Insights for
Bridging the gap between insight and action
This white paper has been tailored to highlight strategies that can directly benefit .
From managing spot-market price fluctuations to automating dock scheduling and reducing empty runs, discover how digital logistics ecosystems are helping companies across Europe build smarter, greener and more efficient supply chains.
Explore the chapters to see how can turn supply chain complexity into competitive advantage.
Unpredictability is the new normal
Supply chain and logistics leaders and decision makers have learned to expect exceptions. Natural events, conflicts and capricious politicians making sudden norm-altering decisions have made background volatility part of the daily routine for logistics in all verticals. Effective management and mitigation of permanent volatility is fast becoming a key factor separating profit from loss.
That’s the baseline. For the chemical sector, it's even harder. Let’s explain why.
SCENARIO 01 | Consumer/other industries
Consider the transport of a crate of tinned tomatoes. Or beer. Or flatpack furniture.
- Dimensions and handling: Regular
- Safety requirements: No safety requirements beyond standard
- Regular storage, regular pallet loading, transfer to a regular truck of preferred size depending on shipment characteristics
- Transport journey: regular transport journey to regular dock at destination
- Exceptions: occasional due to unpredictability
Sound logistics, planned and executed well and deploying state-of-the-art technology, will result in a happy customer.
SCENARIO 02 | Chemical goods
Now consider the transport of a wide spectrum of chemical goods.
- Dimensions and handling: Some goods require a bulk truck, and some a tanker. Requirements in terms of equipment and human resource also vary.
- Safety requirements: Additional safety requirements applied to the storage and handling of chemicals
- Transport journey: different timing and rule requirements at the load/unload dock
- Exceptions: common, due to unpredictability
When multiple transports are due at the same destination and the same day, there's a lot to plan and execute, and plenty of potential for delay and confusion.
The challenge is doubled. The chemical sector must attempt to plan and execute perfect logistics in an age of near-permanent external crisis, simultaneously tackling a suite of specific requirements unique to itself.
When circumstances do not permit these necessities to be met, resilience and profit begin to crumble. And that’s not all. Without proper support tools, vital customer service and communication will also suffer. When they wither, trust goes the same way.
Customers rightly demand information about their shipments against moving deadlines. They want to be able to talk to anyone in the network at any time and receive fully reliable, real-time information.
Unpredictability really is the new normal. During the uncertainty of the Covid pandemic, Dow used its network real-time visibility technology to help our teams confirm rumours immediately about which borders were open and which were closed.
— Kiona Leeraert, Logistics Leader, Digitalisation, Improvement and Analytics, Dow
