#SUSTAINABLEMOVES What tomorrow will bring As FIDI Focus publishes its third State of the Industry Report, we hear the views of four FIDI 39 Club Board members on the prevalent forces that will affect the future global moving and relocation sector F Jackie Stouffer FIDI 39 Club Vice President IDI Focus has launched its State of the Industry Report 2023. Discussing developments in areas from the impact of COVID and ongoing supply chain challenges to digitalisation and the sustainability agenda, the third edition of this annual publication features opinions from a cross-section of the global mobility industry including the next generation of leaders, whose perspectives will be instrumental in shaping the business in the future. We spoke to four members of FIDIs 39 Club to get their thoughts, some of which feature in the report. On global supply chain crises: Jackie Stouffer, FIDI 39 Club Vice President, of JK Moving Services, says the upheaval caused by recent supply chain challenges has driven change in the business that will benefit it in the long term although competition is becoming stiffer than ever. The supply chain crises have caused disruption in our industry in various and unique ways, she says. The obvious conclusion that many people jump to is that these issues have had an overall negative impact but I disagree. While the costs of a physical move fuel, freight, material and labour are certainly higher, this has played out in various ways relating to overall impact on business. Private individuals are uprooting their lives, paying the cost of an international move to relocate to other countries, where they can now work remotely full-time; while corporate accounts that offer the option of a lump-sum payment or a move are experiencing a growing number of people opting for the company-paid move, to protect themselves from uncertainty. Most importantly, the crises have caused disruption in our industry in the form of innovation. 52 FF309 Mar-May 23 pp52-53 FIDI 39.indd 52 14/03/2023 15:33