DHL Supply Chain Releases Insight 2030 Supply Chain Leaders Survey

AI and cybersecurity emerge as top CEO concerns amid expected disruptions through 2030.

DHL Supply Chain’s new survey, Insight 2030: Opportunities and Challenges for the Supply Chain of the Future, shows that supply chain leaders are expecting a range of disruptive forces through 2030. As a result, a strong majority of respondents expect to become more dependent on established and emerging technologies in the next five years.

The report benchmarks the current state of the supply chain, identifies the most significant changes expected by 2030 and provides insight into the obstacles leaders face in ensuring their supply chains continue to support business objectives.

Key findings from the survey include:

• 73 percent of participants expect their supply chains to become more reliant on AI in the next five years. 68 percent cited increased dependence on robotics to perform routine tasks, and 63 percent of respondents see an increased focus on the ability to orchestrate supply chain resources to reduce costs;
• Less than half of participants (44 percent) said they have deployed warehouse robotics. In addition, only 34 percent of VP and Director level executives were fully satisfied with their use of the technology;
• Rapid technology evolution also emerged as a key concern with about half of participants pointing to “inadequate technological solutions” (49 percent) and “outdated systems” (47 percent), even though nine of ten were using management systems installed or upgraded in the last five years; and
• 70 percent of survey participants anticipate cybersecurity threats will impact their networks

To meet the demands of an increasingly digital supply chain, DHL’s Accelerated Digitalization Strategy offers a proven path to operational efficiency and resilience, ensuring organizations extract maximum benefits of automation in their operations.

Over the past three years DHL Group, the parent of DHL Supply Chain, has invested over €1 billion in automation in its contract logistics division alone. Across its global network, the Group now uses more than 7,500 robots, over 200,000 smart handheld devices, and close to 800,000 IoT sensors to optimize operations, enhance working conditions for employees, and deliver measurable value for customers. Today, more than 90 percent of DHL warehouses worldwide are equipped with at least one automation or digitalization solution.

To download the Insight 2030 report, click here.