Sustainable Automation Journey

Due to a higher life expectancy as well as a low birth rate, our society is aging. Therefore, our workforce is getting smaller and smaller with the logistics market steadily growing. To be precise, in OECD countries there will be a shortage of 55 million workers in the next 10 years. Consequently, according to Rainer Strack, member of Boston Consulting Group and one of the leading minds of human resources in Germany, workforce planning will be more important than financial planning.

Additionally to the demographic change, the demand for local production as well as the upcoming trend to e-commerce requests more logistics and, therefore, more personnel. At the moment, the pressure during daily operations in logistics companies is already high, and finding skilled workers is, indeed, a huge issue to many.

The way contract logistics works is, however, transforming to companies with IT competences in operational processes. The new narrative is defined by progress, inclusion, and a positive mindset, and it explains the necessity of working with robots: Every single employee and their capacity as human is an invaluable asset. Organizations need to realize an appreciation culture to attract and retain qualified people.

Rainer Strack talked about the topic of the global workforce crisis where he revealed the top job preferences from people worldwide: appreciation for one’s work, a good relationship with colleagues, work-life-balance, and a good relationship with the superior. An attractive fixed salary would come in eighth place, meaning that “people look for recognition”, and companies are challenged by creating means of education, qualification, cross-cultural management, and upscaling.