Missing Boxes in Central Europe

The Chinese New Year is an event that obviously happens every year. Every year however it also causes severe problems for the companies involved in the industry in form of missing containers throughout the chain but in particular in the European Hinterland. Illustrated on the symptoms of the Chinese New Year event the case reveals underlying key challenges for a responsible management in a network of different actors that are dependent of the others but also have responsibilities for their own business domain. Shipping companies for instance do order fewer proportions of containers for new ships than in the past to save cost. For the forwarders the shortage of containers appears worse every spring. They 'react' isolated by stockpiling containers, or operating their own containers. The customers are confronted with delays and high container prices. They 'react' by considering redesigns of their supply chains, eg handling containers again close to the ports. On an overall level this also impacts the viability and sustainability of the transportation network. The case deals which a fictional company built on a blend of elements that have been taken from different companies. The problem and the situation however is real for these companies.