Logistic services redefine their strategies

The stage which promoted the fast paced growth of the transportations services markets and management of logistic chains was interrupted by the economic crisis of 2008. This situation led the big operators to redefine their global growth strategies and assume competitive positions aimed at the growth of their incomes. 

The logistic services operators have assumed different initiatives to develop the sector, as reflected in the study "La Infraestructura en el Desarrollo Integral de América Latina. Fortalecer las capacidades logísticas y competir exitosamente en los mercados mundiales de servicios logísticos: imperativos y oportunidades para América Latina" ("Infrastructure in the Comprehensive Development of Latin America. Strengthen the logistic capacities and compete successfully in the logistic services world markets: imperatives and opportunities for Latin America") (CAF 2013). 

• More selective global presence, but focused specially on the key emerging markets. High interest markets such as Mexico, Turkey, and Indonesia, are added to the already known BRICS.
• Pause in acquisition processes and search for integration and generation of more value of the acquired operations.  
• Migration to services with more value added, that aim at the global management of logistic chains and the provision of services for the integration of chains or consultancies.
• Consolidate presence in the growing segments in developed countries, such as traffic of packages originated in the accelerated growth of Internet trade. 

Together with these strategies, large operators have been forced to advance in the operational restructuring processes, or processes that seek for models with a lesser use of fixed assets through the following measures: 

• Development of processes to reduce costs and process reengineering.
• Sale of some assets purchased in the acquisition period which ended in 2008.
• Adoption of global technological and informational platforms.
• Reduction in the use of assets, by seeking partners that operate transportation means and storage structures, and concentrate in the key nodes of their operation model.