Maintained delivery schedules by operation of a contingency logistics systemDoubled volume of shipments to 1,200 tons in shortest period of time through information sharing with partnersSK chemicals, which spent day after day under intense pressure due to the logistics chaos in May, recovered the momentum in its export activity through well-organized countermeasures, and recorded the maximum volume ever in shipments. According to SK chemicals? Ulsan Plant, the shipment volume of PET/PETG exceeded 600 tons on May 30 to mark the largest daily shipment ever. SK chemicals managed to handle the shipments that were scheduled for export during the entire month in only ten days, starting from May 20, thus showing off its ability to effectively cope with a logistics crisis. SK chemicals? resin products are chemical materials in the form of chips. These chips are used in the production of plastic bottles for soda, such as cola, and are transported either in bags or containers. Even if the chips have an identical chemical nature they are classified and shipped in diverse product sectors depending on their grade. Loading the products into the proper containers requires extra care and scrupulous management, and therefore experienced logistics specialists are kept on high alert 24 hours a day. ?We had to deliver products to our clients in Japan and the U.S. in a very short period time. We had only one third of the usual delivery time,? said Manager Kwang-seok Park at the Ulsan Plant, who is responsible for logistics. ?As soon as the strike ended, the logistics team initiated a contingency logistics management system. We put all 10 logistics staff members on standby and activated all of our partner logistics firms, and did our best to secure the containers,? he explained. Usually, the Ulsan Plant ships out about 600 tons of PET per day loaded in 30 separate containers. After the contingency system was effectuated, the logistics team made shipments totaling 1,253 tons per day by deploying 64 containers - more than double its capacity in normal times. ?All we did was to make an all-out effort to keep our promise with our clients,? Park said. ?The very reason for the logistics team?s existence is to meet the delivery schedule. The delivery schedule is our life. We are so glad that we managed to dispatch our products in time to clients in the U.S. and Japan, including Coca-Cola, through the concerted efforts of our team and sub-contractors,? he said commenting on the result. Deputy General-Manager Deok-ki Jin, responsible for marketing, said ?We have received thank you mails from our clients, including Coca-Cola. While they expressed concern over the truckers? strike, they were pretty much understanding.? He added that, ?They sent us a message of trust on our timely delivery despite the strike.?Meeting the delivery schedules was possible thanks mainly to the hard work and know-how of Manager Park and his logistics team, as well as the unsparing efforts made by the company?s sub-contractors. For one, the team extended work hours from 7:30 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. as soon as the strike started. After the strike ended, sub-contractors concentrated on deploying shipments from 6:00 in the morning until 23:00 at night. In addition, they deployed additional manpower to cope swiftly with the rising workload of loading and transporting containers. In particular, they mobilized a number of forklifts from Sejung Trucking Co., and new logistics sub-contractors also joined the collaborative efforts. All of this was possible because the company shared information with logistics firms in preparation for an emergency situation. The logistics team received more than 200 phone calls daily, went to Busan in person to seek containers, and returned to the plant together with the truckers while doing whatever they could to secure various means of transport. ?If we do not ship out our products by the end of May, we have to embrace a serious consequence of non-payment for our shipments. But if we weather this crisis, we will have better opportunities,? said Manager Park, as he cheered up his team members and sub-contractors at work with inspirational speeches. Executive Director Jong-yeol Kong at Sejung Trucking Co. did everything in his power to help speed up SK chemicals? shipments. He not only tried to find containers by himself, but also managed the reception of truckers, loading and unloading, and attached cardboard on the shipments without taking a rest. A circulated loading system also helped these team efforts finish up the loading process in the most efficient way. This swift loading process involved a mobile queue of empty trucks: one by one they approached the loading bay, received a container, and rapidly departed to make way for the next vehicle in line. ?If it were not for unsparing efforts by Dongyang Industries and the Sejung Trucking Co., the mission would not have been possible,? Manager Park said. ?Keeping to the delivery schedule in the wake of the logistics strike was of enormous concern, and we are so happy that we overcome this crisis. I just did what I had to do,? said Park modestly.