Genius of simple

Complexity is easy. Simple is difficult - and genius.

Before containers existed, ships took weeks to load. The process was cumbersome and complex. Then the container in its simplest & most elegant form arrived. Since then, the process of containerized cargo has grown more cumbersome. Complexity adds processes, steps, and cost. The more people added to a project, the greater the risk for complexity.

Complexity is romanticized. The more complex an idea or solution, obviously the person is more intelligent? People celebrate complexity as sophisticated and smart. Complex is too easy to keep adding and requires comprehensive training for customers and staff. Complexity is an endless process to accomplish a basic task.

There is true genius in simplicity. There is genius in cutting out the unnecessary fat & keeping processes to the bare minimum. People think because something is simple, then it must be too low rent. When you call a business and the process is easy, fast, and well... simple, you are never left feeling you just experienced sub-par customer service. Compared to a business where you wade through an endless phone tree, get transferred three times, and need manager intervention just to get the store hours... complexity falls to simplicity.

The maritime and logistics industry is full of complexity - processes, forms, bookings, and more. The fight to keep processes simple for customers has left the sights of legacy steamship lines. Lines have enormous potential to use automation to simplify their customers' lives, but they settle for complexity and mediocracy. Simplicity is worth fighting for, always.