Product and Service in Balance

What are the potentials of innovative supply chain solutions? A current study entitled “Logistics as a sales pitch in the chemical industry” provides answers to this question. Authors Christian Kille and Andreas Backhaus analyze how logistics is being repositioned as a success factor and competitive advantage for chemical companies. The study was supported by Dachser Chem Logistics, which offers safe and efficient logistics solutions for packaged chemical products, including dangerous goods.

The chemical industry is facing fundamental changes. Energy transition, technological innovation, the circular economy, and geopolitical fragmentation are shaping an environment in which traditional competitive edges are increasingly losing importance. In this context, logistics, which until now has often been seen as a supporting or supplementary function, is gaining strategic importance. 

The study by Christian Kille, Professor of Trade Logistics and Operations Management at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, and Andreas Backhaus, freelance lecturer and chemical logistics expert, builds on this context. The study examines 69 new logistics services that can offer customers of chemical companies significant added value. In the analysis, a focus was put on highlighting the specific potential of logistics to move chemical companies beyond competing solely on product specifications or prices. Instead, they can differentiate themselves on the market through supply chain expertise and concrete added value in customer service.