with the supply chain talent they need. A new feature on the Council’s website, at www.supplychaincanada.org/en/volunteers, will be the vehicle to bring together these organizations with volunteers that can help.
If you want to post an opportunity on this page, contact info@supplychaincanada.org. If you have time and a passion to share your insights, check the site for opportunities.
See a mentoring opportunity in the right column.
If You Have Opinions on How to Recruit New Supply Chain Employees…
…we want to hear them! Through our current Recruitment and Retention Project, the Council has developed a video that employers can use in orienting new employees and boosting the morale of existing staff. It’ll be good, too, as a conference opener or at career fairs. Quick-paced, it aims to capture in three minutes the essence of the supply chain in all of its variety and complexity.
In addition, we’re creating job profiles, stories to stimulate interest in various supply chain roles.
We want your feedback on these drafts. Let us know if you’re available to participate in either of these focus-group sessions:
- March 18: Montreal
- March 19: Halifax
Looking for Something to Do?
If it’s supply chain-related education or networking that you’re after, be sure to visit the Council’s events listing, at www.supplychaincanada.org/en/events-evenements. We dare to say that this just may be the lengthiest events listing you’ll find for the supply chain sector.
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Survey for the Roundtable on Immigration
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The Conference Board of Canada is conducting a survey of Canadian workplaces for its Leaders’ Roundtable on Immigration. They are particularly interested in the experiences of managers/employers and immigrant employees. The two surveys are accessible from the links below:
If you would like more information on the Conference Board’s Leaders’ Roundtable on Immigration, contact Diana MacKay, at mackay@conferenceboard.ca or 613-526-3090, ext. 410.
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Unique Co-op Program: Students Available to Help Businesses Go Green
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Partners in Project Green is a co-op program designed to provide an eco-advantage to employers in Toronto’s Pearson Eco-Business Zone, as well as to participating students. The program leverages existing engineering and engineering-technology co-op programs offered by Seneca College, Humber College and University of Waterloo, and adds a reciprocal learning program to help businesses identify energy-reduction opportunities and implement solutions. The program includes monthly workshops for students and employers, as well as ongoing mentoring from an energy-efficiency expert who will provide guidance to the student.
The Energy Management Co-op Program is tailored for the manufacturing, food-processing and logistics industries. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority will coordinate delivery of the program. The hiring and matching process is in progress, with the first co-op term to begin in May 2010.
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News from the Pillar Associations
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2009 Conference Proceedings Available Online
Find out about the learning sessions, speakers, expert panelists and networking opportunities that were part of Reposition 2009 in November.
Supply Chain & Logistics Association Canada
Accepting Nominations for 2010 SCL Awards
SCL is now accepting nominations for three awards to be presented at its 43rd Annual Conference: Leading the Logistics of Change on May 4 and 5 in Toronto.
- 2010 SCL President’s Award
This award is given to an individual, group or company that has demonstrated exemplary vision, outstanding leadership and strategic thinking within the supply chain and logistics industry.
- 2010 Transport Canada / SCL Green Supply Chain Award
Sponsored by Transport Canada, this award salutes supply chain management who have set and exceeded high standards for environmental friendliness.
- 2010 SCI Group Inc. National Student Paper Award
This award is presented annually to the student or students who submit the best original paper on logistics/supply chain management. The national winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500 and a complimentary pass to the annual conference, with travel and accommodations. Regional winners will also be awarded prizes.
The deadline for nominations is March 12, and winners will be notified no later than April 16. Self-nominations are welcome. Details can be found on the SCL website.
With two awards of $750 each, SCL aims to financially reward those individuals who have shown academic excellence and a passion for contributing to the supply chain and logistics industry.
To be eligible to win, students must be enrolled full time in a supply chain and/or logistics-related program at a Canadian college or university commencing in the fall of 2010, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 or, for first-year students, a minimum average of 80 percent upon secondary-school graduation.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, August 20.
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GS1 Canada: A Global Leader in Product Recall Standards
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The increasingly global nature of today’s supply chain has made global standards an essential component of an effective recall solution. Standards are the most effective and efficient way for ensuring interoperability between systems, industries and jurisdictions.
GS1 Canada spearheaded the development of a GS1 standards-based national product recall program, as part of an effort to address the myriad of challenges associated with the product recall process and in direct response to an ever-increasing number of product recalls across multiple categories.
GS1 Canada Product Recall is an online communication tool, created in collaboration with a coalition of leading industry associations representing over 65,000 Canadian businesses including: Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD), Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG), Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) and the Retail Council of Canada (RCC).
GS1 Canada Product Recall standardizes the way Canadian food processors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers share information about recalled products; improving the accuracy of this information and enhancing the speed with which potentially harmful products are removed from store shelves. It enables manufacturers and retailers to exchange product recall and withdrawal information directly and in real-time, through a secure and auditable process. Using web technology that requires minimal integration, recalls can be targeted to specific trading partners or distributed to the entire contact list. Ultimately, the administrative burden for retailers and manufacturers typically associated with a recall are significantly reduced.
Through GS1 Canada Product Recall, subscribers communicate product recalls using an online, standardized form and process based on the requirements of industry. The form includes standardized product information, product images, handling instructions, disposal instructions, reimbursement instructions, contact information and attachments.
Because product recalls and withdrawals have dramatic implications for Canadian businesses, speed and accuracy are of paramount importance when a product – be it a grocery or a consumer product is recalled for safety reasons. It is critical to get the right product off the store shelf as quickly as possible.
Designed by industry, for industry, GS1 Canada Product Recall dramatically improves the communication of recall information between Canadian businesses. At the same time, the program supports industry in its ongoing efforts to provide consumers reassurance and optimal safety when a product is recalled. The program can also be adapted to differing sectors – such as the pharmacy and general merchandise sectors to improve productivity and cost efficiencies, enhance safety and security and support industry best practices.
An innovative new platform for strengthening consumer confidence across the supply chain while securing brand integrity, GS1 Canada Product Recall was launched first in the grocery sector in November 2009, with programs for the general merchandise and pharmacy sectors set to launch in 2010.
This article was provided by GS1 Canada, a not-for-profit, industry-led organization that develops, promotes and maintains global standards for the identification of goods, services, locations and related e-commerce communication. As a member organization of GS1, GS1 Canada represents the interests of Canada in the continuing development of the global language of business.
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Right Tool for the Job – One-way/Voice
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Working in different environments has exposed me to a myriad of communication tools, collaboration platforms and the like. All straddle the middle ground between perfect and intolerable, though I am amazed at how close to the latter some tools are. Technology is an inextricable part of communication, inside and outside work. The good keep getting better through innovation and imitation. (Note the recent resemblances between LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google’s Buzz.) No tool will work for all situations.
To simplify all this, in my work with clients I use a grid to identify the tools that are most widely used (and often abused!). This can help to build skills, understanding and even policy to guide selecting the most-effective tool for a given situation.
One-way OR Dialogue; and
Text OR Voice OR Face-to-Face
(Note: we will get into the nuance of video vs. live at a later date.)
Click here for a one-way voice discussion of one-way voice tools.
(Note: for one-way Face-to-Face, think of Tiger Woods’ recent “press conference.”)
Stay tuned for thoughts on other tools. As always, I am interested in examples of success and failures in your workplace. Feel free to share through my website listed below.
Chris Irwin works with organizations undergoing change to reduce interpersonal noise in cross-functional and stakeholder communications. He is on faculty at the Schulich School of Business, and in Humber’s Supply Chain program. He also teaches in PMAC’s Strategic Supply Chain Management Leadership Program. He blogs on related issues at www.MicroOB.com (Micro Organizational Behaviour) and can be reached through that website.
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Website Links
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Can You Help?
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Every year, many internationally trained and educated professionals make Canada their home. MicroSkills is collaborating with The Mentoring Partnership program of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) to help skilled immigrants fulfill their promise and potential.
Launched in November 2004, The Mentoring Partnership helps immigrants improve access to meaningful employment by pairing them with professionals in the same occupation. Since the program’s launch, almost 80 percent of mentees have found employment after mentoring; of these, 83 percent found employment in their field.
The mentoring relationship spans only 24 hours over a four-month period. During this period, as a mentor you will have the opportunity to:
- Develop your coaching, communication and leadership skills, which will be transferable to many social, academic and professional situations.
- Share valuable knowledge that you have gained as a result of your own experiences.
- Work with someone from a different background and culture.
- Motivate and support a person to raise their level of attainment and fulfill their potential.
- Learn more about job-market and industry trends.
You will be supported by MicroSkills, and have access to training and resources to help ensure a positive mentoring relationship.
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Supplylevel Inc. Blog 