Study: Global Flexibility and environmentally-friendly Production are Success Factors for Logistics Firms

TU Berlin identifies future demands facing providers of logistical services

News Item Entered: Thursday, October 16, 2008

(Berlin, October 16, 2008) The Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), together with DB Schenker, presented the results of its study entitled Global Logistics 2015+ in Berlin today. The study shows how industrial and trading companies are dealing with the internationalization of logistics, the management of flexibility and sustainability in the logistics sector, and the requirements that these developments will bring with them for providers of logistical services.

“Manufacturing companies’ global value creation networks are becoming increasingly complex and require faster decisions. The trend towards outsourcing major portions of the value creation process remains unbroken”, said Prof. Frank Straube, Head of the Logistics Department at the Institute for Technology and Management at the TU Berlin. “Customers expect their service providers to offer suitable solutions and be highly flexible. Vendors who best meet these demands will have decisive competitive advantages in the future.”

The study clearly shows that logistics firms should manage their transport networks on a global basis and implement environmentally-friendly solutions. According to the study, crucial factors for the future success are qualified employees who are also mobile, uniform worldwide standards, and being highly competent in proprietary IT and innovative technologies like RFID. In addition, proactive advisory services and service optimization are becoming more and more important. Logistics providers need to further expand their competencies in these areas. That gives them the opportunity to be involved in the end-to-end control of customer networks,” said Prof. Straube.

“The study confirms our strategy. We have the advantage of being the only company in our industry that can draw upon its own networks for all modes of transportation, and can then link them up”, said Dr. Norbert Bensel, who as head of DB Schenker is the member of the Management Board of DB Mobility Logistics AG responsible for the Transportation and Logistics division. “Contract logistics plays a key role in this. Due to our geographic presence and size, we have good prerequisites needed to actively participate in growth here.” Globally standardized customer solutions that can be adapted to meet individual needs form the central requirement for mastering complex processes around the world. “DB Schenker offers forward-looking solutions here that can be smoothly integrated into the customer’s processes”, added Bensel.

DB Schenker takes its responsibility vis-à-vis the environment very seriously. “Sustainability is firmly anchored in our corporate philosophy”, said Ben¬sel. DB Schenker links the rail, truck, ship and plane modes of transportation in a comprehensive and resource-saving way by optimally combining the particularly environmentally-friendly rail and ship modes of transport with the others. This way DB Schenker, running more than 5,000 freight trains every day, reduces the amount of CO2 emitted by over 4.4 million tons annually.

The study was developed by the Innovation Center for Transport and Logistics at the TU Berlin. Over 100 decision-makers at the world’s leading companies in five industries were asked about current trends and expected trends in 2015. The Innovation Center was jointly founded by DB Schenker and TU Berlin. DB Schenker provides financial support for the Innovations Center.

The Study ist available on the website of the TU Berlin (www.logistik.tu-berlin.de).