DB Schenker Logistics wants to invest EUR 250 million in the land transport system landscape
(Berlin/Hamburg/Essen, June 6, 2012) In the future, general cargo networks in Europe will have to be more flexible in adapting to key account requirements. This is the thesis put forward by Karl Nutzinger as Member of the Board at Schenker AG responsible for land transport at DB Schenker. This flexibility, he says, is an important success factor. Key account customers are increasingly making every effort to optimize their supply chains, and demand additional services. Nutzinger announced even more investment in information technology over the next five to six years.
“This can lead to situations where the service we provide our customers goes above and beyond the actual network, with us assuming the function of lead logistics provider and controlling the capacities of other contractors,” explained Nutzinger during the 3rd DVZ Symposium of the Deutsche Logistic-Zeitung in Hamburg. This development is associated with the fact that growth is coming increasingly from the emerging markets. “In the end, this will also stimulate our own markets and expect us to be capable of distributing quantities accordingly,” said Nutzinger. This is illustrated for example by trains with electronic products that DB Schenker brings from China to Germany.
Increasingly, customers are also demanding transparency right across their global supply chains. “E-services” based on the internet are playing an ever increasing role in this context. “A change of generation is currently taking place here,” Nutzinger continued. “The changes in general purchasing behavior are also being reflected in our industry. E-services are not only driven by the business, but have a cultural component in addition to their functional role.”
Information systems are yet another success factor in this context. “In the next five to six years, we will be investing up to EUR 250 million in further standardization and improvements to our information technology, particularly for land transport,” Nutzinger announced. The aim is to bring about clear reductions in the historically developed diversity of the system landscape, initially to two or three systems.
Bernd Weiler
Head of Communication Transportation and Logistics/International
Tel. +49 (0) 30 297-54020
Fax +49 (0) 30 297-54029
SOURCE: Submitted by DB Schenker
