t cht lk understand what is going on . It goes from the purchase button to the inventory , the warehouse management system , the transportation and returns system , the user experience analysis , etc . Every increase generated in these processes impacts the entire chain .
An example is of a client who wants to improve delivery times to just two hours for every order , but his purchasing and administrative processes take 45 minutes , leaving just one hour and 15 minutes for the logistics process .
How can these processes be reduced to improve delivery times ?
A business leader needs to think about how to transform the company and improve skills . If there are already technologies that are generating significant profits on a global scale that are not in use in the company , that is when it becomes a worry .
How can businesses overcome the crises regarding the shortage of containers and chips , as well as deal with concerns over energy ?
These are three different themes and they have a significant impact . The container crisis and the supply crisis , in general , is related to COVID-19 , which created an imbalance in the global supply chain since it needs to work like a machine and all its elements , which are ports , ships and customs , must be co-ordinated and run like clockwork .
The closure of plants and ports , combined with a boost in demand and an injection of cash by various countries , added to employees working from home , generates a series of problems that break the balance of the whole system .
Faced with supply chain issues , there will be a cycle of eight or 10 years that requires us to be more creative . The challenge is that we have countries like Vietnam or China where if a Covid case appears , they close everything .
Regarding the energy issue , to make processes more sustainable DHL has set itself the challenge of being carbon neutral by 2050 . This is a difficult challenge because you transport on airplanes and trucks , among other things . We have announced an investment of EU 7,000 million for the sustainability issue over the next 10 years .
What other factors do you think can help tackle the environmental challenge ?
The first step is about improving processes . We can do this by planning and using route management . We use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning , among other things , to define everything from packaging to determining the perfect route for airplanes .
It is not just about going electric . Even if we use electric vehicles , we can still generate congestion and cause pollution . Thus , we must have a holistic vision to operate in an environmentally friendly way .
What will the business outlook look like towards the end of the decade ?
We are entering an exciting time . In the next 10 years , we will see technological advances that will impact companies . Opportunities are opening for companies to do things differently and better . Access to technology was never as cheap as it is today . With telecommunications and access to global talent , companies are more willing to look for new talent anywhere , which will bring a lot of innovation .
But online business including online sales is the most disruptive scene there is now . We see that everything is digitized and the content analyzed , looking up where the user spends time and measuring factors on digital platforms . It is required to go towards differentiation models to analyse and deliver innovative solutions .
You also need to avoid using past successes to predict the future . One of my favorite sayings reminds me that , just before the Covid pandemic started , I met with one of my largest clients in Latin America . He said : “ Why should I invest in e-commerce if it ’ s just 2 % of our income ? It is much more complex and less profitable than our physical channel .” Three months later , he will have reconsidered his comment . p
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