What The Rhine's Plunging Water Levels Really Mean For Supply Chain Resilience
By Susan Galer
Originally published by Forbes
Severe drought conditions in Europe threaten to make the Rhine river too shallow for commercial barges, jeopardizing shipments of millions of tons of raw materials that travel up and down this 800-mile long transportation waterway from Switzerland to the North Sea. The Rhine is among the latest supply chains threatened by the climate economy where extreme weather events – wildfires, droughts, floods – can cause billions in economic losses.
“Whether shipping goods by barge, railway, truck, airplane, or ocean liner, transporting goods is a 24/7 operation, requiring orchestration between multiple entities,” said Kevin Schock, global vice president of travel and transportation industries at SAP. “This is the purpose behind SAP Logistics Business Network, which helps bridge demand and supply sides by connecting data between all partners so they can better anticipate disruptions and plan alternatives to preserve profits and meet delivery promises.”
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