Future-proofing Supply Chains- A Panel Discussion for Cargo Owners

From trade wars and tariffs to extreme weather events and the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, shippers and cargo owners have faced several challenges that have exposed vulnerabilities in their supply chain strategies.

While the China +1 strategy has created opportunities for supply chain resilience, some companies expanding into Southeast Asia have faced a multitude of challenges from infrastructural gaps and workforce shortages to freight market volatility. This, however, is easier said than done: Relocating supply chains entirely – or partially – is costly and time-consuming. Further to this, Trump’s tariffs on Asian economies like Vietnam, which has recently emerged as an attractive option for production centres, have made supplier diversification more difficult.

Despite major disruptions and supply chain complexities no longer being a novelty, issues like inventory management, visibility and traceability remain a headache amongst the shipper community. While the implementation of AI-based technologies and other digital tools may allow shippers and BCOs to forecast their logistics processes and forecast potential disruptions, these are still at an early stage, not just in terms of technology but also in terms of implementation by the sector.

This discussion will provide an open forum for the broader BCO and shipper community to learn, share ideas, make recommendations and establish dialogue with their supply chain stakeholders, and together attempt to answer the question: How will cargo reach the end destination with no (more) hiccups along the way?

KEY TALKING POINTS:

• Rethinking supply chains in Asia: What’s beyond China +1 sourcing strategies?
• Nearshoring & relocating production lines: Is it really feasible? What are the implications in terms of cost, time and efficiency?
• Understanding and mitigating supply chain risks: What strategies are supply chain stakeholders adopting to build resilience in this volatile global market?
• What new technologies and tools can help with advanced planning and scheduling?
• How can ports, carriers, forwarders, and other industry stakeholders improve end-to-end cargo visibility and traceability?
• How is sustainability embedded across the value chain?
• Index-linked contracts: What are the advantages? How will they protect supply chains against increasingly common black swan events?