If we learned anything from the supply chain crisis during the early 2020s, it is that the unexpected can and will happen. Businesses struggle and also thrive in adversity, but there are some things we can do to ensure we are as ready as we can be for when conditions shift suddenly.
With a special focus on transport between China and Europe, Ziegler Group is supporting our customers with their individual challenges and advising them on opportunities to make the most of supply chain disruptions – both now and future.
Here are some ways Ziegler Group is looking at our own ways of doing business, as well as advising our customers.
With goods stuck in ports for weeks and container costs skyrocketing, if companies continue old patterns of business, they will have no choice but to let the current disruptions dictate their timetables and costs.
Rail freight from China to Europe is relatively new and seriously underrated still, in spite of offering faster transit times and similar pricing compared with sea freight. Ziegler Group is helping many customers both large and small to diversify their transport to maximize speed for high value goods with tight deadlines and low cost for low value goods.
But by diversifying your transport methods, you can help alleviate some of these effects, both now and into the future.
Consider opportunities previously overlooked to source goods locally, and retain the flexibility to order from afar or close by as situations further develop in the near and long future.
Not only can this strengthen your own resilience, but also create positive conditions and incentives for other businesses to grow locally, which benefits communities and provides jobs.
Evaluate your business and recognize vulnerabilities that could have negative impacts if conditions shift unexpectedly.
Make a plan and involve third-party consultants to bring in the necessary knowledge and experience to put your business in a more flexible position to adapt to sudden changes.
Today’s consumers are more aware of the impact their purchases have on the environment, and that will continue to grow in importance in their decisions about the companies they work with.
Look for ways to invest in sustainable best practices and transport methods that will reduce your environmental footprint and increase consumer confidence that their goods are contributing to adverse environmental impact.
For goods coming from China to Europe, rail freight is the most sustainable transport method available, not to mention the most cost effective. so as a part of Ziegler Group’s own ‘Ziegler. Now Even Greener’ programme, we are encouraging customers to consider rail freight as an option.
Consider talking to a Ziegler Group transport specialist about your unique challenges and how you can diversify and future-proof your supply chain.
