Walker: The challenges in the logistics arena are greater than ever before. Until a few years ago, we encountered individual disruptions, some of which were only temporary and particularly intensive in certain regions, such as the volcanic eruption in Iceland that impaired air traffic in 2010. Such events were challenging but, from today’s perspective, more easily manageable. Our logistics operations are therefore crisis-tested.
Nevertheless, the current situation with global, long-lasting and overlapping crises is posing major challenges for us. The coronavirus pandemic, semiconductor shortages, globally disrupted supply chains, the war in Ukraine and a sharp rise in inflation are all creating unprecedented levels of management complexity. For example, week after week, we decide on the best possible modes of operation for our plants from around 41 trillion different options.