On March 14, DB Schenker, a leader in supply chain management and logistics solutions, officially opened its new automated e-commerce center in Guadalajara (Spain). One of their primary clients, a multinational sportswear company, will be using this facility to centralize all of its e-commerce destined for Spain, Portugal, and the south of France.

Miebach Consulting has actively participated in this project, offering consulting and engineering services for its implementation, which has included participating in the “ramp up” until stabilization. Miebach worked with this customer, as well as the internal and external suppliers, to carry out the coordination of the activities, including the definition and management of the functional tests of the systems and equipment.

DB Schenker's new, highly robotized warehouse consists of almost 50,000 m2 dedicated to warehousing and online order picking, and has the capacity to process more than 120,000 units per day. It has also been awarded the "BREEAM Very Good" sustainable certification, given to buildings that reduce environmental impact and save energy costs.

According to Alfredo Alcalá, Head of Contract Logistics Iberia at DB Schenker, "DB Schenker is committed to serving the e-Commerce sector with its innovative strength and proven reliability. The automated solutions for our Guadalajara operations were installed in a record time of only four months and have already proven their stability and flexibility around Black Friday and the holiday season. We are proud to meet the expectations and trust of our customers."

Rolf Endres, Miebach director responsible for this project, comments that "this project was a real challenge due to the demanding implementation schedule ahead of us. Thanks to the professionalism and involvement of the entire team, the installation was up and running in record time."

About DB Schenker

DB Schenker is the leading company in the management and logistics of the supply chain through all types of transport, on which industry and commerce rely for the global exchange of goods. Present in 130 countries, it has a network of more than 1,850 offices and a global team of around 76,100 people. A pioneer in innovative logistics solutions and environmental responsibility, DB Schenker aims to become the world's leading provider of green logistics services and to achieve climate neutrality by 2040.

Investments in supply chain and logistics have shot up exponentially over the last few years. In order to improve supply chain resilience and better manage complexity, companies are increasingly investing in real estate, new equipment or technology and digitalization of data and processes – which can quickly add up to an eight-digit price tag.

In order to provide clients with financial support within the project, Miebach Consulting enters into a strategic partnership with DLL, a global asset finance company for equipment and technology.

Miebach Consulting and DLL add value by financing and realizing logistics projects

“In supply chain and logistics projects the aspect of financing the investment is an integral success factor and should be addressed right from the start to not become a roadblock for implementation. Therefore, we are very glad to enhance the one-stop-shop experience for our clients by providing the comprehensive financial expertise and services of our partner DLL,” says Jürgen Hess, CEO, Miebach Consulting Group.

Both firms share a full understanding of the logistics ecosystem and related complexities and have a widespread global footprint, making it possible that projects around the globe can be ideally supported. DLL offers a complete range of financing solutions for entire ventures including progress payments, software, equipment and installation costs, another value add for clients in all project phases.

A holistic business case enables shorter pay-back times

“Funding intralogistics is much more than just providing money. By combining the key strengths of Miebach and DLL, we enable companies to invest into the most beneficial technology for their business and to realize their automation projects time and cost-effectively,” says Marco Wagner, Global Head of Intralogistics at DLL.

“Together with DLL, we are able to provide a genuine 360 degrees business case, including financing options as early as possible into the project. This will help logistics and supply chain executives to implement projects with a 30-50% higher chance driven by shorter pay-back times,” says Marcel Reinhardt, Global Head of Supply Chain Financing.

For more information about this partnership please contact Marcel Reinhardt (reinhardt@miebach.com). 

About DLL

DLL is a global asset finance company for equipment and technology with a managed portfolio of more than EUR 35 billion. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, DLL provides financial solutions to the Materials Handling, Intralogistics, Transportation, Industrial, Construction, Agriculture, Food, HealthcareClean Technology, Office Equipment and Technology industries in more than 25 countries.  DLL partners with equipment manufacturers, integrators, consultancy agencies, real estate companies and equipment users to enable businesses to more easily access equipment, technology and software.
DLL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rabobank Group.
www.dllgroup.com

The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which became effective on January 1, 2023, is currently stirring up controversy. Supporters see the regulation primarily as a necessary instrument to motivate companies to act more sustainably and make improvements in terms of human rights, working conditions, fair pay, etc. Others argue that the legislation will not bring about any noticeable changes in society and will also lead to high bureaucratic hurdles for companies.

What do German companies think of the new legislation and are they sufficiently prepared for it? To address these questions, Miebach Consulting, in collaboration with GS1 Germany, conducted a study with nearly 500 participants in the summer of 2022 to determine the attitude of German businesses toward the upcoming regulations, as well as what measures have already been taken or are planned.

In general, the study participants' expectations of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act can be described as positive, although not everyone is yet willing to pay the price for sustainability. Almost half of the participants stated that the legislation will have a positive impact on the environment and society or can contribute to fair competition. On the other hand, 41% of companies focus on the increasing administrative burden and higher costs, especially since the specific requirements of the law are unclear to many companies and responsible employees.

In contrast to highly regulated industries, transparency in the supply chain in particular could become a challenge for companies from less regulated industries. While there is often still sufficient transparency for Tier 1 suppliers, data on human rights- or environment-related obligations, such as records of weekly working hours, appropriate minimum wages, but also the handling of environmentally harmful substances and products, are often not available for Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers.

“Despite the possible additional costs and efforts, regulation via the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act is, in our view, an important instrument to motivate companies to be more sustainable. While more than 30% have already introduced sustainability-related measures due to customer requirements, regulations are the second most important driver for companies to start sustainability initiatives with 25%” - says Anastasiia Omelchuk, Consultant, Miebach Consulting GmbH.

In particular, many companies cite the (upcoming) legislation in Germany and even stricter regulations at the European level as the main reason for introducing a sustainability strategy. 18% name their employees as the most important driver for sustainability. 

Over 60% of participating companies say they are optimistic about their preparation measures for the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and are not making any major changes within their current supply chains or with suppliers. According to the study participants, 43% of the companies are already working on their action plan as well as measures in preparation for the law coming into force. For example, one of these actions is to work with current suppliers to ensure they are compliant with the new legislation.

Collaboration between supply chain partners is a particularly important measure with regard to the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. However, despite numerous examples of effective sustainability collaboration, this option is still often neglected. For example, approximately 40% of study participants indicate that they primarily pursue collaboration between internal departments to promote sustainability. The data on collaboration with tier-1 suppliers (25%) and consulting firms (15%) show a positive trend, but the collaboration is still too hesitant in the context of the new law’s requirements for transparency along the entire supply chain. 

“In addition to cross-company collaboration, standardization in data exchange will play a crucial role for companies in the future to enable transparency and sustainable actions. The digitalization of business processes is an important requirement for this” - says Thomas Krebs, Senior Principal, Miebach Consulting GmbH. 

The study can be requested from Ralf Hoffmann (hoffmann@miebach.com) or by using the form on this page (link).