The 4flow challenge is a case study competition during which teams of master’s students develop solutions for current supply chain topics. The task this year was to address the challenges posed by the rapid growth of e-commerce and increasing urbanization for last mile delivery. In addition to teams from European and Chinese universities, this year the competition also included teams from the U.S. During the competition, the participants gain a realistic impression of supply chain and the agile approach taken by consultants at 4flow. Each participant also receives individualized feedback on their concept and approach.
“The current corona crisis has just shown us how quickly conditions can change and how supply chains can be reorganized. During this year's 4flow challenge, we saw great future-proof distribution concepts delivered by highly motivated students in an exciting finals – despite the unusual conditions,” said Kai Althoff, CEO of 4flow.
Completely virtual finals on three continents
Participation was open to teams consisting of 3 to 4 master’s students, preferably with a concentration in supply chain and logistics. Numerous teams from Europe, China and, for the first time, the U.S., entered the competition – with six of them qualifying for the finals in a preliminary phase. Over a two-day completely virtual finals that took place on three continents and time zones, a winning team was selected. The teams presented their results to a panel of expert judges consisting of 4flow consultants, who evaluated the technical content of their solutions as well as their presentation and communication abilities. In an exclusive communication training session, the finalists also received tips for online presentations.
In this year’s first-rate competition finals, Team 4futurelogistics from TU Berlin secured first place and won 4,000 euros in prize money. "The 4flow challenge gives you so many insights into consulting and what happens at 4flow. It’s also great to work intensively in a team environment and to see how other teams develop different approaches to the given task", said Victoria Fohrer from the winning team. Team MOM from ESB Business School Reutlingen and Team LastMile Solutions from TU/FU Berlin tied for second place and both teams won 2,000 euros in prize money. Professors who assisted the winning teams in developing their concepts were also awarded prize money.
