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Recently, I had the privilege of attending a meeting in the luxurious ski resort of St. Moritz, Switzerland. The journey there, aboard the Bernina Express, proved to be an unforgettable experience.

Traversing the highest railway tracks in Europe and the world’s steepest, this iconic train ride offered a breathtaking voyage through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges. From Switzerland’s oldest town, through awe-inspiring gorges and past remarkable structures, to the eternal ice of glaciers, and finally descending to the palm trees of Italy’s Tirano, the journey was nothing short of spectacular. Side remark: In 2022, the rail operator achieved a remarkable feat, setting a new record by operating a 1,906m-long train to commemorate its 175th anniversary.

As I marveled at the passing scenery, I couldn’t help but ponder the incredible engineering achievements of over a century ago and the recent world record-breaking accomplishment. Could there be lessons in overcoming such monumental challenges that could be applied to managing global trade?

Here are five lessons I’ve gleaned:

1. Persistence and Determination: Overcoming complex challenges requires unwavering persistence and determination, crucial traits in managing global trade and supply chains.
2. Adaptability and Flexibility: Like the rail track construction, adaptability and flexibility are essential in responding to changing market dynamics and unforeseen disruptions in global trade.
3. Collaboration and Partnerships: Effective collaboration among various stakeholders is vital to building resilient networks and ensuring smooth operations in global trade.
4. Innovation and Technological Advancement: Embracing innovative technologies and solutions can optimize efficiency and address challenges in global trade management.
5. Risk Management and Contingency Planning: Robust risk management strategies and contingency plans are vital for navigating uncertainties and disruptions in global trade and supply chains.

By applying these lessons, businesses can enhance their ability to tackle challenges, foster collaboration, embrace innovation and effectively manage risks in the dynamic landscape of global trade and supply chains.

Supply chain management used to focus mainly on ensuring efficient movement, but it took a lot of work to coordinate everything because we couldn’t see what was happening everywhere. Then, extensive business systems let us track things from start to finish and see data in real-time. But now, with all the problems happening, we need more than just being able to see what’s going on. We need to react fast and be strong when things go wrong.

When there are significant problems, we need to be able to react quickly and stay strong. Seeing what’s happening is good, but working together in real-time is even better. To be quick and robust, we need to share information easily and help each other out when things get tough.

Seeing what’s happening is good, but working together in real-time is even better.

When we work together well, it’s not just about sharing data. It’s about making decisions together and using our resources best. Planning together, sharing how things are going, and working closely with partners all help us work smarter and do things better.

New technology, such as AI, blockchain, IoT, and cloud computing, is making it easier for us to see what’s happening and make better choices. These tools help us share information and make smart guesses about what’s coming next.

When we all work together, we’re all part of one big team. When problems happen, we can all pitch in to fix them. Being open and talking to each other always helps us stay flexible and strong.

When we all work together, we’re all part of one big team.

When we all work together, we can save a lot of money by improving our processes, reducing waste, and getting more done with less. Seeing what’s happening helps us run things leaner and make our customers happier, which means we make more money.

Sometimes, things get in the way of our working together like different parts of the company not talking to each other or people needing to be more open to sharing information. We need leaders to ensure everyone is working toward the same goals, and we need to trust each other and invest in the right tools to make it all happen.

New technologies like blockchain, AI, robotics, 5G, and VR/AR will make it even easier for us to work together in the future. Supply chain leaders need to be ready to use these tools and ensure everyone is working together to improve things.

It’s time for everyone in the industry to collaborate to improve supply chains for everyone.

We need to work together to be strong and flexible in today’s world. It’s time for everyone in the industry to start talking, try new things, and collaborate to improve supply chains for everyone.