Our team took the opportunity to speak to Dr. Hans Zeltinger, who teaches some of the logistics modules at TUM Asia. These modules are part of our Master of Science in Rail, Transport and Logistics, and are also being offered as short courses under our Professional Certificates.
Hi Dr. Zeltinger, tell us more about yourself.
Dr. Zeltinger:I was born in Germany’s eldest town Trier. I am married and have 4 children and 7 grand children. I studied mathematics and business administration at the University of Bonn and completed my PhD in pure mathematics.
How has it been like working in different countries, such as Singapore?
Dr. Zeltinger: I worked for a few years at a Scientific Research Institute before starting my business career at Germany’s biggest chemical and pharmaceutical company, Hoechst, within the IT and consulting department. It is nowadays known under the name of Sanofi-Aventis. Later, I was promoted to lead the Hoechst SAP competence center, which led me to work in Asia as Hoechst CIO for Asia, located in Singapore. This was about 25 years ago. During this time, I founded and ran a set of IT service companies in some relevant Asian countries, such as China, Hongkong, Australia, Singapore, and so on.
Looking back, what led you to teach at TUM Asia?
Dr. Zeltinger: After my success in Asia, Daimler, the Mercedes Benz maker, offered me a similar job as Asian head of their IT service company. Unfortunately, I had to leave this career as Daimler was bought over by Deutsche Telekom. As such, I worked for 2 years in management consulting companies out of Singapore. I also decided to set up my own company as a management consulting company acting on the field of business re-organisation, business process management, data management and IT consulting. In 2005, TUM Asia approached me to hold some lectures in Production Planning for the Chemical Industry. Later on, other lectures followed on topics in Industrial Logistics, Green Supply Chain and Supply Chain Risk Management.
“Students should be prepared for taking over management roles and they have to acquire the ability to see the big picture – to visualise processes from start to end. Companies expect students to show and apply their academic knowledge to add innovative ideas, think differently out of the box and be able to foresee what may happen.”
How have the key drivers in the business landscape changed over the years?
Dr. Zeltinger: Green ideas and risk awareness (besides digitisation and automation) are currently main drivers, not only for business, but also in our private and community life. They are hot topics on the political agenda, mainly driven by buzz words such as climate change, global warming, Fukushima, and most recently COVID-19.
Climate change and global warming are so important, that both have the capability to change our lives and the way we are doing business. When these lectures started 10 years ago, the focus was on creating awareness. We moved on to acquire and share knowledge on specific methods on how companies should deal with these issues. As awareness has grown up into boards of management and governments all over the world, these challenges can now be tackled from strategic levels. Sustainability now also covers environmental or green aspects, social aspects and financial aspects; all known by the term 3P – People – Planet – Profit.
What is the greatest challenge faced by the logistics industry?
Dr. Zeltinger: Globalisation lost its speed, which was affected by Trump’s ‘America First’ campaign and the trade war between USA and China. This left uncomfortable feelings about the disadvantages of globalisation among a reasonable amount of US and EU population.Logistics has always been a highly competitive business and competition will continue to increase. In the past, speed and global coverage have been the main driver. In the future, sustainability and risk awareness and mitigation will become a unique selling point together with the growing task of integrated real–time communication across all platforms.
How can logistics companies be prepared for such challenges?
Dr. Zeltinger: Logistics companies must show their strategy to become carbon neutral and to be risk aware. This will be pushed by customers and stronger government regulations, which will result in climate-friendly investments into transportation devices on land, air, sea and a higher readiness against all part of potential disruptions. The transformation of old–fashioned manual tasks into modern digitisedautomated workflows (with seamless machine-to-machine communication) can be regarded as a revolution and that cloud computing will be vital in thefuture.
Why is Green Supply Chain so important today?
Dr. Zeltinger: Green supply chain addressed the three challenges of our most important resources for surviving: air, water, and energy. Clean Air, clean and sufficient water, clean energy and the careful handling of limited resources are required to address sustainability. In my opinion, it is of importance that our students who will be among the next generation of managers are aware of these challenges and how to approach them, once they have climbed into higher management positions
In Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM), students will become familiar with the ISO method of Risk Management and apply this to supply chains. How companies and their supply chain partners become agile and resilient is much more difficult than formal ISO methods. COVID-19 and Fukushima are two excellent examples of heavy supply chain disruptions. However, even in daily operations, the occurrence of minor interruptions or even delays are much more.
For both topics, there are highly strategic approaches as well as operational solutions, which every employee in future must pay attention to.
What is the biggest takeaway in Green Supply Chain and Risk Management for Singapore?
Dr. Zeltinger: Besides Digitalisation, Green Supply Chain and Sustainability are hot topics in the logistics industry, influencing all part of transportation modes, production, procurement and research and development. These four business functions will have the biggest influence on greening the industry’s landscape.
Companies are expecting their employees to help to improve daily operations in all facets. Among these are three big reduction efforts: Reduction in Green House Gases (GHG) emissions, reductions in usage of water and of course in energy. Some students will have good opportunities to conduct an internship in green supply chain and risk management, as companies have already started to rethink their business processes. Even in the past, students have written their master’s thesis in these areas.
“Green ideas and risk awareness (besides digitisation and automation) are currently main drivers, not only for business, but also in our private and community life.”
With the current travel restrictions, our lecturers have been unable to fly to Singapore to teach. What are your thoughts as you read this?
Dr. Zeltinger: Unfortunately, this is unavoidable. One positive thing is that this will give education a strong push into digitalisation. This has already started a decade ago, when some universities and professors offered their lectures via internet, first in audio and then in video format. It may lead to more standardisation of certain basic topics. Standard lectures like introduction to logistics can be offered to students via internet. Students can then individually learn with their own speed. On the other hand, face-to-face lessons with students will still be required, but in a different mode.
With the current travel restrictions, our lecturers have been unable to fly to Singapore to teach. What are your thoughts as you read this?
Dr. Zeltinger: Unfortunately, this is unavoidable. One positive thing is that this will give education a strong push into digitalisation. This has already started a decade ago, when some universities and professors offered their lectures via internet, first in audio and then in video format. It may lead to more standardisation of certain basic topics. Standard lectures like introduction to logistics can be offered to students via internet. Students can then individually learn with their own speed. On the other hand, face-to-face lessons with students will still be required, but in a different mode.
In your opinion, what are essential traits that students should have when seeking opportunities in the logistics industry?
Dr. Zeltinger: Students should be prepared for taking over management roles and they have to acquire the ability to see the big picture – to visualise processes from start to end. Companies expect students to show and apply their academic knowledge to add innovative ideas, think differently out of the box and be able to foresee what may happen. Effective problem-solving skills and continually seeking improvements are capabilities that companies expect from their employees and management.
In view of growing importance of digitalisation, students should pick up some intense knowledge in IT features and IT systems such as ERP, SCM WHM, while being aware about digitalisation and automation opportunities on IoT and Industry 4.0.
Students also must find the rights answers to the upcoming challenges that I have mentioned. This is not just learnt at university. Gaining experiences would be one of the first steps in their professional career and they would need a well-based and sound knowledge on the logistics business. That is what TUM wants to impart through its teachings. However, learning does not end here – it is a lifelong process.
Last but not least, students should keep their honesty and hold up and improve their morale and ethics.
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Dr. Hans Zeltinger teaches in the TUM Master of Science in Rail, Transport & Logistics programme, which has been running since 2009. The programme has been revamped for the AY2019/2020 intake. More information about the programme >>
Learn more about taking up short courses in Logistics under our Professional Certificates in Logistics >>>