Sector articles

During the first few weeks of the crisis, as the corona virus spread, one iconic image dominated the media: supermarket shelves devoid of hygiene products. Shelves usually stocked full with soap or toilet paper were suddenly completely empty, and consumers were worried about supply shortages. But the problem was not that there were not enough products available, the problem was...

It happened so suddenly: UK entered lockdown at the end of March. The entire country was subject to social distancing, and suddenly its inhabitants’ lives were focused on a single location: their home. Some companies had decided in advance of the lockdown that their employees would work from home, provided they had the option of doing so. Those who had not yet made any home office provisions were suddenly forced, more or less overnight, to create options for mobile work independent of location – in a world in which mobility was no longer an option. The stress was incredible, but the revolution started by covid-19 has not yet come to an end.

Consumers love convenience. In the kitchen, they increasingly revert to convenience products from the freezer. According to the British Frozen Food Federation statistics 6.3 billion pounds in sales were generated with frozen food products in the UK in 2019 alone.

The trend is apparent throughout Europe and is further reinforced by the ongoing corona pandemic. Anyone who not only has to combine a job and household, but also, for example, childcare within their own four walls, is more likely to go for ready-made frozen meals. The change in consumer behaviour has its origins long before the crisis and primarily is due to food trends and consumers' curiosity for everything new.

One of the most common side effects of the corona crisis is supply bottlenecks caused by interrupted supply chains. The economy across the world is connected by globalisation; raw material suppliers and production facilities for European products are often located in foreign countries. The extensive measures taken to curb the corona pandemic mean that many companies must face the challenge of reorganising how they do business at very short notice. All without losing sight of economic viability on the one hand and sustainability for after the crisis on the other. The current situation highlights those solutions that find a balance between the two.

The crisis has revealed the vulnerabilities in the added value chain. The dependence on demand, on suppliers and on external factors has proven to be a weakness, as has just-in-time production. One path to autonomy for companies and countries is to significantly shorten supply chains.

The spread of the corona virus is increasingly affecting the road transport industry in Europe. The transport barometer from FreightTech company TIMOCOM is currently showing a significant increase in international freight offers.

The spread of the Corona virus has proven to be a stress test that also affects the logistics industry. TIMOCOM has taken necessary precautions at an early stage, which serve to protect the health of its employees and to ensure the operability of TIMOCOM. This means that TIMOCOM is doing its best to ensure the stability and operation of TIMOCOM as well as the Smart Logistics System including the freight exchange.

It seems like Christmas was only a few days ago, and already the next round of seasonal business is in full swing – for Easter. Warehouse capacity will soon hit its peak, and free warehouse space will be hard to find. Barely any warehouse space is available for the short and medium term –  or so it seems. Not only that, researching suitable providers can take a long time, and time is money. It would be so wonderful if there was an application that brought together providers of warehousing and logistics spaces and potential customers, quickly and easily. With the simple click of a button.

Logistics is at its peak when everything flows. Only then can time and space be used optimally along every metre of the supply chain. To make this possible, it is not enough to ensure that separate service components, such as transport, handling or warehouse logistics integrate smoothly. Planning, managing and monitoring processes beyond company borders is just as important. In real time. As transparently as possible.