No less than the President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, brands domestic helpers from the Philippines as supermaids, a term, they, indeed, so richly deserve. These domestic helpers have, for years, endured the loneliness and pain of being far away from home in order to be able to give their families a better life. Because of this, they have been well appreciated and admired by people all over the world. Domestic helpers are famous for their being good workers. Dedicated and loyal, it is not uncommon for wealthy families abroad to hire Filipino maids. In fact, many foreigners would rather prefer Filipina maids to maids from other nationalities because Filipina maids can come up with work that is of higher quality. They seem to be tireless and to never run out of energy. They are versatile workers, too. They can work from sun up to sun down, doing a variety of chores, such as cooking, babysitting, housekeeping, caregiving, and the like. They were formerly known as DH - short cut for domestic helpers. Now, these domestic helpers from the Philippines, as initiated by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, are now called supermaids. Indeed, their new title fits their superhero-like prowess.Just like Super Man and other superheroes, these domestic helpers from the Philippines seem to showcase titan-like energy. They can do house chores before the sun rises and rest close or after the midnight. They are all around. They can be housekeepers, cooks, baby sitters, and care givers. Just name it, and a Filipina will never say no. Domestic helpers are the Philippine's pride anywhere they go; they are never a disappointment. In many countries, it is considered a great achievement to have a Filipino maid in one's abode. Further, they are found to be full of life and bursting with enthusiasm, even if they are assigned to do some dirty jobs. They seldom ever complain, and they can work for very long hours from dawn to midnight. Moreover, they can do a multitude of tasks, from babysitting, caregiving, cooking, and doing household chores. Because of these traits, they are very much admired not only by their foreign employers, but by almost everyone around the world. Another skill that these domestic helpers from the Philippines have is their ability to communicate in English. They can speak and understand English fairly better than maids from other countries. For this reason, communicating with their foreign employers does not become a hindrance to the quality of service that they render. It is without a doubt that domestic helpers from the Philippines are wanted by employers from foreign countries. In England, for example, they are the preferred choice of servants by the rich, including royal families and wealthy businessmen. In the United States and elsewhere, there is a seemingly huge demand for domestic helpers from the Philippines. Filipina maids have sterling records when it comes to their dedication and quality of work, and these records have remained unstained up to this very day.
A successful business needs to understand the needs and wants of its target market, and crucially, it needs to be able to meet those demands quickly and effectively. It is here that logistics play a crucial role. The link between the operating activity of a business and its market, an efficient logistics process requires a combination of strategic planning, inter-departmental, and indeed inter-business cooperation, and a healthy dose of common sense. It is about ensuring that the business has a steady inflow of the goods (and services) it needs to be productive and further, it is about ensuring that this product gets to the right place at the right time.
Consumers want what they want when they want it. Whether these consumers are end-users or other businesses along the supply chain, providing the right goods at the right place at the right time is as important as the quality and cost of those goods.
The evolution of supply and distribution systems
When one compares the operations of a modern-day business involved in the supply and distribution of goods to the operations of its forebears, it's clear that there's been a trend towards a more demand-centric approach.
Years ago, the world of distribution favoured an inventory-heavy model, where supply was provided according to production potential. With limited information available around the specifics and chronology of demand, inventories provided for a way to smooth the gaps.
More and more we find businesses moving away from this model, towards a more demand-focussed model. With major advances having been made in the fields of information flow systems and supply chain management solutions providing a better way to synchronise demand and supply, there's been a priority shift in the logistical systems.
Supply-chain management solutions
Efficient supply chain management systems need to be reliable and dependable, yet retain enough flexibility to meet the evolving needs of business. With a decreasing reliance on inventories, the timeous provision of information becomes critical. When the nature of a company's business involves a measure of global reach, collaboration with global partners is essential to ensure there are no "weak links" in the chain. The globalisation of business activities has narrowed the gaps between links in the supply chain and simultaneously extended its reach.
Transportation logistics
With an increased reliance on circulating inventories, transportation infrastructure becomes a dominant factor, Consistent predictability is a prerequisite for reliable planning. With a more complex supply chain, transport logistics have had to continually evolve to keep pace.
Electronic information systems
Information provision needs to be timeous and accurate. Effective technology use helps to make the dissemination of information seamless, promoting ease of access.
Inventory management
While the role of inventories seems to be in decline in comparison to to transport and information infrastructure, smaller inventories both necessitate and encourage a more effiecient system. Crucially, inventory has become less of a static component, making its management function far more challenging.
Of course, it is not only in the realm of business that logistics are vital. For centuries armies have known all about the importance of logistics. Ask the Romans, ask the Greeks, ask the US soldiers in Iraq today. Even the animal kingdom is well-aware of the importance of logistics. Ants, as a species, would never be as successful as they are were it not for their ability to co-operate as effectively as they do. If we are to take any lessons from their example, it should be clear that collaboration is vital to getting the various links in the chain to work together. This co-operation furthermore allows for continous refinement to the system as a whole and its various intricacies.
Both Alice Sy & Damian Burke are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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