The global supply chains have developed in the face of strong disruptions in the past couple of years, due to pandemics, war-related global disruptions, industrial growth, climactic global shocks, and rapid technological shifts. Organizations have to optimize cost efficiency with other often competing priorities of flexibility, resilience, and sustainability. This paper focuses on how DHL achieves this in the global supply chain and what measures it takes to enhance resilience through digital transformation, strategic supplier diversification, integrated multimodal logistics, and sophisticated/geo-graphical performance management systems. The research, based on qualitative methodology of corporate disclosures and peer-reviewed academic literature, aims to focus on what key area/stratagem of optimizations and/or resilience drives operational continuity and/or competitive advantage in the long term. The research operationalizes the concepts of resilience and drives of operational optimization/efficiency, and proposes testable hypotheses for future empirical research. It is shown, on the case of DHL, that the integrated use of AI, predictive analytics, diversified transport networks, and to an extent sustainability efforts, strives to enhance efficiency and preparedness for disruptions. The case also aims to add to the global logistics firm’s literature on supply chain resilience by providing an integrated, holistic, case-based approach..
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