Thinking outside the container

Abstract

This project is executed in collaboration with Eveon Containers, a young start-up in the online retail of containers, as part of my Master thesis. In consultation with Eveon Containers, I decided to integrate the project and implement the results directly within the current business processes and assignments. The ideas and results solved the current needs and problems within the start-up. The project resulted in a practical solution presented as a vision for the coming eight years and consist of five deliverables that address important future subjects such as sustainability, the changing needs of customers, and market transformation. These deliverables take the form of a research report deconstructing the container market, a trend report looking at the upcoming eight years, a brand strategy to stand out in the market as the leader in container trading, and a roadmap with services and products that re-shape the value of a container. Additionally, I designed a book for the internal branding and culture of the company.

It is an industry-wide, sociopolitical problem that makes improvements in the container market on efficiency and sustainability difficult and slows down the modernisation of the supply chain and shipping process. For example, most ports still use manual and paper-based processes without access to digital technology, creating a polarised environment (Shrives, 2021). For retail, container trading is a traditional, opaque process still using old practices; prices are not published and depend on how much experience you have in trading. Next to that, many parties are involved, between the moment a container is sold by a shipping line and the final purchase by the end-user. A, not at all, modernised process compared to today’s retail and e-commerce. The inefficient process is caused by the lack of knowledge, lack of trust, difference in interests and expectations in the market, and the nature of the maritime industry (Poh Chua, 2021). Other reasons for inefficiencies in the market are caused by a difference in export and import recourses and needs. The result of this is the congestion at ports, the empty movements of containers (Sanders et al., 2021), and the extreme high pick-up fees for new containers in China (Remes & Saxon, 2021).

In the next ten years, significant trends will change how we look at sustainability, technology and digitalisation. The container as we know it today will be less, or even no longer, relevant. First of all, customers - businesses and consumers - expect more from their products regarding connectivity and the experience of purchasing and using a product or service. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the developed products, services, and strategy look beyond the container as a product. In ten years, container retail will be focused on smart containers and the additional services of data analytics and insights. Besides unique features and functionalities, an exceptionally seamless and smooth user experience will make or break a company. The designed 2030 strategy for Eveon is based on these insights.