SCM

Geopolitical tensions, new legislation, cyberattacks or natural disasters – global supply chains are constantly exposed to new challenges and risks. A company’s ability to respond effectively to unforeseen events often determines its long-term success. Since the Covid-19-pandemic at the latest, it has become clear that within a supply chain context, resilience is not a luxury, but a necessity for any forward-looking company. In this article, we present five strategies that can be applied to increase the resilience of supply chains.

Digitization plays a key role in making supply chains more secure: This view is held by more than two thirds of a total of 150 logistics managers at German companies that have been surveyed for the 20th Hermes Barometer "Risk Management along the Supply Chain". After all, the use of advanced technologies supports data collection and analysis – and therefore plays a key role in risk analysis and management.

As the volume of global trade increases, so does the environmental impact associated with the transportation of goods over long distances. Sustainable practices in cross-border logistics are therefore becoming increasingly important in Freight Forwarding: they are not only crucial for reducing CO2 emissions, but also for ensuring a sustainable global supply chain in the long term. In our blog article, we present various ways in which companies can act more sustainably in the international movement of goods.

In our global economy, the management of complex supply chains is crucial to a company’s success. The Supply Chain Operation Reference Model (SCOR model) provides a comprehensive framework for this matter and aims to improve supply chain performance: SCOR was developed by the global non-profit organization Supply Chain Counsil (SCC) and is used worldwide to review and optimize supply chain performance. We explain which parameters the model uses, how it supports strategic risk management and what challenges can arise during implementation.

New legal regulations, geopolitical tensions, digitalization – companies with global supply chains are exposed to multifactorial events. In order to avoid disruptions or failures along the supply chain, they are well advised to proactively develop strategies that enable them to adapt quickly to changing conditions. The study "Supply Chain Plans 2024" conducted by Software Advice explores how specific approaches to strengthening resilience could work. We have summarized the most important results for you.

In order to meet the ever-changing requirements of international goods movements, companies must constantly improve and develop their logistics and transportation strategies. Real-time monitoring and integrative aspects are becoming increasingly important in the context, as digital solutions are essential for managing physical goods. The trend towards Smart Logistics is likely to gain further momentum in the coming years: According to recent studies many companies are planning to maintain or increase their investments in the digitalization of logistics by 2026. In our latest article on the blog, we discuss how companies are benefiting from the use of digital technologies such as transportation management, collaborative platforms and artificial intelligence.

Effective supply chain management is a key concern for all companies operating in a global business environment. Push and pull strategies form the backbone of supply chain management and determine how companies manufacture, store and deliver their products to customers. But how do managers find the right balance between supply and demand to avoid risks and remain flexible at the same time? We discuss the difference between push and pull strategies and why ever more companies are adopting a hybrid approach.

In view of increasing legal requirements, sanction regulations and heightened public interest, companies are strategically strengthening their focus on sustainability. Under the Supply Chain Act or the new EU CSR Directive, it is therefore not just a matter of a company’s direct environmental impact, but also of Scope 3, i.e. the indirect emissions along the supply chain. Hence, if companies seek to achieve a net-zero objective, their efforts to reduce emissions must also focus on Scope 3. We discuss how environmental aspects can be integrated into the SCM strategy in order to advance the decarbonization of the entire value creation process.

Supply chain management encompasses all the steps involved in delivering a product or service from production to the end consumer. The longer and more complex a global supply chain is, the greater the risk of disruption between the extraction of raw materials and the point of sale (POS). So how can companies set up to be as resilient as possible in order to respond to volatile consumer behavior and rapidly changing economic conditions? In our latest article on the blog, we discuss the Lean and Agile models for supply chain management and explain how companies can benefit from the advantages of both strategies with a hybrid approach.

In the globalized business world, supply chain optimization is crucially important for companies. The focus has shifted significantly in recent years: instead of concentrating exclusively on raising internal efficiency, meeting customer expectations is increasingly becoming the focus of strategic corporate alignment. Nowadays, customers appreciate being able to trace the route and origin of goods in order to make fact-based decisions about their purchases. In our blog article, we explain how real-time transparency in supply chain management (SCM) can help to significantly improve the customer experience.