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Striving for security of supply

In the recent past, supply chains have proven increasingly fragile and at risk. The reasons are manifold. To counteract this, companies are taking far-reaching measures. What these look like and how DACHSER can manage complex supply chains against this backdrop are the thoughts of CEO Burkhard Eling.

The past 18 months have laid bare some of the weak points in the global economic system: just-in-time with lean warehousing, the focus on individual manufacturing sites in Asia, and the one-sided concern with efficiency and costs—all relied on structures that proved too fragile and too susceptible to disruption.

Companies have now analyzed their supply chains and are taking concrete action, such as expanding their warehouse capacity in Europe and the US, decentralizing production, and obtaining raw materials and intermediate products from multiple suppliers. In short, they are striving for security of supply. But that does not imply a shift to de-globalization. Supply chains will remain global, but they will become more complex.

Finding solutions even under difficult conditions

At DACHSER, we have no trouble managing complex supply chains; in fact, it’s our core expertise. We’re able to offer solutions that work even under difficult circumstances, which explains our continued success in the first six months of 2022. But prospects are dim: enormous cost increases in almost all areas will stifle demand and, as a consequence, significantly slow the current growth momentum.

We are already hard at work preparing for this scenario. For instance, we’re investing in digitalization and automation to make supply chains more efficient and more transparent. But we’re also investing in the people at DACHSER. After all, digital skills at all levels of the company will decide our success in the future.