In addition, the respondents are focusing on stable supplier relationships and the establishment of efficient risk management for greater resilience in the supply chain. There is potential for optimization among the companies in terms of the detailed and transparent data overview required for this.

Sustainability and digitalization

The majority of companies surveyed for the 18th Hermes Barometer currently view the topics of sustainability and digitalization as key trends in supply chain management. Most participants (78%) agree that digital technologies have a significant influence on the resilience of the supply chain and make a decisive contribution to being able to successfully overcome future crises. In medium-sized companies, the percentage is even higher.

For the majority of respondents, ecological responsibility is of utmost importance. This importance is more pronounced among larger companies, with almost 87 percent of respondents from companies with 250 to 1,000 employees confirming a strong focus on compliance with the German Supply Chain Act, other legal guidelines, and the reduction of CO2 emissions in the supply chain. According to Moritz Gborglah, Division Manager and digital transformation expert at Hermes International, a division of Hermes Germany, sustainability is one of the top issues of our time. He comments on the survey results, stating that the successful reduction of the CO2 footprint and implementation of climate protection measures require strategic rethinking and the modification of previous work processes.

Strengthen the supply chain with collaboration and risk management

The respondents name collaborative cooperation along the supply chain as a further trend in supply chain management. In companies with 250 to 1,000 employees, 75% of logistics managers have already recognized the potential of cross-company networking.

However, as supply chains become more complex and global, they also face a wider range of risks. Therefore, efficient risk management, including the identification, elimination, and prevention of disruptions, is considered the second most significant trend in supply chain management, according to 82% of larger companies with 250 to 1,000 employees.

Stable supplier relationships

In order to increase the resilience of the supply chain in the long term, the respondents see the establishment of stable supplier relationships as a particularly suitable measure: 81% of the survey participants (across all company sizes) consider partnership-based collaboration within the supply chain to be very important. “Companies are increasingly aware of the positive impact of collaborative working and are therefore consciously focusing on cooperation with partners and suppliers,” confirms Moritz Gborglah. “In this way, they can proactively counteract potential risks and increase the efficiency of procurement processes.”

Transparency and platform solutions

A detailed data overview is the basis for sound decisions and optimized work processes: Risk management, sustainability control as well as partnership-based collaboration benefit from detailed insights and analyses of process data across the entire supply chain. The importance of transparency has not yet been sufficiently recognized by companies. Only about one in two respondents sees transparency as a significant tool for strengthening the supply chain.

The Hermes Barometer shows further development potential in the increased use of platform solutions, as only half of all respondents consider the use of collaborative solutions to be a suitable measure for increasing supply chain resilience. This is despite the fact that collaboration is seen as a key trend in supply chain management.

The complete Hermes Barometer as well as more information about Supply Chain Management can be found here.

About the survey:

Participants: 150 logistics managers

Method: telephone survey

Survey period: May 2023