DHL advises industry to prepare for impact of hurricanes
DHL’s cloud-based risk management provider Resilience360 has released a report on the potential supply chain impacts of hurricanes in the run-up to the 2019 hurricane season.
The report “Stormy Weather Ahead: A Global Outlook on the 2019 Season” examines the 2018 storm seasons in the Northern Hemisphere and provides an outlook on the 2019 season, including the typical storm paths in each region as well as vulnerable areas and industries.
Also included are recommendations for representatives from procurement, logistics and business continuity management for mitigating the impact of these storms on supply chains.
At the same time, Resilience360 is launching its improved weather shape tracking and alerting capability. The algorithm analyses the projected path of a hurricane or cyclone and notifies users of possible impacts on their specific supply chains. Using the new capabilities, customers will be able to get better analytics on affected locations and assess what this means for the company’s ability to produce and deliver to its end-customers.
“A minor hurricane that affects only a small region can nonetheless prove disastrous if it affects a crucial logistics hub or a critical supplier,” explains Tobias Larsson, CEO Resilience360. “Preparedness is key to avoiding costly interruptions. Despite the increasing complexity of supply chains, advanced technologies allow us to map out multi-tiered supply chains, including interdependencies up and down stream. This makes it possible to understand how changes at one node – such as cargo ships stranded at a port – could impact the entire supply chain. When businesses are able to visualize where problems could arise, they can also plan appropriately with back-up suppliers and rerouting when a storm is forecast to hit a key area.”
Improvements in meteorological forecasts now allow scientists to predict a hurricane’s path three to five days in advance, affording risk mitigation experts a critical window of time to respond before disruptions occur.
