Supply chain disruption that was initially seen as a temporary side-effect of the Covid pandemic is now factored into logistics costs for many in the automotive sector, with little sign of this burden waning in the short term.

With margins already spread paper-thin, the need to factor sustainability efforts on top can be seen as a cost too far, but some of the best-in-class green logistics providers are today demonstrating that lead-time optimisation is by necessity closely married to sustainable supply chains.

“Sustainability itself is one of the leading factors for disruption and this predates the pandemic,” says Ruud Vossebeld, director of business development at optimisation software group, Inform. “While the pandemic has resulted in some short-term shifts that may make sustainability a lower priority, such as the need to expedite shipments by air, the longer-term disruption from sustainability is more fundamental.”

For the automotive industry, the days of just-in-time supply chains may seem numbered. However, many of the principles that drove this manufacturing model are now underpinning major changes in logistics that not only promise to optimise lead times but also cut down on emissions.