Learning About Logistics Challenges During COVID-19 Lockdowns

While working from home is not usually the norm for many people, it has become the “new normal” due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of getting up and going into the office, people have had to create office spaces in their own homes, with some people being more creative than others. In the UK alone, 41% of people compared to 12% in 2019 were working from home between 14^th -17^th May  2020 with similar statistics replicated in countries all over the world.

Yet, it’s not just working from home that has come as a challenge for many parents. Homeschooling has also meant that parents have become the teachers and are responsible for their child’s education. As well as the math, English, and science lessons, the traditional elements of the curriculum which the parents are expected to teach, parents have had to answer difficult questions about what children have seen on the news.

With logistics and the supply chain being at the forefront of the news recently due to panic buying and the meat supply shortage in the US, lessons in logistics would definitely be useful. While many of us are fortunate enough to work in the supply chain and logistics industries, many parents don’t have the answers to these important questions. That’s where the new resource LOGISTICS@HOME comes into play to help children have a better understanding of where all their items come from.

What is LOGISTICS@HOME?

The idea of LOGISTICS@HOME stemmed from the mind of logistics professionals who have been working from home with young children throughout the pandemic.

Mathew Wittemeier’s, Marketing Manager of INFORM’s Logistics Division, and part of the team who worked on the project, situation reflects those of many parents. “I was at home with my six-year-old daughter, and she wanted to know why items at the store weren’t available ‘right now,’” he said. Due to working in the logistics industry, Wittemeier was able, with the help of his colleagues, to put together a series of small learning tasks, which were fun but also helped her understand how supplies and goods are moved around the world.

From this,  the LOGISTICS@HOME series has been created, tested, and refined to give children aged six to ten,  a fun, and at times challenging, introduction to the field of logistics, the supply chain, shipping, ports, and parcel operations. The program has been designed to reinforce core learning skills – reading, writing, math, geography, and problem-solving – and aid homeschooling. Each “Print at Home” module will take your kids through a series of worksheets and exercises that will both introduce them and instruct them on the topic of the module.

Dr. Eva Savelsberg, Senior Vice President of INFORM’s Logistic Division and part of the team that created the series, added, “Engaging kids isn’t our core business but rather a broader social obligation. During the trial phase, we released it to our division, and many of our team members with kids commented both how much their children enjoyed it, and how it made explaining the world they work in much easier.”

The LOGISTICS@HOME series initially contains six modules, the first of which is What is the Supply Chain?  Five additional modules are set to be released and will cover additional topics including: What is Shipping?, Ports are Busy Places, The Inland Connection, How are Packages Shipped?, and The Role of Computers.

Closing Thoughts

The coronavirus has poised many new challenges for everyone, especially parents, who have found themselves not only trying to work from home and keep their families safe but also needing to be child educators. Having constructive things to keep children’s minds busy, their educations going, and help them learn about the world around them is extremely important. It’s just an added bonus from a supply chain professional’s point of view if this learning encourages children to learn more about our profession.