Dear Colleagues

OMA is a company I have known and been associated with for a number of years. I have followed the journey of the company with great interest and it makes me immensely proud to be part of team OMA today.

The organisation has grown in maturity and skill-set, which has been due, in part, to working with some of the largest companies in the logistics, energy & shipping sectors. This enables us to look forward to a future filled with optimism and confidence, to develop & grow not only our services, but also our footprint in West Africa and further afield.

At OMA Logistics we have solid business foundations which we can build upon. We have a wealth of logistics knowledge and experience to share, which will stand us in good stead as we open our minds to new ideas and potential opportunities. It is important that we understand our markets first to set the strategic goals we will follow short and long term.

Generally, OMA Logistics has been a recipient of business, with our growth dependent upon the performance of agents.  Some agents have grown their business in parallel with us, and this has been gratifying to witness. What we will see in the future, however, is the shift from agent to partner relationships based on geographical footprint and/or products or verticals. This will enable us to differentiate ourselves and build up a solid logistics customer portfolio that will also bring value to our partners.

The world is moving at an abnormally fast pace and technology routinely impacts our daily lives.  It is very important we embrace these changes, lead the way and become early adopters to ensure our logistics business benefits as quickly as possible. At the same time, fortunately, we operate on a continent where relationships still matter.  We must therefore continue to develop close relationships with people who are at the heart of everything we do, whether they be colleagues, customers, partners, suppliers, or other business associates.

Historically, OMA logistics positioned itself strategically in West Africa and this has served us well. However, we need to continue to grow & expand our network and hence be able to offer services, based on a wider geographical scope, to those customers who are now demanding this. We see examples of customer organisations becoming more and more centralised and as they do so, the more they will depend on good logistics partners to provide the local knowledge and expertise they require on the ground.

Looking to the future, the development of our logistics business will include product enhancement and the desire to provide exceptional service delivery locally. Freight management is of particular interest for example. We will also start upscaling our product offerings to include end-to-end solutions, adding value for our customers when and wherever possible. At the same time, pro-active credit control will become more important than ever. In logistics, CASH IS KING !

I truly believe we can create a winning combination in logistics as we learn and interact more closely with each other. We need to keep an open mind about learning new skills and techniques. Based on feedback from all levels within each affiliate, we have looked at how to standardise the way we interact with customers and “sell” the “OMA” way and the Sales Process workshop was a good testimony to that.  At OMA Logistics, we have talented colleagues who are always eager to learn new ideas, share best practices and provide mentoring to colleagues who are new to the company. This is critical.

We will continue with our regular telephone and video calls to discuss all aspects of our logistics business. I do however look forward very much to regular meetings, very soon, when we can all meet again face to face. Until then, please take good care of yourselves and your dear ones, stay safe and keep well.

With best wishes

Samad