The design of supply chain networks is a common task for suppliers, manufacturers and retailers to meet customer requirements. Although the customer should always be in the focus of strategic business decisions, several megatrends have a huge impact on the design of global logistics networks. Four of them can be described as follows:
1. Globalisation of production and commercial transport
The main influences on supply chains are an increased degree of competition and complexity, global risks along the supply chain, currency risks, a large variety of different cultures as well as the need for standardization.
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| Megatrend Map |
Consequences are the reduction of physical handling, the growth of non-physical services as well as a stronger focus on customer requirements.
3. On Demand world and accelerated work cycles
The results can be seen in the reduction of product lifecycles, a time-based competition and the reduction of depth of production. A very well known example is the automotive industry.
4. Ecological sensibility
More and more customers are interested in the ecological impact of their buying decisions. Therefore, carbon footprints provide information concerning the product-related CO2 emissions. This leads to the design of extended supply chains containing reverse logistics solutions as well as closed-loop supply chains to reuse valuable resources.
How will these trends change the traditional tasks of logistics and how will they affect the design of future supply chains? To make it clear, logistics is much more than transportation and warehousing. Supply chain management provides products, services and information that add value for customers and stakeholders.
Trends 5-8 will follow soon...
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