While a sense of normalcy has returned to the aviation sector, there remains concerns about the rising risk of disruption amid looming threats and a spate of global conflicts. Whether in the Middle East, Europe or elsewhere, companies are focused on preparing their operations to ensure supply chains can continue uninterrupted regardless of the geopolitical situation.
TVS Supply Chain Solutions is looking to bring over 100 years of experience to the logistics sector to prepare the industry for supply chain challenges. From global forwarding to integrated supply chain and final mile solutions, it has become increasingly clear how companies need to tailor their supply chain to meet customer needs while weathering potential storms.
With the disruptions to supply chains due to events such as Covid, Red Sea Crisis, Industrial Actions etc., customers are looking for a partner who can provide them with more reliable solutions and resilient solutions,” Mark Lau, Chief Commercial Officer at TVS SCS Global Forwarding Solutions, said.
“We are seeing customers request, for example, freight forwarding services with different levels, routes and modes. To address the diverse needs, there’s a focus on tailoring solutions. This ranges from providing specific solutions for time-critical materials to managing the supply chain for a wide array of materials with different demand and lead time requirements.
“The evolving landscape of demands is driving the trend towards offering more diverse and adaptable logistics solutions.”
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Diversification across Asia
Headquartered in Chennai, India, TVS Supply Chain Solutions is positioned to not just bring industry experience but an understanding of an ever-changing market.
There is currently a trend where customers from Southeast Asia are seeking new business opportunities that necessitate a solution partner to expand their business. For example, TVS Supply Chain Solutions cites how they have aided the supply chain between markets, like Thailand to Germany. Companies moving goods along that route might not have offices in both locations. Consequently, they are looking for comprehensive solutions that bridge the geographical gap, allowing them to seamlessly manage orders and operations in a foreign market.
With their primary focus lying in providing time-critical service solutions for industrial and tech companies, a strong market in Asia, TVS Supply Chain Solutions has looked to take steps to minimise the distance from the storage depot to the delivery location. This setup enables orders to be fulfilled and delivered within a few hours, enhancing efficiency.
“The key is to tailor the delivery methods based on the specific operating environment, ensuring optimal efficiency and effectiveness in each context,” Lau explained. “For example, in India and Thailand, we utilise motorbikes to deliver these parts directly to the engineers. In Europe, a different strategy is employed, delivering the necessary parts to the service engineer’s van overnight.”
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Digitalising deliveries
Digital capabilities are crucial in the logistics industry with TVS establishing technological infrastructure to leverage tools effectively to enhance processes. Whether developing systems and solutions for specific business areas or identifying potential weaknesses, digitalisation is playing a greater role in operations.
One approach, cited by TVS Supply Chain Solutions, is the introduction of simple systems, such as mobile apps. For instance, they have developed in-house apps that can be provided to transport partners. These allow them to easily capture and integrate data into their systems. The simplicity of these apps eliminates the need for hardware investments or complex systems.
With these actions, solutions providers like TVS Supply Chain Solutions aim to take the need to digitally transform out of the hands of their customers by providing a suite of tools. For instance, they recently implemented a system for a customer, creating an e-commerce model for their B2B business.
“By utilising our existing capabilities and suite of solutions, companies didn’t need to make additional investments,” Lau outlined. “We differentiate ourselves not only through fulfilment and transportation services but also by providing front-end customer solutions.”
