TIAS alumnus nominated for logistics manager of the year

Alumnus Alberdine van Velzen has been nominated for logistics manager of the year. "I hope that I was nominated for boosting sustainability and innovation in the sector. We try and apply all the different modalities as effectively as possible; not just road but also inland shipping and rail."

Image: © Nationale Beeldbank

Why do you think you were nominated for logistics manager of the year?

"I don't know who nominated me, and it will remain a secret after the award. I hope that I was nominated for boosting sustainability and innovation in the sector. I was for example the initiator and project manager of a project that brought together several shippers in a single logistics process. One extraordinary aspect of the project was the different modalities that we chose; not just road transport but also rail and inland shipping. My company is the supply chain director. We try and apply all the modalities as effectively as possible. We know for example, exactly when a maritime ship is arriving and when the shippers want to load or unload the containers. Between the time the maritime vessel arrives and the loading/unloading date at the client, we try and apply the different modalities for the next stage. In this respect the agreed loading or unloading date and time is written in stone. If we know that the ship is going to arrive too late, we switch to a different modality."

Total logistics process

Why did you decide to study the MTL course at TIAS?
"When I completed my HBO in Logistics (higher professional education), I knew that I wanted to study the course. But I also wanted to get married and have a family, so I put it on the back burner for a while. I began studying when my second son was nearly four years old. As soon as the boys were in bed, I would spend my time studying. The system worked well.
What I found particularly useful was that the course related to the total logistics process, from purchasing raw materials to reverse logistics. The combination of theory and practice is very useful. You don't just learn from the coursework but also from the people on the course. During my studies we ended each study module (12 in total) with a visit to a fellow student's company. TIAS encouraged it but it was the group's initiative. For example, following the module about lean management, we visited the Nefit plant that had just made its processes lean.
I completed the MTL course in 2010. We already knew that the course would be accredited, which meant that it qualified for the MSc title. It was confirmed in 2012 and - being a former MTL participant - I followed five modules and wrote a suitable thesis and obtained my MSc in December 2014."

What knowledge do you still apply every day?
"That largely depends on the project that I am working on. I often refer to the books. Today all theory about supply chain management is extremely important. The topics related to supply chain management, network optimization and ICT planning. I now try and apply this knowledge and theory in practice."

The high speed train is suddenly brought to a halt

What did you get out of the course?
"I was a logistics manager when I graduated. The two years I spent studying passed like a high speed train and when they came to an end the train suddenly came to a halt. This meant that I started to think: do I still want to be a logistics manager and if not, what do I want to do? I discussed my ideas with the company's management. The knowledge I had acquired could be applied in my own BV (private limited liability company) that falls under the umbrella of my company. In January 2012, I became managing director of Wayz, a company that aims to boost sustainability and innovation in the logistics sector. So the course led me to set up my own company."