Transport logistics

Portrait of Philipp Oemler

Transport logistics on land, by air or sea is one of the most exciting industries for me. There is hardly any other industry in which companies are constantly faced with the challenge of having to adapt to new challenges in order to remain successful.

Philipp Oemler

Philipp Oemler

Managing Director

An industry in a permanent state of flux

Transport logistics regularly faces new challenges. The industry is characterized by competitive pressure (e.g. through emergence of new digital competitors), cyclical fluctuations in customer demand and cost base, increasing skills shortages, and ever-changing regulatory changes.

We support our clients in maintaining an overview of this complex mix, addressing the right strategic issues and implementing performance improvements.

Current situation in the industry

01

Optimize the way of working

In the fragmented transport logistics sector, with its multitude of market participants and segments, there has been intense competitive pressure and cut-throat competition for years. Digital start-ups, tech companies like Amazon, and growing large fleets are entering the market alongside established players. Digital challengers are challenging established ways of working and standards and offering significant advantages in terms of transparency and pricing. Existing medium-sized companies must find answers to this by adapting their range of services, optimizing processes and becoming more digital. In extreme cases, the business model requires (re-)adjustment in which the company changes from an organizer to an operator.

An important pillar for ensuring sustainable competitiveness is the development of digital competencies coupled with a convincing strategic concept. We help to develop and implement the right strategic responses to keep pace with changing market conditions.

Gero Güllmeister

Gero Güllmeister

Partner
02

Volatile industry and cost development

The COVID-19-pandemic has shaken global supply chains while stimulating global demand for cargo space. Considering recent years of crisis in container shipping (2009-20), the market is experiencing an upswing since 2021. But, of course, nothing stays forever. As a result of the pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, it is expected that flows of goods will shift away from established routes and that sustained cost increases for energy and personnel will manifest themselves. To stay on top of this volatile situation, companies need a high level of in- and external transparency in order to respond to these changes.

We enhance transparency in order to identify trends at an early stage and change the market strategy or tap new revenue streams.

Stefan Janke

Stefan Janke

Managing Director
03

Operating sustainably in a regulated environment

Every year, numerous regulatory requirements roll in on the industry – currently, for example, as part of the EU mobility package around the working conditions of drivers, which makes fleet operations more complex. In addition, there are political requirements for "green logistics" such as strict CO2 emission targets and the emergence of new drive technologies. Many medium-sized and large transport and logistics companies have already set themselves sustainability targets and are acting differently – for example, by transferring goods transports to rail (e.g. by using the rail network). However, there is often a lack of reliable figures on emissions and the measures often appear unambitious. In the medium term, this represents a business risk, as a growing proportion of customers are demanding greater optimization of emissions in the actual processes in order to ensure meeting (new) sustainability goals along the supply chain – and are selecting partners accordingly.

We know the specific regulatory challenges. To this end, we consider all factors and develop individual options for action for our global customers.

Philipp Oemler

Philipp Oemler

Managing Director

Success Stories

Challenges & Solutions

A look at the details – how we support our clients

Expert Interview

Who can last in the logistics sector, Philipp Oemler?

What changes are currently shaping transport logistics?

The logistics sector is always a pioneer in technological development. This currently applies to digitization, because in the industry there are high requirements such as "same day delivery" and "real-time status", which can hardly be performed without a digitized process. On the other hand, it has always been the case that transport processes hardly have a unique selling proposition, as many providers essentially do the same thing. In this respect, they either have to serve a niche or benefit from particularly efficient processes in the case of a broad range of products and services – which, however, would again have a negative impact on the innovation or Internationalization pressure increased.

How would you describe the level of digitization of transport companies in general?

It varies a lot. On the one hand, there are companies with a completely digitalized business model. At the other end of the scale, we see small resp. medium-sized companies whose digitization is primarily driven by external factors, such as the mandatory IT system of the clients or the need for a booking portal. However, larger companies have an advantage here – they can scale their standardized way of working and optimize it holistically.

What effect do rising energy costs and climate change spark

Traditionally, it has been considered difficult in the industry to pass on rising costs for people and materials to customers. However, current demand clearly exceeds supply, making it easier to implement price increases. Incidentally, the industry is facing a major challenge when it comes to climate change. You can see it, for example, in the fact that alternative drives are becoming more relevant in shipping and road transport. In addition, more and more customers are demanding climate-optimized service handling from logistics partners. We are talking here about complex tasks in the ESG context, where we advise our clients pragmatically.

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