Last week was the event that turned the chairs upside down to demonstrate how Maersk visualizes the future of logistics. Exciting conferences, an expert panel, and a virtual reality video made our customers Go Further and think about the upcoming era of logistics. The event took place in Sao Paulo and had several topics around the supply chain. More than 140 customers attended the event and enjoyed and discussed the latest logistics trends in Brazil and the world.
Karin Schoner, ECSA managing director for Maersk, gave the welcoming speech to the audience and emphasized how the world is in constant change and how e-commerce is accelerating in different industries, making it challenging to keep up with consumer appetite for faster deliveries and top-quality products. She also spoke about the consumers and the impact of their purchase decisions on the environment, pushing companies to take steps toward reducing the carbon footprint in their production and supply chain. Schoner also talked about technology, saying.
Technology has become a key priority in effectively using technology to manage the supply chain better, accelerating the digital transformation. Companies across different industries are reevaluating their supply chain dynamics, looking to add resilience, better connection, and flexibility in a highly fragmented market.
A conference by Gustavo Loyola, former president of the Central Bank of Brazil, and more than 20 years in the economic fields and elected as an economist of the year in 2014, dictated the World and Brazil’s economic trends. He highlighted the challenges and opportunities that need to be considered by businesses in the upcoming years.
Loyola concluded with the topic of infrastructure and how the balance of cabotage, train, and waterways apports logistics for Brazil and the region.
The economy shows a stronger performance than expected in the first part of the year. Brazilian imports and exports are moving the country towards sustainability.
Logistics for the future was a panel represented by Karin Schoner, Managing Director for Maersk East coast South America; Marcus Voloch, Managing Director of Aliança; Thiago Nascimento, Logistics Director for Decathlon; Rodrigo Medina, Director of Operations and Supply Chain for P&G, and Clovis Wessling Logistics Manager for JBS. In the panel, they discussed the following:
- The importance of partnership for end-to-end logistics integration
- Visibility and flexibility of the supply chain
- Adaptability of the supply chain and nearshoring
The panelists agreed that consumers are increasingly focused on the sustainable part of the brands and are choosing brands adopting more sustainable practices to produce, transport, and distribute their products. Also, digitalization plays a key role in logistics transformation, and improving visibility on the supply chain is crucial to be agile and resilient.
After the panel, the audience had a quick cocktail, and the theater chairs were hidden; the venue now had sofas and high chairs. An immersive experience where Maersk showcased the end-to-end capabilities in Brazil with a virtual reality video made everyone put their glasses on and watch how Maersk starts at the factories or farms, passing through the ocean, warehousing, distribution, air cargo, depots, and ends at the stores or even in the table of our customers.
In 2020, we were focused on developing the necessary capabilities within our portfolio through organic and inorganic means (facilitator-type acquisitions); these efforts are bringing about step-change growth and progress
Ricardo Rocha, Regional Head of Logistics and Services in Latin America and the Caribbean for Maersk, closed the immersive experience by showing our integrator journey and how this has taken life in Brazil. Rocha also agreed with the previous expositors considering sustainability as part of the new normal for Maersk towards a circular and green logistic for Latin America.
Maersk began a transformation journey in Latin America in 2017; it implied several organizational-related actions, expanding our portfolio. The group has gone from a conglomerate of businesses with different interests into an integrated supplier of end-to-end solutions.
Ricardo described five factors that are affecting the logistics for the future:
- Risk and disruption to operations
- Technology and innovation
- Sourcing and demand
- People
- Sustainability
The event ended with many opened eyes and a cocktail as a Brazilian band started to play. Many customers stayed and talked about the logistics for the future, sustainability as part of the new normal, the trends for the Latin America region, and how the transformation for the Brazilian market has begun.
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