The Ramadan challenge

With shorter work hours and regular deadlines, how does anything get done during the Holy Month?

Meeting Ramadan deadlines is challenging for all Middle Eastern companies, given the shorter working hours and allowances for Muslim staff who are fasting and praying. But for logistics companies, the Holy month can present additional challenges, since global trade never stops and the industry, in any given month, ticks to a 24-hour beat.

This Ramadan effectively means an even longer summer than usual. But with all GCC countries tied up in a plethora of infrastructural, real estate and energy-related projects, and the peak season around the corner, it’s unlikely to be a quiet time for the logistics sector.

But ultimately, everything slows down noticeably across the Middle East, and that’s why one decision taken in one office – “the manager is out now, sorry, you’ll have to wait” – can soon impinge on the operations of another. That said, it would be wrong to see Ramadan as ‘anti business’ it’s quite the opposite. Many managers see the chance to network after sunset over a leisurely iftar or sohour meal, as particularly beneficial. In these CSR-conscious times, it works out to be the perfect opportunity to showcase a company’s charitable or humanitarian credentials.

As it’s a convivial, interactive month, ideally sales teams should tear themselves away from their emails and blackberries and see key clients face-to-face. They should catch up with old contacts and make new ones. It’s a month of spiritual reflection at heart and a good time for everyone to reflect on where they’re heading.

For express operators, the biggest issue is working out the vagaries of the traffic flows in their immediate neighbourhood and making allowances for roads becoming clogged in the pre-iftar rush. Employees out and about on deliveries or meetings also have to make additional provisions on where and when they will eat – for most, the ‘no eating or drinking in public during daylight hours’ isn’t restrictive, but it can pose challenges for drivers who are out on the roads for hours on end. It’s also a dangerous time of the year to be on the roads, with impatience, hunger and fatigue fuelling accident rates.

Agility strives to make sure it’s ‘business as usual’ during Ramadan and that its customers’ SCM requirements remain unaffected. Ali Mikail, Country Manager, Kuwait, says the key is to prioritise tasks and realign resources to meet operational demands.

The challenges vary for specific operations, for example, co-operatives see a surge in demand for foodstuffs, so its warehousing facility operates round-the-clock to ensure speedy and efficient delivery of items. On the other hand, freight logistics works closely with clearance of import shipments through port/airport, and deliveries for military cargo must match mission objectives.

“We lay emphasis on our people and in view of this, we try our best to maintain shorter work hours for our employees, especially those that work outdoors in field operations,” says Mikail.