Christopher Ludwig: What are the most prominent differences in managing logistics at a group level for Volkswagen Group today versus 20 years ago?

Thomas Zernechel: The challenges faced by the group-wide network are growing in line with the increasing size of the network and the changing conditions in which we operate. The most important change is the growing complexity of the supply chain and the occurrence of unforeseen events. Flexibility and crisis management have become core competences for group logistics.

The approach was also absolutely different when we had half the volume and a third as many models. Today, we have completely different steering processes for this huge logistics network. In such a big supply chain, it is not easy to confront potential disruptions, like traffic or weather issues. Stable and robust processes become even more important.

It has also been important to integrate new brands into our network, for example MAN, Scania, Porsche and Ducati. This has been one of the biggest challenges, but now it works very well.