Changes Magazine

Resilience through collaboration

changes #2/24

The doorway to world trade: Containers are used to transport just about every kind of freight. Flour, televisions, bananas, components for measuring technology – anything is possible. The art of stable supply chains is demonstrated by containers that arrive punctually and deliver precisely what was ordered – a challenge for companies in times of pandemic-related shutdowns, blocked waterways and geopolitical conflicts.

Closed borders and blocked sea routes, raw material scarcity and destroyed factories: Their impacts on global supply chains bear witness to just how complex and volatile our world has become in recent times. For many years, supply chains have been the conveyor belt for a global economy based on efficiency through division of labor. But their problems are growing in frequency and intensity. And even small hiccups can quickly build into major disruptions along the chain. The new goal is therefore resilience, alongside efficiency and flexibility. Many companies in the process industry are working flat out to redesign their supply chains for reduced susceptibility to disruption. The aim is to identify bottlenecks earlier and better compensate for them. What this requires above all is transparency – about inventories, consumption, and the flow of goods and materials. Real-time information and forecasts help companies take fast action and avoid losses. Transparency has been our métier for more than 70 years: Our field instruments deliver valuable insights everywhere raw materials or products are stored, transferred or distributed. That enables our customers to make better decisions. With digitalization, the data is readily accessible everywhere and may be linked and analyzed in a number of different ways. In addition, new technologies are facilitating the automation of more and more applications. But to make our supply chains future-proof, technology alone won’t suffice. More than ever, people are becoming the key factor. Because it is people who turn business into a relationship, grow trust and develop partnerships. That is why reliable supply chains thrive on collaboration. All the more so if we don’t want to stop at resilience but drive onward to sustainability and a circular economy.

Reliable supply chains thrive on collaboration.

An enjoyable read awaits!

Dr Peter Selders CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group

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