BVL and transport logistic with Study on Innovation Management

In light of recent crises, the importance of the logistics sector has become more prominent, along with its responsibility for supply. To ensure this in all areas in the future, innovations are required. Based on a short study, BVL has found out how innovation management is faring in Germany – both among logistics service providers and their clients from industry and trade – for the transport logistic event taking place from May 9 to 12, 2023, in Munich.

(Bremen/Munich) The study examines how companies in the logistics sector are fundamentally positioned regarding the development of innovations – from the perspective of service providers as well as their clients from industry and trade. The study arrives at five key findings.

Logistics service providers still invest relatively few resources in the development of new services and do not follow a methodological or structured approach. On the other hand, about one-third of shippers find it positive to have an innovative service provider but do not want to pay more for it.

Nevertheless, 41 percent of shippers assume that collaborating with an innovative partner brings efficiency and saves costs. This is also the main motivation for logistics service providers to develop new services. The awareness of the potential to open up new markets with innovation and to shape the image of their own company is therefore hardly pronounced among logistics service providers.

Innovation Potential of Logistics Service Providers Needs Improvement

When asked about the general innovative capacity of logistics service providers, 42 percent of participants from industry and trade say they consider them to be little or not innovative at all. About a quarter considers them innovative or very innovative. Approximately one-third sees themselves on par with their service providers.

When analyzing by industry, it is noticeable that particularly in trade, logistics service providers see themselves as significantly more innovative than they are perceived by their clients; a similar situation exists in the automotive sector. Conversely, opinions differ in the electronics, mechanical engineering, and chemical sectors. Logistics service providers could therefore present themselves more confidently in these areas.

Potential Through Closer Collaboration

Developing new logistics services – more than half of shippers see this task as belonging to logistics service providers. This could explain why only one-tenth of companies in industry and trade are involved in the innovation processes of their service providers, resulting in a lack of relevant practical know-how in the innovation process. Shippers thus miss the opportunity to jointly develop innovations that would also strengthen their own competitive position.

The short study builds on the dissertation of BVL employee Frederik Pfretzschner. His research goal was to determine how logistics service innovations can be classified according to their degree of novelty. A total of 117 logistics and supply chain management experts and decision-makers from industry and trade, as well as 213 experts from logistics service providers, were surveyed.

All details and the complete results can be found here for download

Innovations at transport logistic

BVL will explicitly address the topic of innovations in logistics in two expert forums at transport logistic. In addition to the forum on digital delivery notes on May 10 at 11:30 AM, where the question will be discussed on how Cloud4Log can be rolled out to further areas of logistics and thus generate efficiency gains, there will be a dedicated discussion of the results of the short study on May 11 at 11:30 AM. Decision-makers from logistics services, industry, and trade will come together to discuss what conclusions can be drawn from the results, particularly for the collaboration between logistics service providers and shippers. More information about the fair can be found at https://transportlogistic.de/de/

Photo: © BVL