Editor’s Blog: Raise a glass to excellence
On 12th November the 24thSupply Chain Excellence Awards will be held… even though government guidelines mean that it sadly cannot take place, as usual, in the Park Lane Hilton. However, we’re delighted to bring you a virtual ceremony on the same day in what promises to be a true celebration of all that the industry has achieved in 2020.
It has been heartening to see the volume and quality of entries that the Supply Chain Excellence Awards received during 2020 – and in many ways, except for the location of the ceremony, it has gone pretty much to plan.
Entries opened during the Spring, and the shortlist is packed full of achievements during lockdown. It gives nothing away to say that the industry went above and beyond during this time. Designated as key workers, the logistics sector stood up to the challenges, delivering for hospitals and retailers alike. It also was resilient enough to meet the challenge of a substantial increase in e-commerce as shoppers shifted spend online.
The Supply Chain Excellence Awards is also famed for the rigour of its judging process, and 2020 proved to be no different. All those that made the shortlist were judged and reviewed by their peers over Zoom, rather than gathering for face-to-face judging. In many ways online judging allowed different teams from across the country, and in some cases the continent, to gather and discuss their achievements, which did not diminish from the success of the process.
It would be totally remiss of me not to thank all of the fantastic judges, who took the time out of their working week to evaluate the achievements of the industry and lend their expertise. The awards would not be a success without you.
Congratulations should also be offered to every single business and organisation that has been shortlisted this year. Given the judging process, being shortlisted is an achievement in itself, and everyone should be pleased to make it so far!
Finally, I would like to give thanks to the sponsors of the Supply Chain Excellence Awards this year: Clipper Logistics; DP World; Geek + and Unipart Logistics, without which the celebration of the successes of the supply chain industry would not be able to take place.
So, as we revealed the winners on the 12th November, it may be different, but then again, what hasn’t been different about 2020? We look forward to bringing you an entertaining broadcast on 12th November, and hope you can raise a glass to the achievements of the supply chain industry this year.
Christopher Walton, Editor, Logistics Manager