Noticias

What it takes to transform the logistics industry in Latam

Exclusive press webinar with top Maersk executives

Fuente: Mundo Marítimo

It’s nice to get together every once in a while, to share a coffee between colleagues. But the pandemic has transformed that experience into virtual meetings, with the upside that we can all be in different geographical locations and not let it be an issue. Participants in Denmark, Brazil, Panama, and Chile joined across time zones to talk about what it takes to transform the logistics industry in the Latin American region.

Moderated by Mikkel Elbek Linnet, Senior Press Officer & Senior Manager of Regional Media Relations at A.P. Moller – Maersk and with the participation of Vincent Clerc, Chief Executive Officer of Ocean & Logistics at A.P. Moller – Maersk and Robbert van Trooijen, Senior Vice President, Head of Latin America and the Caribbean at A.P. Moller – Maersk, reporters from specialized media outlets in the region gathered to learn about the synergies the Danish logistics company is working on to integrate their services.

Resilience, flexibility, efficiency

The pandemic has taught us that we are nothing if not resilient. And for companies, you must add flexibility and efficiency, as the smart use of resources has caught great importance in the past year and looking ahead. In this context, and in line with the integrated logistics strategy that Maersk has been pursuing since 2016, the variety of logistics solutions for the supply chain span from the factory to final delivery, including ocean transport, air, and land.

“We’re focused on developing not just local solutions but global ones because all our customers are global players,” says Robbert van Trooijen, who adds that even if the solutions are different for each customer and their specific needs, it’s always related to decarbonization because that is something that clients are attracted to. “For instance, for cold chain customers we have developed reefer solutions which we then offer to other clients; as well as warehousing we have developed for our retail customers,” he says, highlighting that in the case of Mexico, Maersk developed solutions for goods imported from Asia and India and offered them to smaller customers. “That’s a good illustration of how we can democratize supply chain for smaller players by developing infrastructure for larger players that can benefit the smaller ones.”

Local partnerships

Maersk understands that the smartest way to participate competitively in a market is to team up with the locals. “It all depends on the context and the type of cargo the client needs to move, and we’re present in most of the countries where a container needs to be picked up. We have some significant capabilities in North America from an e-commerce perspective and developing those capabilities globally. It will require some acquisitive growth. We’ll rely on local companies that provide those services,” says Vincent Clerc, adding that “Latin America and South America is increasingly turning into the fruits, veggies, and meats in the world and there is a need for developing cold chain logistics and infrastructure more than what is today but there are gaps in the continent. [local partnerships] could help reduce waste, especially given the importance of these commodities for the Latin American economy.”

Digitize, democratize, and decarbonize

Maersk has focused their work during the pandemic in the three Ds: digitize, democratize, and decarbonize. “The investment in digitalization has shown to be incredibly important, as we’ve been able to keep the global supply chain moving thanks to the use of technology,” says Clerc about the first D, digitize. Democratize, the second D, points to creating an integrated supply chain to generate network synergies. “The supply chain can turn into a utility to support supply chain needs,” adds Clerc, to sum up with the third D, decarbonize, which is very much part of the environmental consciousness that has permeated the entire logistics industry. “Maersk is investing heavily to have a differentiator to put it out there for customers and in a sustainable layer,” says the CEO of Ocean & Logistics.

Facing disruption

Disruption is not just the pandemic; it's every and any unexpected event we were not prepared to face. On top of the COVID-19 restrictions, the Suez Canal blockage and now the Yantian port congestion is threatening an already tensioned global supply chain. “Many companies have moved from fragmented logistics to an integrated logistics. This is changing what we’re doing for our customers and how global providers are thinking of supply chain: resilient, accessible, and sustainable,” says Clerc, to what van Trooijen adds that “our goal is to make efficiency visible to the customer, with increased sustainability solutions. Our customers are asking us if we can do more, and we are continuously helping them solve their supply chain needs.”