What trends are emerging in logistics? How is the succession of conflicts on an international scale affecting the supply chain? What is Rhenus' strategy to compete in this scenario? Andreu Gutiérrez, Country Sales Director Road of Rhenus Logistics in Spain, has answered all these questions in two interviews he gave to Economía 3 and Interempresas on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Rhenus in Spain.
In this article, we share some of his reflections, in which he addresses the challenges facing logistics, the environmental and technological challenges we face and the roadmap we are drawing up at Rhenus Road to accelerate our growth.
Groupage transport to Europe, the big objective for 2024
Groupage Network 2.0 is one of Rhenus' big names in 2024 and Andreu highlights the value of this service, which we launched this year to improve groupage shipments in Europe. In his opinion, ‘it represents a qualitative leap in groupage transport, improving connectivity and delivery times with Europe’, taking advantage of the more than 150 centres and a European hub, with which Rhenus offers ‘a much more agile and economical service, guaranteeing daily collections for both exports and imports’.
Transport Related Warehousing (TRW) is emerging as another of Rhenus Road's major strategic axes, with a solution designed to provide companies with a network of warehouses close to consumer markets where they can consolidate their goods.
Challenges for the sector: rising costs and geopolitical conflicts
Global logistics is facing a climate of uncertainty due to the international scenario and rising transport costs. However, at Rhenus we are focused on leveraging our strengths to continue to grow. ‘We are concerned, like all operators, about the evolution of costs and the weakening of demand, but our network and structure allow us to increase the efficiency and flexibility of our transport models,’ says Andreu.
Since the pandemic, a series of events and geopolitical conflicts have been unleashed that have had a major impact on the logistics sector and, therefore, on the economy as a whole. This context is causing companies to re-evaluate their logistics and to consider which operators are the most suitable to entrust their supply chain to.
Faced with this scenario, Andreu Gutiérrez believes that we have two great arguments: ‘The international dimension of Rhenus and our ability to manage incidents anywhere in the world position us as a reliable logistics partner in times of uncertainty,’ he says.
‘We will get through this. I have been working in logistics since I was 19 years old and I can't remember a single context that has not been complex for the sector,’ he says. In his opinion, ‘the key is the adaptability of operators to respond to each new challenge with solutions for our customers’.
The engine of logistics progress: technology
Innovation is another of the major areas addressed by Andreu in both interviews. His assessment is that ‘technology represents a leap in scale in any efficiency ratio that multiplies operational, sustainable or economic benefits’.
At Rhenus, we have integrated technology as a fundamental pillar of our strategy, with the aim of transforming projects into concrete solutions for our customers. From artificial intelligence and robotics to the development of innovative software and trucks, each technological advance translates into significant improvements throughout the supply chain.
A key example of this technological focus is the Rhenus Innovation Hub (RIH), located in Hong Kong. This innovation hub allows us to test and apply the best technologies in every process, optimising our operations and routes and reducing our environmental impact.
Sustainability is our future
Social and environmental responsibility are central to our corporate strategy. ‘We face the challenge of sustainability with a proactive vision to establish internal commitments that position us as leaders in the global transition to cleaner transport,’ says Andreu.
This commitment to sustainability has led us to receive gold status from EcoVadis, highlighting our performance in key areas such as the environment, human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. As a group, we are developing innovative solutions, such as alternative propulsion systems and cleaner fuels, and we publish transparent reports on our environmental impact and mitigation strategies for the Carbon Disclosure Project.
The future of Rhenus: sustainability, quality and innovation
‘At Rhenus, we are very clear about our roadmap: sustainability, quality of service and innovation,’ sums up Andreu, who defines the group with a phrase that perfectly sums up the role we play in this market: ‘We are a long-haul logistics partner for our customers and we know what logistics we want to provide them with.
At Rhenus, we continue to work to improve our environmental efficiency, raise our level of operational excellence and explore new technological opportunities.
Looking for a reliable logistics operator? Contact us.