For the 12th time, the Bregenz Festspielhaus set the stage for representatives of logistics.
The Association Network Logistics (Verein Netzwerk Logistik) welcomed 300 top representatives of the logistics industry under the theme “Get started.”
Together with Logsta, Tedalos and others, we had the opportunity to present how the world of logistics can be rethought and changed for the better. Together with experts from industry (Lufthansa Technik, Gebrüder Weiss, Rexel, Samsung Electronics, and others), a one-day discussion took place on the future image of logistics 2019.
What are our key takeaways? Let it go and get started:
As the motto of the event was “get started,” the discussion moved very fast to the fact that you first need to learn to let things go. Before you can go down the path of digitalisation and new innovative projects, you need to work on your mindset.
The simple question “What do you need to change in your business and what is your focus topic in the coming years” was answered with a clear Consent.
It is all about gathering more transparency and optimising services to support very high demanding customers.
But they fear the power of the “old economy,” which means that project decisions are long and support is weak. Harald Kolbe from Lufthansa Technik demonstrated impressively how it is possible to change the mindset of a company and to look into the future together with the “new economy.” Which step you start with has no relevance. What matters is starting. With the pace of change in business, there is no time like the present.
But what can established companies learn from fresh ways of thinking? And what is important for a successful project with a fresh mindset?
Empower your teams … this is a game changer. To get there, you need an open minded management that supports change and encourages employees to be creative. An explorer mindset and creativity needs space to grow. So, to be sure your project gets the right support, your project team should base their actions on what is best for your customers and this project, not on attempts to prove themselves right.
To get started also means using your brain. Ask yourself key questions. Why do you need more transparency? What do your customers expect? What defines a successful project and where do you want to move with it? Without clarifying your goals, you will never be confident with the results.
Take the risk - of course there is always a risk of failing, but there is also a big chance of gaining new benefits.
Be honest about weaknesses and do your job - A high risk in innovative projects is the quality of data, interfaces and a lack of IT resources. Know your internal IT structure and the quality of your master data. Be honest with yourself ... take a step back and do not be afraid to get external knowledge and support.
Learn from each other. A big advantage from cooperation with startups is to learn from their mindset ... they move fast, explore new ways and just change old and tired processes on a daily base. Be creative and just do it.