1、 2022 Boston Consulting Group1The Digital Frontier in Chemical DistributionNetworksOCTOBER 26,2022 By Jan Beier,Patrick Haslanger,Lorenz Dolezalek,Eva-Katharina Dietsche,Christian Guse,Alexander Hogreve,Jan Friese,and Pepe RodriguezCompanies that rethink and reform their outbound distribution networ

2、ksgain new sources of revenues,greater sustainability,a more resilient supplychain,and significant competitive advantages over slower-moving rivals.The impact of supply chain disruption on the global chemicals industry has beensevere,affecting not only the inbound supplies of feedstocks needed for t

3、hechemicals that companies make but also the outbound distribution of those 2022 Boston Consulting Group2products to customers.And yet many chemical companies still havent made theeffort to optimize their supply chains,especially their outbound distributionactivities,even though they have considerab

4、ly more control over them than theydo over their inbound supply chains.The failure to optimize these outboundactivities can pose serious risks for chemical companies,especially as the marketfor chemicals becomes increasingly commoditized and customers can switch easilyto cheaper,more responsive prod

5、ucers.Given that significant advances in digitization have generated considerably higherlevels of efficiency and transparency,the time is ripe for companies to rethink andreform their outbound distribution networksnot just in the chemical industrybut in every sector that faces similar challenges.The

6、 rewards of making such aneffort can be considerable:significant competitive advantages over slower-movingrivals,new sources of revenues through a variety of value-added services,greatersustainability through reduced energy costs,and a more resilient supply chainoverall.The Outbound OpportunityOutbo