UPS INTERVIEW
The
UPS Movement
on more competitive and more profitable areas . So for us it ' s improving the supply chain resilience , by driving innovation , to get better market price and provide better service .”
Many businesses have had to adapt and pivot to survive , and many of those are going on to thrive . UPS is no exception . Gilbert identities innovation as essential to any business that wants to emerge from this latest global crisis , and cites the financial crash of 2008 as a reference point . He says that a Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) report showed that the most innovative companies entering the 2008 crisis outperformed the rest of the pack .
“ We are always pushing for innovation ,” says Gilbert . “ We are putting in place advanced automation , technology , and digitisation . We are developing ways to further optimise our facilities and back office , enhancing our productivity and return on invested capital .
“ This is the digital revolution that is underway and supply chain is no exception . I think that COVID-19 has sped up what we wanted to do and what a lot of people wanted to do in this arena .”
COPING WITH CRISIS With the sourcing and delivery of PPE , UPS has been involved from the get-go . It supported efforts in the US , Europe and Asia . Gilbert says that saving lives has been their focus and priority . When we spoke in January , that focus was shifting to also include the vital delivery of vaccines . The company ’ s experiences between March and September 2020 made the leadership realise their new purpose statement .
“ At UPS , our purpose is very simply stated . It is : ‘ moving our world forward by delivering what matters .’ So we can unpack it in many , many ways , but moving our world is what we do every day ,” says Gilbert .
48 March 2021