1) Introduction
- Agility is one of the world’s leading publicly traded logistics companies.
- It is specialized in emerging markets and demanding environments that provide worldwide services to business, government firms, international institutes, and relief agencies.
- Example: logistics, storeroom, and infrastructure.
- As declared in their official website “Agility is one of the world’s leading providers of integrated logistics with more than 22,000 employees in over 550 offices and 100 countries.”
· Company’s Start and Growth
- Had a vision of going global in the future.
- Started its journey as an ordinary local ware-house in Kuwait, employing and making profits every year.
- Tarek Sultan, being the Chairman and Managing Director, Agility now has grown to be one of the largest logistics not only in the Middle east but also globally, and among the best in the industry.
- As been stated in the company’s official website:
“Agility was established in Kuwait in 1979 and by 2004 grew to be the largest logistics provider in the Middle East. The company pursued an aggressive merger strategy from 2004-2008, acquiring many global brands, some with a history dating back to the 1800s. All acquired firms were unified into a seamless global network under the Agility brand name in 2006.”
- As Agility began growing and expanding they began deeply investing in developing infrastructures that eases their logistic trade and recruiting more employees in different part of the world where their business is flowing.
- Report published by Agility Logistics, in March 2011, Tarek Sultan confirmed:
“We had become an actor in helping bring global products to local markets, but also in helping local products access a global stage.”
- They currently operate in Middle East, Asia, Africa, America, and Europe.
· Line of Business
- Two lines of business that it operates in: Commercial Logistics, and Logistic-Related Business Portfolio.
- “Agility's commercial business, Global Integrated Logistics (GIL), which is headquartered in Switzerland and offers customers ready access to:
· Freight forwarding products: air, sea, sea/air and road freight forwarding
· Logistics capabilities: warehousing and distribution, systems and technology
· Significant Events
- Agility has been involved in many social responsibility events like assisting in disaster relief.
- Example: Earthquake that Japan faced recently; Tsunami and Haiti victims’ relief procedures.
- It also engages in sustainability and community volunteerism.
- Example: Planting trees, globally celebrating Earth Day, building homes in Haiti, raising funds and donations for schools, transporting and distributing food for the poor, etc.
2) Identification and Evaluation
· Mission
- Being capable of assisting trade through innovative supply chain solutions.
· Vision
- To be an innovative leader in logistics.
- Being capable of meeting global trade disputes.
“Agility follows the strategy of integrity, personal ownership, teamwork and excellence.”
- In 2003, Agility got a contract to provide both food and non-food products to the U.S military in Iraq.
- Agility’s revenue exceeded $8.5 billion because of this contract.
- In 2009 it was indicted for overcharging the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) a $60 million over a 41 month period between 2004 and 2007.
- So, the DLA has suspended the company temporarily rather than excluding it from the U.S government contracts.
3) Conclusion and Recommendation
- Agility has won many CSR awards and recognition due to the role that it played to assisting humanity, environment, and its involvement in community in regards to its business code of ethics and integration.
- Personally, working with such a company or even being part of its investors is a sure thing not because of the revenues that the company could make but because of the good deeds and social responsibility that it supports.
- In this way a person will be sure that his/her money, assets, or even organization are all being legally used to help others who are in need and in making their life as well as our lives easier as a whole.
- It is part of our religion “Islam” to help those in need and also if it’s possible to donate some part of our wealth to the poor and needy.
- So, Agility is a good choice especially that it is linked to CSR and aids the well-being of its employees, supports community projects, and fulfills legal obligations.
4) Answers to Discussion Questions
Ans-1)
I think it’s a significant move from Agility to be part of CSR, and as long as the investors involved are aware of and agree upon how and when their money being spent then there is no harm in spending such investors’ money in humanitarian efforts.
Ans-2)
- Yes, in the CSR section, a lot of Agility’s CSR activities are mentioned, since the year it started CSR activities until now.
- The thing that mostly caught my attention on their website is their home page.
- It has a corner section called “Agility Alerts” which shows the latest news about Agility like awards, employee strikes, floods and earthquake news, assistance call, etc. from countries that Agility is involved in.
- Outdated news related to Agility could also be viewed from that section.
Ans-3)
- The company’s policy regarding gifts of any value from anybody in business or will have a business with Agility is prohibited, whether it was on their behalf or on anyone else they know.
- Small monetary gifts are strictly prohibited.
- Employees might accept small non-monetary gifts that are not expensive, but are still discouraged to do so.
- I personally agree with such policies because giving gifts could be seen as an effort to influence an employee into giving out private information or illegal acts in compliance with a third-party or a competitor.
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