Posts Tagged Logistics
Logistics purchasers not expecting a recession in 2012
November 14th, 2011 | Thema: News
Although purchasers of logistics services (shippers) expect less growth in 2012 due to clouded growth prospects they do not expect a recession. Goods transport will reach at least the same transport volumes as in the very good 2011 financial year. In some segments volumes will even increase. This is the central result of the current survey on the 2010 transport market from the Bundesverbandes Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik (BME, or German Association Materials Management Purchasing and Logistics) and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Lörrach. 189 shippers and service providers from industry and retail took part. It is also expected that transport prices will rise next year.
According to the current BME survey, quantities of full load and part load transports can be expected to rise by between 38 and 42 per cent. In general cargo and CEP (courier, express and parcel services) well over half of those questioned even think transport volumes will rise. “Thus the long term trend towards smaller consignment sizes is continuing,” said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas R. Voegele, Member of the BME Management Board and Managing Partner of the ConMoto Consulting Group. Shippers assess the situation more positively than transport and logistics service providers in all sectors. “The difference is particularly serious in groupage freight: 42 per cent of all shippers but only 28 per cent of service providers believe there will be an increase in transport volumes,” continued Voegele.
Job vacancies in German logistics threaten growth
October 24th, 2011 | Thema: News
On the sidelines of the 28th German Logistics Day in Berlin the Bundesvereinigung Logistik (BVL, or German Logistics Association) pointed to the ever growing shortage of highly skilled employees. Too little attention has been paid to this development although it threatens growth and corporate success.
Currently 75 per cent of companies active in the logistics sector are having difficulties staffing unfilled positions properly, according to the results of a survey of BVL member companies. 73 per cent of those surveyed expect to suffer losses in the future as a result of the skills shortage. Not only graduates but also employees with practical vocational education are being sought, partly in vain. 26 per cent of companies reported they could not find enough drivers and deliverers. Specialists with commercial or technical training are also being sought. The job vacancies in the higher qualified segment range from heads of forwarding to heads of logistics. Engineers, IT experts and business administration graduates with a focus on supply chain management are being sought. Purchasing and production departments are also looking for top logistics experts, as are the “classic” roles of sales and distribution.
2011 BME Trendscouting Prize for Sebastian Wölfi
September 19th, 2011 | Thema: Events
from left: jury member Thorsten Meincke; Prof. André Krischke, Munich University of Applied Sciences; winner Sebastian Wölfl; jury member Peter Meyer; jury member Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas R. Voegele - Photo: BME.
The Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik (BME, or German Association Materials Management Purchasing and Logistics) has awarded Sebastian Wölfls bachelor’s degree work with the BME Trendscouting Prize for its “pioneering character and practical orientation”. The BME has rewarded innovative logistics work with this prize since 2007. In 2011 people in employment were also able to participate alongside students for the first time. The BME Trendscouting Prize is supported by the ConMoto Consulting Group. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas R. Voegele, Member of the BME Executive Board and Managing Partner of the ConMoto Consulting Group and other members of the jury presented Wölfl the prize on the occasion of the 8th Network Forum Logistics in Cologne.
The Japanese crisis is just one example of how sensitively global supply chains react to disruptions. As before, in some companies there is great indifference when dealing with risks along the supply chain. Some necessary measures are not initiated or are only done so too late. In his study “Recommendations for action in supply chain risk management”, Sebastian Wölfl (Munich University of Applied Sciences) analysed how companies and suppliers can reduce joint risks by simulating selected scenarios from the consumer goods industry. read more [...]
Logistics sector: Economic situation buoyant, forecasts cautious
September 12th, 2011 | Thema: News
The economic situation in the logistics sector in Germany continues to be buoyant in the third quarter of 2011. This is confirmed by the latest logistics indicator for August, which is regularly worked out by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (ifw) in a survey commissioned by the German Logistics Association (BVL). The indicator for rating the current situation only fell from a level of buoyancy to 152.5 index points, with 100 points representing a normal economic situation. At the same time, though, expectations for the next twelve months show a clearer drop by 15 index points, and so now the overall index is 146.4 points.
The ifw points out that this forecast is less positive both among logistics service providers and in trade and industry, and that the very latest turmoil in the financial markets has not yet been taken into consideration. The German Logistics Association describes the outcome as a sign of the continuing “robust constitution of the logistics sector in Germany”, trade and industry continue to invest and are recruiting, whilst the logistics service providers are satisfied with the utilisation of capacity and orders on the books. That expectations are less positive in an environment of fiscal problems and with turmoil in the stock markets is understandable, the ifw says.
Optimise supply networks with logistics service providers
July 29th, 2011 | Thema: News
by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas R. Voegele
“Forecasts are difficult, especially when they’re about the future” – is a popular one-liner, originally attributed to Mark Twain. Nevertheless: knowledge of future trends and challenges in logistics decisively contributes to companies being able optimally to prepare. This does not involve exact predictions of future developments. Instead, the emphasis is on basing the necessary assessments for all decisions methodically, weighing up risks, recognising opportunities innovatively and deriving a strategic vision for best practice supply network management, which is understood to be a further development of supply chain management.
But what trends can we expect in supply network management over the next few years? In addition to the well known trends, such as global logistics, customer integration, collaboration management (including value creation partnerships), agile/flexible processes and visibility, companies have to adjust to upcoming strategic development trends. These include value based logistics, infrastructure management and financing concepts, network maturity (performance/training, product ramp-up, total cost of ownership), IT integration (logistics IT and telematics solutions) as well as knowledge management and eBusiness. read more [...]