AI analytics in the supply chain are revealing something many manufacturing and wholesale leaders have suspected for years: a large share of logistics cost is concealed. In many cases, up to 50% of logistics costs sit outside traditional reporting and KPI dashboards. This article delves into where these hidden costs are located and outlines a five-step plan to address them.
In the fast-paced world of logistics, digital twins in warehouse management are transforming how facilities operate, driving efficiency, safety, sustainability and agility. By bridging the physical and digital worlds, digital twins enable managers to optimize operations and reduce costs. At the same time, they meet the dynamic demands of modern commerce, particularly in e-commerce.
The global aviation sector is under immense pressure to decarbonize, with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the center of this transformation. SAF is rapidly evolving from a niche innovation to a core pillar of aviation’s climate strategy. Why SAF demand accelerates now is due to a convergence of regulatory mandates, climate finance initiatives, and public scrutiny of airline emissions.
The world grapples with the escalating effects of climate change. Companies are increasingly turning to carbon accounting and decarbonization strategies to reduce their environmental footprints. How Carbon Insetting decarbonises value chains today, using innovative tools.
2025 will undoubtedly be filled with surprises and unanticipated turns in the global markets for biofuels. Substantial shifts in the market occurred thanks to the EU’s anti-dumping ruling on Chinese biodiesel, the delay in EUDR enforcement, and a Trump win in the US. Despite these ambiguities, let’s explore 4 reasons that will transform the biofuels markets for the year ahead.
The aviation industry is on the brink of a transformative shift as it strives to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. At the heart of this transition is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). European initiatives are reshaping the aviation industry but financing is critical in realizing these ambitions quickly. But, how to finance aviation’s sustainable future today?
The Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) 2024 report, Innovation Systems Need a Reboot, highlights a growing gap between the prioritization of innovation and companies’ readiness to achieve their goals. But how to get back on track? How to lead the next transformative innovation wave?
As the aviation industry strives to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) has emerged as a promising yet controversial solution. eSAF holds immense potential for decarbonizing the skies. But critics argue it might come at a cost to the industry’s growth and operational viability. Will eSAF make aviation sustainable quickly?
Supply chain disruptions keep on coming, but companies seem to be reducing their efforts to enhance resilience. Research suggests that CEO’s with prior experience in high-level supply chain roles might be the key to building more resilient supply chains and drive better financial results.
Concerns over the credibility of sustainability claims are growing, with a majority of CFOs warning that their industry’s sustainability reporting risks being perceived as greenwashing. At the same time, regulators are out key priorities for scrutiny and CSRD compliance is high on the list. Will CSRD eliminate greenwashing quickly?
As the shipping industry is responsible for around 2-3% of global carbon emissions, its contribution to climate change cannot be ignored. But the global shipping industry finds itself facing substantial challenges as it works to meet ambitious decarbonisation targets. Moody’s has explored this in depth: why can’t shipping decarbonise now?
Aviation is one of the least sustainable and hard to decarbonise activities. It accounts for 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions and has contributed around 4% to global warming to date. Sustainable Airline Fuel (SAF) can reduce emissions upto 80% but will it help decarbonise the aviation industry now?
As businesses face increasing pressure to minimize their ecological footprint, sustainable warehousing offers a compelling pathway to meet regulatory demands and achieve substantial cost savings. But how to implement and improve sustainable warehousing operations? What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?
With growing global complexity in supply chains, companies have recognized that it is not possible to maintain competitiveness on their own. Therefore, outsourcing to third-party supply chain management (SCM) providers is an important strategic tool to focus on their core competencies and access global resources. But how can outsourced SCM create more value?
The Dutch government announced it will organise it’s $1.1bn auction for subsidies to support both investment and operating costs for green hydrogen projects from 15 October to the end of that month. This is important to the success of green hydrogen in the Dutch market but will it be enough?. Or, why Green Hydrogen needs support now.
One of the promising alternatives to fossil fuels is methanol, in which the global shipping industry is investing. Today, 99% of methanol production is based on coal and natural gas. However, DTU (Danish Technical University) scientists have developed a green method for producing biogas-based methanol. Is green methanol on the verge of breakthrough?
The transport and warehousing sector is less productive than in 2015. Dutch productivity growth between 2012 and 2022 was barely half the EU average. Investing in digitization and accelerating the fuel transition are therefore necessary, to improve productivity in the Dutch transport sector.
CSRD will impact over 50.000 companies in the EU. Under the CSRD, companies will need to include detailed ESG data in their annual reports in line with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). How can we make CSRD reporting easier and more robust? Because of its complexity, new software may be needed.
Biomass use is a major opportunity and has three main applications: First, for production of biofuels, second, to develop the bio methane industry, and third, for high temperature processes as steel production. Brazil as a leader in the use of biomass, is well-positioned to become the world’s largest sustainable fuel producer.
Supply chain leaders and Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCOs) are set to benefit from numerous exciting advancements in technology, providing them with opportunities to support new business models, augment and automate decision making, and foster ecosystem collaboration. But what makes Global Supply Chains successful in 2024? What are the main success drivers?
Over 90% of a business’s greenhouse emissions stem from its supply chain network. Managing supply chain sustainability, therefore, is pivotal in reducing the organisation’s carbon footprint. Sustainable supplier management works to identify and mitigate sources of risk throughout the supply base and helps you drive your sustainability efforts.
Even the sturdiest supply chains are vulnerable to seismic shocks, whether due to groundbreaking technological advancements, geopolitical shifts, or global crises. Amid these sources of turbulence, artificial intelligence (AI) can be a game-changer, offering a source of rapid response and sustainable solutions to keep supply chains strong.
In the rapidly evolving world of corporate responsibility, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting has become a cornerstone. With the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), we are witnessing a transformative era in how companies approach ESG reporting. AI and ML in ESG reporting: emerging trends?
Ethical leadership sets the tone for ethical behavior by modeling honesty, fairness, and transparency in actions and decisions. Since long, ethical leadership brings value to supply chain management. Therefore today, supply chain managers are well positioned to fix an ethical leadership vacuum developing across many industries.
Sustainability considerations are now at the top of the corporate agenda for organizations of all sizes. Though data collection and reporting may be the first steps in a company’s journey to improve ESG performance, the value is derived from how that data is analyzed and used to inform strategy. So, how to make ESG compliance your competitive edge?
Midway through another earnings season, the free-fall in C-suite mentions of the movement for environment, social, and governance (ESG) strategies is on pace to plumb new depths. What is going on? Is the term ESG really that controversial?
Financial returns are the number one priority for investors, but they don’t necessarily see ESG practices and financial returns as a trade-off. Morgan Stanly found in its yearly survey among investors. Strong ESG practices can potentially lead to higher returns and make for better longer- term investments.
Global trade of low-carbon hydrogen plays a vital role in driving global decarbonization, especially in transport and heavy industry sectors. However, volumes are currently held back by a variety of reasons. The looming supply shortage of green hydrogen has major global implications to limit the global temperature rise to 2°C.
Logistics, transportation, and supply chain professionals routinely navigate industry trends, challenges and opportunities. While many predict more of the same, additional issues are rising to the forefront. So, new supplychain priorities 2024 but have things really changed?
Global demand for low-carbon hydrogen is predicted to rise steadily. Demand increases are estimated to reach 150 million t by 2030 and 520 million t in 2050 — but this robust growth potential needs policy support and other factors, according to a study by Cleantech Group.
Danish renewable energy company Orsted lost a quarter of its market value Wednesday August 30, after warning of hefty impairments related to three wind projects off the east coast of the U.S., adding further pressure to an industry hit by surging costs and supply delays. Will the wind continue to blow the wrong way for wind energy companies?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a big impact on how companies approach innovation, but are companies achieving big innovation impact from AI? The evidence is mixed. Is using AI to support innovation really achieving impact? It’s more a matter of whether companies are using AI properly and for use cases with the potential to drive real business value.
Locally produced renewable hydrogen will be cheaper than that shipped in from overseas up to 2030, while it may also be cost-competitive with imports piped in from North Africa and European neighbours. However, scenarios that predict a higher overall demand for hydrogen also involve a greater dependency on imports.
The government of the Netherlands plans to host an auction to import green hydrogen or its derivatives at the end of this year or early 2024, backed by €300m ($329m) of subsidies. The tender would be held through Germany’s existing H2Global auction platform, which acts as a middleman between producers and buyers.
Investor developer British Land has secured planning approval for an ultra-low carbon urban logistics hub at Paddington Central in the heart of London. The 12,000 m² facility will provide inbound access to trucks and will facilitate outbound deliveries only via smaller electric vehicles and electric cargo bikes.
Electrolysers powered by nuclear generation capacity could deliver hydrogen — known as pink hydrogen — more cheaply in the United States than green hydrogen facilities hooked up to renewable energy, according to new analysis from French bank Lazard. How energy efficiencies and tax credits stimulate pink hydrogen production in the United States.
Hydrogen is often cited as the energy source of the future, because of its capabilities in providing low-carbon energy, essential to reaching net-zero emissions. Besides hydrogen, green ammonia has also appeared on the scene but what is green ammonia and what benefits does it have compared to green hydrogen? And will green ammonia overtake green hydrogen in the energy transition?
Maersk and IBM have announced they will discontinue their work on their TradeLens blockchain platform. The platform, under development since 2018, will go offline by the end of Q1 next year. But why did TradeLens lose the battle in the container shipping industry?
Last week, the Embassy of Brazil in the Netherlands organised a cachaça tasting event in Rotterdam. The Spirits Business Global Master Award winning Engenho Dom Tapparo cachaça was present at this successful, informal promotion of the famous Brazilian drink in Read more
America’s most prolific marketplace is continuing its push to monopolize its sellers’ entire supply chains. Amazon this week announced a new service that will grant sellers access to its massive warehousing and distribution network. Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) makes the promise Read more
MVAventures’ “BrazilgoingEurope’ is proud to announce that a true Dutch celebrity in the world of high quality spirits: Jan Beek, has decided to include @DomTappro Premium cachaça, 6 years aged in Amburana casks, in his Beek Premium Spirits collection. Cachaça Dom Tapparo Read more
Container lines are using pandemic windfalls to fashion themselves into logistics giants. But their empire building risks a backlash. When French container-shipping giant CMA CGM Group announced a cargo partnership with Air France-KLM last week, the real surprise was its Read more
Shipping congestion at Chinese ports, combined with Russia’s war in Ukraine, risks a one-two punch that threatens to derail the recovery, already buffeted by inflation pressures and headwinds to growth. Is globalisation going back to square one?
Global supply chains have seen unprecedented disruption, and container freight rates are at record highs. Shippers continue to face acute shortages of vessel space, container boxes, warehouse space, intermodal capacity, and labour.
The pandemic has been hugely challenging and disruptive to the business world, but it seems that at least one function has been left smiling: procurement, according to a new UK survey.
2021 was notable for labor challenges and shifts in thinking about employee engagement. Here are some valuable lessons learned on how to attract supply chain talent and increase job satisfaction in 2022.
During three intense days in the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam, Engenho Dom Tapparo was successfully launched in Europe.
In an effort to attract larger shippers, Maersk is expected to announce that it will only handle cargo from direct shippers from 1 November, cutting out freight forwarders.
A shipping industry trade group representing over 80% of the world’s merchant fleet has proposed a bold new plan to help the industry achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050, doubling the ambition of the International Maritime Organization’s target. he Read more
The automotive industry is undergoing the most profound change in its history. Decarbonization, electrification, digital connectivity and a shift to sustainable fuels to power transit are changing the meaning of mobility. After a century of gas-powered vehicles, the entire industry is primed for reinvention, as it seeks to reflect the new era.
Global supply chains are being disrupted, and major players are looking to shift production closer to home. Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is well-placed to take advantage.
For European shippers and forwarders, freight rates continue to rise and are becoming too high. Shippers are now cancelling orders because the freight rates cancel out their margins, which will lead to business problems and significant changes in sourcing approaches. This can only damage shippers, carriers and the economy in general.
Managers need to be digitally literate and understand, more specifically, how digitalisation reshapes the Corporate Responsibility (CR) landscape.
Addressing supply-chain emissions enables many customer-facing companies to impact a volume of emissions several times higher than they could if they were to focus on decarbonizing their own direct operations and power consumption alone.
Shipping and trade groups are calling on the European Union to advance the development of ammonia and green hydrogen as the best marine fuel options to enable the industry to accelerate decarbonisation.
While third-party logistics (3PLs) companies have offered Fulfillment–as–a–Service (FaaS) for years, automation technology vendors are now starting to provide FaaS solutions along with their more traditional technologies, products and services offerings, hence developing new revenue growth opportunities. As the COVID-19 Read more
COVID-19 has been one of the biggest disruptions that the supply chains of consumer products companies and retailers (CPR companies) have ever faced. CPR companies must consider the fact that although the pandemic was, in theory, a one-off shock, this sort of volatility Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, and its effects will last. In a publication by McKinsey, some trends are identified that business leaders should keep in mind as they prepare for the next normal. We look at the most relevant innovation and supply chain developments.
Understanding un-met diversity, equality, and inclusion needs in the world today, demands empathy and honesty—but also action. By creating ways that demonstrate support, by making bold commitments and seeing them through, and by creatively forging partnerships and coalitions, organizations can transform into a change-making force for good.
With the new year starting, it is good to remind us all that one third of the way into our Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) journey, the world is far from being on track to achieve the global Goals by 2030.
December 14, long-time stealth startup Zoox, a company founded by a radical Australian designer and a Stanford roboticist finally unveiled their new design that they feel is not merely the car of the future, but the thing that comes after the car.
Under new goals set by Brussels, by 2030 zero-emission marine vessels will be market-ready with ports in a position to supply the requisite new fuel, and carbon pricing in place to ensure there is a strong uptake of these new vessels.
Leaders of transportation and logistics (T&L) companies need to transition from defense to offense in their approach to climate action.
Despite deliberate efforts, many organizations continue to struggle with achieving a diverse leadership bench. A recent Gartner survey reveals that nearly two-thirds of talent management leaders say 10% or fewer of their organization’s successors are women from diverse racial or Read more
Digital transformation efforts, which are critical during the COVID-19 pandemic and new normal, need some work. Only 30% of digital transformation projects met or exceeded their target value, according to a report from Boston Consulting Group.
‘Brazil going Europe’ provides a comprehensive, low risk market entry solution, supporting Brazilian companies to successfully penetrate the European market.
We need transformational leaders equipped with the right skills, capacities and approaches, who can visualise the future we want, and, in a spirit of aspiration, take firm steps to get us there.
Remember this quote? “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”. This was Albert Einstein’s life advice in a letter to his son Eduard on February 5th, 1930. An advice that we happily and often Read more
In a globalized world, any sustainable supply chain is going to rely on companies, organizations and retailers being able to build positive relationships with their respective suppliers. The social and environmental costs now have to be considered at every tier, Read more
Big data analytics is playing an instrumental role in improving supply chain management. It resolves several pain points at strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Big data is making an impact on all supply chain activities. It ranges from improving delivery Read more
Coming off an 11-year-long period of economic prosperity—and now re-imagining their business models for a post-COVID world—shippers are merging advanced technology tools with “lessons learned” to future-proof their supply chains
In order to reduce emissions from fossil fuels worldwide, an increasing amount of our energy will need to come from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
