Business on the Move is an educational board game to excite and inspire players about global supply chains. With a game board featuring a manufacturing facility in China on one side and real UK based retail destinations on the left, the game teaches players about the processes involved in international trade by rolling dice and making decisions.

Invited by Stuart Burke of IIFA Full Trading Member Hytech Logistics, game creators Andy Page and Pat Smedley ran a group game in St. Oliver Plunkett's Primary School in Malahide, Co. Dublin with Mr. Fortune's 5th class Pupils on Thursday 16th February 2017.

Pupils were divided into teams and given a base of operations with start-up cash. A Banker then showed the pupils how to invest their money in suitable transport facilities in order to fulfil their order cards for their Customers, the only way to make money and edge closer to winning the game by earning the most profit. Through playing the game, pupils discovered how manufactured goods travel from an international manufacturer to the United Kingdom and the dangers that could befall them. As the game progressed, Andy and Pat threw curve ball scenarios onto each board, encouraging pupils to react to and be conscious of CO2 emissions and other dangers for which they could be safe from... provided that they had invested in Insurance!

"I have believed for many years that the introduction of "The Supply Chain" to young people at an early age would be welcomed and understood by the children. Today's exercise with Andy and Pat and their excellent game proved to be a real success with the pupils who showed a huge appetite to learn about The Supply Chain in this effective and fun way. The feedback from Mr. Fortune and the children was incredible, they are already looking for further opportunities to fit the game into their busy schedule."

-   Stuart Burke, Managing Director, Hytech Logistics

Stuart Burke, HyTech Logistics, Pat Smedley, Andy Page, Business on the Move, outside of St.Oliver Plunketts National School, Malahide, Co. Dublin

"Within 10 minutes I could see that the Pupils had a real handle on the game. They were planning their next moves while their classmates played their turns out. What was really special was when Pat declared a special rule for double movement on dice rolls. Having learned that the longest distance on the game was for bringing containers by sea, one team immediately dropped their focus on delivering their goods locally and applied the movement advantage strategically for later benefit. It's fantastic that the game introduces players to facts about the industry and to see the pupils react in such a way really showed how effective Business on the Move is as a learning tool."

-   Seamus Kavanagh, Executive Officer of Irish International Freight Association

Andy Page and Patricia Smedley are former teachers who have set up a not-for-profit social enterprise that has developed a fun educational game that is intended to excite and inspire 9 to 19 year olds about business and the global supply chain. Following extensive trials with nearly 600 young people aged 9-19, logistics managers and HR staff, their educational board game, Business on the Move, was launched in the summer of 2014. Since then, the game has visited both schools and businesses around the UK. A regular feature at the annual Multimodal exhibition in Birmingham, UK, Pat and Andy showcased their game in Dublin during 3rd - 8th October 2016 as part of the 2016 FIATA World Congress Dublin. Pat and Andy are now working on a Global Edition of the game, featuring a larger map and greater involvement from freight, transport, distribution and retail partners from around the globe.

For more information, please see: https://www.businessonthemove.org

It was announced yesterday that Article 50 will be triggered by the UK on Wednesday 29 March 2017. The Irish Government News Service, Merrion Sheet.ie, have made available an Article 50 guide, detailing what will happen in the next few weeks, what is going to be negotiated, who the main bodies are and what their roles will be. This guide can be accessed via the below link:

http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/EU-UK/Article_50_What_happens_next_FINAL.pdf

Despite considerable concerns in the business community over Brexit and changes in political outlook both home and abroad, exporters have "nothing to be afraid of" when it comes to overseas markets, said Liam.

Liam, based in Rathcoole, has over 40 years of logistics experience in helping companies import and export all over the world.

A recent business survey carried out by South Dublin County Council and the South Dublin Chamber revealed 90 per cent of the respondents were active exporters.

Legal requirements, understanding documents and language barriers were all cited as key challenges facing local businesses, most of which can be attributed to a "simple misunderstanding", according to Liam. Liam said: "My role (at the seminar) was in explaining the relationship between the exporter, the Freight Forwarder and the buyer to achieve best results."

Liam is a big advocate in "keeping it simple", providing onsite consultancy and handling of day-to-day operations for customers across several time zones, to ensure a smooth transition in areas such as documentation and licensing. He continued: "Basically you want to find out what you want to do before you actually do it. It is best for the seller and buyer to talk to each other, work out costs, and talk with your Freight Forwarder before exporting."

Brexit has thrown a lot of uncertainty in the air but Liam feels additional costs and paperwork are "inevitable" and that authorities have to prepare for "Brexit or a hard border." "It is no use waiting for someone else to do something, we need to be proactive and have a plan in place," he said.

Other speakers at the event included, Simon McKeever (CEO of the Irish Exporters Association), Conor McGreevy (Treasury Manager at Bank of Ireland Global Markets), Andrea Carroll (Sustainable Business Programme Manager at South Dublin Chamber), and Colm Ward (Head of LEO South Dublin).

Contact Dave Cox via mobile on 086-600-8565 or e-mail to [email protected]

 

"Conversation Piece installed a new state of art Panasonic system, We were able to replace our expensive Fractional Primary Rate ISDN with VoIP lines, keeping all our existing phone numbers and achieving annual savings of circa €10,000 on line rentals and call costs. Conversation Piece carried out the work seamlessly and without causing any disruption to either staff or business."

Director at Toga Freight Forwarding and Logistic Services

Overseas Heavy Transport Ship 'Albatross' moves to Port of Cork's Ringaskiddy Deepwater Berth for Ballasting Operations

 

Three new, ship-to-shore container cranes manufactured in Ireland by Liebherr and assembled in Cork Harbour are scheduled for delivery to Crowley Puerto Rico Services' Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan later this month.

 

The cranes which are currently on board the Overseas Heavy Transport (OHT) vessel 'Albatross', transferred from Cork Dockyard to the Port of Cork's Deepwater berth in Ringaskiddy to take on ballast before departure to San Juan. Each crane has a capacity of 65 tons and measure approximately 65 meters tall, with an outreach of 40 meters.

 

Click to watch MV Albatross transfer from Cork Dockyard to Ringaskiddy Deepwater Berth

 

Ringaskiddy Deepwater Berth is capable of handling vessels of this size and providing a fast and efficient turnaround of such vessels. Before the 'Albatross' departs, it will share the berth with the weekly Maersk container service from Central America, bringing the overall length of both vessels alongside to 414 metres.

 

Speaking about the Port of Cork's capabilities as a "Tier 1 port of national significance" and a naturally deep water port, Commercial Manager Captain Michael McCarthy said: The Port of Cork is delighted to partner with Liebherr Cranes in selecting our Ringaskiddy Deepwater port to export their cranes to World markets. We have had an excellent relationship with Liebherr since the early 1990's when we commissioned two cranes for our facility in Ringaskiddy. Since then we have grown our relationship with the company and all our port cranes are manufactured by Liebherr.'

 

He continued: 'It is great to see Liebherr recognising our exporting capability as a deep water port.'

While in Ringaskiddy the OHT vessel, which was originally designed as an oil tanker and converted to a crane carrier, will take on large volume of water ballast in the lower ballast tanks to counteract the weight of the cranes on deck. Each crane weighs approx. 900 tons; however the weight is evenly distributed on the main deck of the vessel. The cranes are then secured firmly (welded) to the deck of the vessel and as such they form a single composite unit.

 

According to John Hourihan Jr., Crowley's senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico Services, the electric-powered cranes will be used to load and discharge containerized cargo being carried aboard Crowley's two new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered, Commitment Class Con-Ro ships.

 

He said: "With these state-of-the-art cranes now erected, we are taking another step toward the transformation of our terminal into the most modern and efficient port facility on the island of Puerto Rico. We eagerly await their arrival here."

On Friday 3rd March, over 900 of Ireland's key business people descended upon the Dublin Convention Centre for the annual Deloitte Best Managed Companies Symposium and Gala Awards.

The prestigious awards programme recognises indigenous Irish companies across the island of Ireland, which are operating at the highest levels of business performance.

Among the awardee companies, North County Dublin based IIFA Full Trading Member, Ace Express Freight were delighted to scoop the 'Best Managed Company' accolade for a record ninth consecutive year. Established in 1989 by Managing Director Philip Tracey, this indigenous Irish family-owned business, boasts considerable progression over a 28 year period, growing from a small operation offering overnight services to the UK, to a global freight forwarding company with world-class partners offering air freight, ocean freight, national, UK and European road freight services, logistic and warehousing solutions and value-added services including customs clearance and bonded warehousing to clients.

Speaking on Ace Express Freight's recent award win, Philip Tracey, Managing Director commented:  "We are delighted to be the only freight company on the Island of Ireland to be awarded the coveted 'Best Managed Company' status for the ninth consecutive year. This is a real testament to the strength of both our team and our key business strategies, as this is the only national awards scheme that considers a business' performance from every perspective, through an extensive independent evaluation process that focuses on the calibre of our management abilities and practices.

As a proud indigenous Irish company operating for 28 years, having such acclaimed awards under our belt is a credit to our entire workforce. Our employees are the lifeblood of our organisation and having both a cohesive company culture and customer-centric focus is essential when delivering on key business plans, overcoming external pressures, expanding into new markets and enhancing our competitiveness in the industry."

The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Programme, now in its ninth year, is a symbol of business excellence across the island of Ireland. This year 'Best Managed' status was awarded to 127 companies, who employ over 60,000 staff, with a combined turnover exceeding €11 billion and boasting an increase in sales of 44% over the past three years.