Trade & Supply Chains — From Sourcing to Last-Mile, People at the Core
Design supply chains that move product fast and safely—while staying compliant and audit-ready. This page covers sourcing & vendor strategy, free zones & customs, ports & logistics, warehousing & inventory, workforce planning, WPS/RTW & OSH compliance, cybersecurity & data analytics, and resilience & risk—interlinked with Cross-Border Hiring (EOR/PEO), Immigration & RTW, OSH, Cybersecurity, Data & AI, and Salary Trends.
Sourcing & Vendor Strategy
Balance cost, speed and resilience with a multi-supplier strategy. Use transparent SLAs and scorecards that include OSH performance, WPS/RTW compliance and cyber maturity—not just price.
Vendor selection
- Licensing & capacity proofs, audited financials, corridor experience (BD→GCC).
- Quality systems (HACCP/ISO for food, GMP for pharma, EHS for logistics).
- Welfare: camps, transport safety, grievance channels, heat-stress plans.
Scorecards & governance
- OTIF, damage %, returns, CAPA aging, audit findings and repeat non-conformance.
- WPS parity, training rosters, incident rates; data privacy & cyber controls.
- Quarterly business reviews with improvement plans and exit triggers.
HR Audits & Controls →
Vendor evidence packs and reconciliation trails.
Free Zones, Customs & Trade Routes
Choose the right hub for import, value-add and re-export. Many teams use hybrid footprints—free zone for regional distribution and mainland entity for local sales/services.
Free-zone hubs
Fast clearance, bonded warehousing, regional distribution licenses and simplified re-export flows. Align with your sector (e.g., JAFZA, KIZAD, KAEC, SOHAR Freezone).
Customs & rules of origin
Preferential tariffs depend on documentation and origin rules. Set a document checklist and keep audit-ready trails.
Trade lanes
BD ports ↔ GCC ports/air: time vs cost trade-offs, cold-chain integrity, and seasonal demand planning.
Ports, Transport & Logistics
Ports and last-mile are where delays and safety incidents cluster. Treat transport safety and dock/yard coordination as high-risk operations.
Transport readiness
- Fleet checks: seatbelts for all, telematics, first-aid, extinguishers, triangles.
- Driver licensing/fitness, fatigue rules, night driving limits, weather/heat adjustments.
- Route risk mapping, port slot bookings, live ETA alerts to sites/stores.
Dock/yard & last-mile
- Forklift-pedestrian separation, speed limits, banksman/spotters, racking safety.
- Delivery windows, POD capture, returns handling, reverse logistics lanes.
- 3PL SOPs: induction, supervision ratios and permit-to-work for hot works.
OSH →
RAMS, heat-stress, permits and incident CAPA.
Cybersecurity →
Secure telematics and transport documents; phishing-resistant MFA.
Warehousing, Inventory & Cold Chain
Design storage around flow and safety. For food/pharma, hold the cold chain with monitored handoffs and escalation rules.
Layout & flow
Fast movers near docks, one-way aisles, pick-to-light or RF, cycle counts and damage reduction targets.
Cold chain
Temperature loggers, door discipline, thermal packaging and exception alerts to dispatch and QA.
Inventory health
Days of supply, aged inventory heatmaps, expiry risk, write-off prevention and vendor returns processes.
Workforce Planning & Supervisors
Supply chains run on skilled supervisors and safe drivers. Build shifts, rosters and allowances that match volumes and weather.
Planning
- Forecast volumes, set crew sizes by hour/zone; cross-train for peak swaps.
- Supervisor academy: safety coaching, conflict resolution, KPI ownership.
- Talent pipeline from Bangladesh trades and GCC localization targets.
Pay & retention
- City/zone bands + shift/heat/site allowances; bonus on OTIF, shrink and safety.
- Stable rosters, fair OT, accommodation standards and clean transport.
- 90-day retention tracking; internal mobility to specialist roles.
Salary Trends & Hiring Implications →
Bands and allowances for logistics roles.
Talent Acquisition Technology →
Structured JDs, skills tests and offer-to-join orchestration.
Cross-Border Hiring →
EOR vs entity, visas/RTW, and onboarding at speed.
Compliance: WPS, RTW & OSH
Clients increasingly ask for proof, not promises. Keep your evidence pack ready at all times.
- WPS & payroll: contract ↔ HRIS ↔ T&A ↔ bank proofs aligned; wage slips issued; exceptions closed.
- RTW: document completeness, renewal calendars, dependent rules, transfer gates.
- OSH: RAMS library, permits, toolbox talks, incident logs, transport & camp inspections with CAPA.
HR Audits & Controls →
Evidence packs and quarterly internal audits.
Immigration & RTW →
Permit gates tied to onboarding and payroll eligibility.
Cybersecurity & Data Integrity
Logistics is a prime target for phishing and ransomware. Protect transport files, WMS/TMS, and payroll/RTW integrations.
- MFA/RBAC, PAM for admins; DLP on waybills, invoices, wage files and IDs.
- SIEM alerts on data exfiltration, suspicious login patterns and payroll anomalies.
- Backups with immutable storage; tested restores; vendor breach SLAs.
Cybersecurity →
Zero-trust identity, vendor risk and incident response.
Data & AI: Forecasts, Routes & Risk
Use analytics to predict demand, schedule crews and prevent failures before they hit the dock.
Forecast & optimize
- Headcount forecasts by lane/site; roster optimization by demand and heat index.
- Route planning with live traffic/port queues; dwell time reduction.
- Inventory health: DOS, expiry, slow movers; automated purchase triggers.
Detect & prevent
- Anomalies in payroll/WPS and transport expenses; fraud and duplicate payments.
- Heat-stress risk alerts cross-referenced to shift plans and incidents.
- Vendor risk models combining audits, incident history and CAPA aging.
Data & AI →
SSOT, dashboards and anomaly detection.
OSH →
Incident trends, permits and toolbox integration.
Localization & Supplier Development
Meet national participation goals while keeping performance high. Build supplier capability with audits, training and incentives.
- Localization targets by job family (drivers, warehouse, supervisors); academy for first-line leaders.
- Supplier training on WPS/RTW parity, OSH and data privacy; quarterly certifications.
- Contract incentives for OTIF, safety and data quality improvements.
HR Trends in Local Companies →
Supervisor academies and culture programs that retain national talent.
Resilience, Continuity & Insurance
Design for disruption: port congestion, extreme heat, IT incidents or supplier failure.
Continuity plans
Alternate ports and lanes, emergency transport capacity, manual pick/pack SOPs, offline RTW & payroll protocols.
Financial protection
Cargo insurance scope, business interruption triggers, credit insurance for key buyers, and claims documentation.
Testing & drills
Quarterly tabletop exercises (heatwave/port strike/ransomware) with action trackers and CAPA reviews.
90-Day Mobilization + 12-Month Scale
First 90 days
- Confirm hubs (free zone/mainland), lanes and 3PLs; publish SOPs.
- Stand up RTW/WPS dashboards; transport & camp inspection cadence.
- Recruit & train supervisors/drivers; TA tech for offer-to-join speed.
12-month plan
- Vendor development program; quarterly audits and incentives.
- Data & AI forecasting, route optimization and anomaly detection.
- BCP drills, cyber tabletop and insurance optimization review.
Related Insight Library
Immigration & Right-to-Work
Permit gates and renewal calendars aligned to dispatch plans.
HR Audits & Controls
Evidence packs for clients and regulators.
Cybersecurity
Secure WMS/TMS, payroll rails and vendor access.
Data & AI
Forecasting, route optimization and anomaly alerts.
Salary Trends & Hiring Implications
Bands & allowances for logistics and cold-chain roles.
Talent Acquisition Technology
Structured JDs, assessments and join-time SLAs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which GCC free-zone or mainland setup is better for distribution?
Free zones can speed import/re-export with bonded warehousing and tax/customs efficiencies. Mainland often simplifies in-country sales and public tenders. A hybrid model—free zone DC plus mainland sales entity—gives speed and local compliance.
What are the most common logistics workforce risks?
Heat exposure, night driving, forklift & pedestrian interactions, manual handling, racking stability and subcontractor supervision. Use RAMS, training, telematics, seatbelt enforcement and quarterly camp/transport audits to reduce risk.
How do we make supply chains audit-ready for clients?
Align WPS/RTW parity; maintain OSH evidence (permits, toolbox, inspections); track training; keep vendor audits & CAPA; and preserve data trails from PO to POD with reconciled inventory counts.
Where does Data & AI deliver fastest ROI in supply chains?
Demand forecasting, route & shift optimization, inventory health, anomaly detection in WPS/payroll, and real-time alerts for delays, heat-stress and safety exceptions.
Move goods faster — with safety, compliance and proof
ManpowerHR designs corridor-ready supply chains across GCC and Bangladesh—free-zone strategy, 3PL governance, workforce plans, WPS/RTW & OSH compliance, cyber hardening and Data & AI dashboards with audit-ready evidence packs.
Talk to ManpowerHR