DACHSER is transferring its range of logistics services to the digital world. As a company-wide digitalization project, the DACHSER platform is a central building block for fundamentally redesigning the customer experience. At the transport logistic trade fair, customers and interested parties were given their first glimpse of the platform, which will be available to all DACHSER customers from 2024.
From concept to platform: the interface of the new DACHSER platform
For many years, DACHSER has been developing software and systems in-house that are tailored entirely to the needs of its customers. The DACHSER platform is a logical continuation of this philosophy. The platform is currently being developed in an agile project setup, i.e. in direct exchange with selected pilot customers.
Transparent one-stop solution
The DACHSER platform brings together the services of the Road Logistics and Air & Sea Logistics business fields in a user-friendly, modern interface. Supplemented by innovations such as end-to-end tracking across all freight routes, this creates a customized, digital one-stop solution for customers. DACHSER is thus taking a major step toward completely transparent flows of goods and data, especially with regards to intercontinental transports using different modes of transport.
The DACHSER platform is developed iteratively and in direct exchange with customers.
Product development is taking place within iterative testing and development phases. Since the start of the project, intensive research phases have been used to query customer needs and obtain feedback on product designs. Since April 2023, pilot customers have already been working with a first version of the platform. All research results are always incorporated into the subsequent development phase. This way of thinking and working is an expression of an agile, digital mindset that DACHSER is promoting throughout the company as part of its digitization strategy.
Ralf Messing, Team Leader eLogistics Consulting at DACHSER, demonstrates the dashboard at the transport logistic trade fair in Munich.
Highlight at transport logistic 2023
Insights into the new platform were offered for the first time at the leading transport logistic trade fair in Munich. DACHSER customers, interested parties, and the media were able to learn about the project's vision, development, and timeline roadmap on interactive screens.
When rising to meet new challenges, a future-proof company must adopt an agile and flexible mindset. That way, it can prove just how adaptable it is, time and again. You can read all about how DACHSER does just that in the latest issue of our magazine.
In 2021, Chinese New Year falls on February 12, it is the biggest festival in China where people celebrate the beginning of a new year with their families. The week-long national public holiday has consequences on global supply chains.
The following information provides an overview of some key facts of the festival and its possible impacts on logistics.
Dates and key facts
February 12, 2021 marks the start of the Chinese New Year (the year of Ox).
Chinese national holiday begins on February 11 and ends on February 17, meaning that most of the businesses, including DACHSER branches in China, will be closed and resumes on February 18.
Factories and manufacturing sites used to be closed for a longer period of time. Production might pause already one week before Chinese New Year, some factories will only resume one month after.
The long holiday allows workers in the city to travel back to their hometown for a family reunion, though it might not be the case this year due to the pandemic.
Impact on supply chain
Extensive holidays in China can lead to delays to your shipments for up to one month.
Due to the abovementioned closing period of manufacturing industries, there will be no productions from China for at least a week. Even though factories will be restarting gradually, operations will not resume to full swing immediately.
Productions from other countries in Asia will also be impacted as some parts might come from China or the assembling processes are done there.
Most shippers will stock up inventories that are sufficient to cover the Chinese New Year period, this leads to a pre-holiday cargo rush; it will also take some time after the festival to normalize the market conditions.
Get prepared
To avoid unnecessary price hikes and delays, it is strongly recommended to place bookings well in advance. At DACHSER, our logistics experts can help you to plan together. Feel free to discuss with us about your needs and we can work out the best to maintain your supply chain uninterrupted throughout the Chinese New Year.
As is known, early general elections for the House of Commons are scheduled for December 12, 2019 in the UK. The EU has also agreed to extend the Brexit deadline to 31 January 2020. The danger of a no deal Brexit is thus averted for the time being. If an agreement on the negotiated contract is reached before 31.01.2020, the agreed transitional period will initially remain in force until 31.12.2020.
Regardless of whether it is a "soft" or a "hard" Brexit, a customs authority of the respective recipient is essential for the processing of shipments to and from the UK. Therefore, we ask our customers to continue to advise their recipients to provide us with the necessary customs authority.
We will keep you up informed about further developments.
Burkhard Eling, CEO of DACHSER, looks back on the year 2023, which was characterized by overcapacity, rising inflation and volatile conditions for the industry - in short: the special boom in logistics has come to an end. Nevertheless, there is good reason to start 2024 full of confidence and thirst for action.