Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IMLResilience for companies means the ability to respond appropriately to external shocks and unforeseen challenges and to overcome them as resource-efficiently as possible. This includes the rapid adaptation of internal structures and processes as well as the strategic design of external supply and information processes in order to ensure the ability to act and remain competitive in the long term. By continuously developing anticipation, agility, and learning ability, companies can better understand potential risks, minimize their negative impact on operations, and strengthen their overall business resilience in the long term.
Resilience for companies
Resilience for companies: Strategies for overcoming crises
Global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical instability, and customs conflicts are putting pressure on supply chains. Although resilience is an essential skill for companies to remain competitive in the long term, many companies only deal with the strategic design of resilience along their value creation networks on a situational basis – usually only after a crisis has occurred. During the crisis itself, a capability gap often becomes apparent, leading to emergency measures or even supply disruptions. Proactive strategies for dynamic adaptation to external disruptions are crucial.
The continuous development of resilience, known as resilience transformation, requires a long-term, strategic perspective that prioritizes technological innovation, human capabilities, and collaboration within the value creation network. The goal of this resilience transformation is to prepare companies for future challenges and to highlight the importance of resilience strategies in corporate and supply chain management. Efficiency alone is no longer sufficient as a value driver—resilience must become an equally important target. Research at Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund supports companies in making their processes, strategies, and supply chains future-proof.
»Only resilient supply chains are economically successful and therefore sustainable.«
Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael Henke, Director of Fraunhofer IML
How to enhance resilience?
Our comprehensive resilience expertise spans all logistical business functions. Whether strategy, supply chain, procurement, production, maintenance, culture, or management – we help you identify, plan, and implement your individual resilience solution.
Our services include both professional and technical expertise to increase resilience for companies:
- Analysis, strategy, and implementation support
- Joint projects in areas such as resilience in procurement, production, maintenance, supply chain, or innovation management
- Lectures and workshops on resilience-related topics and current research findings
Resilience check for companies
The Resilience Check was developed to help companies increase their competitiveness in the long term.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to ensure sustainable business success. A company's resilience results from its vulnerability (disruptions, threats) and its capability to manage this vulnerability. The aim of the Resilience Check is to uncover blind spots and insufficient capabilities in order to identify areas for action to improve corporate resilience.
Our service consists of a systematic three-step process:
- Questionnaire: In the first step, you work with our experts and use a questionnaire to determine which areas of your company have the greatest need for resilience improvement.
- Workshop: Next, representatives from your company work with our resilience experts in a workshop to develop improvement strategies.
- Report: We compile the workshop results and present them to you.
Open Lab Resilience and AI
The "Open Lab Resilience and AI" combines resilience research with AI to make supply chains more flexible, robust, and transparent in the face of volatile markets, product diversity, and high competitive pressure. Together with companies, we develop integrable, needs-based AI solutions that homogenize and analyze data from heterogeneous sources and recognize patterns to enable faster, more precise decisions. At the same time, the Open Lab addresses technical, ethical, legal, and security-related challenges through bundled expertise. It answers key questions about methods, real-time processing, efficient training, bias, data protection, and seamless integration into IT, BI, and ERP systems to strengthen supply chain resilience.
8 recommendations for sustainable resilience transformation
The sooner companies identify risks along their supply chains and within their internal organization, the better they can prepare for crises. The following recommendations illustrate the concept of strategy-driven resilience transformation and are key to developing solutions and strengthening the resilience of value creation networks:
- Identify resilience needs. The need for resilience must be determined using appropriate means.
- Act collaboratively. All players in the supply chain must work together holistically.
- Promote openness. Maximum transparency in the value creation network enables proactive risk management, especially in upstream and downstream processes.
- Use digital technologies. The use of digital technologies dramatically expands the scope for shaping the resilience of value creation networks.
- Continuously adapt dynamically. Supply chain players must constantly deal with new environmental conditions and thus evaluate and adapt the current situation to strengthen the resilience of the value creation network.
- Integrate people. People are a central component of supply chain transformation and have a significant influence on the outcome through human-human and human-technology interaction.
- Build a culture of resilience. Incentive mechanisms must be created by the organization and its leaders.
- Preserve and apply knowledge. Methodological knowledge and evaluation approaches must be expanded.
These recommendations and strategic approaches for successful resilience transformation in value creation networks are explained and explored in greater depth in the white paper "Resilience of value creation networks – Systematically tapping into the success factor." The publication is only available in German.
»Developing resilience is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process that requires the support of top management!«
Tobias Jornitz, research associate in the field of resilience at Fraunhofer IML
Resilience for companies: Our fields of activity
Supply chain resilience
The industrial supply chain is at a turning point: Traditional linear models are being replaced by networked, dynamic networks – driven by volatility, complexity, and digital disruption – and thus mark a paradigm shift with new opportunities. Therefore, the overarching goal of building resilience in value creation networks should not be a return to the status quo, but rather further development through persistence, adaptation, and transformation of the supply chain in light of the changed situation after a disruption. The overarching strategic objective and cooperation create resilience in all value creation processes.
Resilience in companies
Every disruption changes the business environment, for example through market entries or exits, new regulatory requirements, or technological advances. If there is a need to act and build resilience capabilities, a transformation process must be initiated. Resilience in companies can be created through various measures and strategies aimed at strengthening resistance to external influences and crises. Important levers in this context are leadership & management, resilient corporate cultures, and strategic digital transformation.
Crisis management
Fraunhofer IML is collaborating with TU Dortmund University to research solutions for overcoming the crises of tomorrow. Technologies and innovations enable proactive risk and crisis management through data-supported decision-making processes in the event of fluctuations in supply and demand. We recommend that companies simulate potential crisis scenarios and regularly review their level of preparedness so that they can act quickly and deliberately in times of crisis.
Resilience for companies as the key to long-term competitiveness
Do you need support in transforming the resilience of your company and your value chains?
Our team is always available to assist you.
FAQ: Resilience for companies
What is resilience for businesses?
Resilience is a company's ability to respond to external shocks or changes such as economic, social, or political crises, adapt, and emerge stronger as a result. It encompasses the ability to maintain stability, adapt to new conditions, and, if necessary, fundamentally redesign structures and processes. The goal is to remain competitive in the long term and ensure the ability to act.
What does operational resilience mean?
Operational resilience describes a company's ability to remain functional despite internal and external disruptions and to adapt to changing conditions. It encompasses anticipation, agility, flexibility, robustness, and the ability to learn and regenerate. These characteristics make it possible to minimize risks and seize opportunities in crises.
How can resilience be promoted in a company?
Resilience can be promoted through preventive measures such as early risk detection, flexible structures, and continuous learning. Managers play a central role by modeling resilient behavior and empowering employees. In addition, workshops and digital tools can be used to analyze and improve resilience.
What does resilience mean for logistics?
In logistics, resilience means the ability to respond flexibly to economic, technical, and logistical uncertainties and minimize risks. This includes developing robust and adaptable supply chains that remain functional even in crisis situations. The goal is to ensure the continuity of the value chain and remain competitive in the long term.