Logistics Capability Research Articles

Analysing enablers of knowledge management in improving logistics capabilities of Indian organisations: a TISM approach

PurposeThis study aims to identify and analyse the main enablers of knowledge management (KM) in improving the logistics capabilities of Indian organisations and develop a model based on the contextual relationship among the identified enablers.Design/methodology/approachInitially, this study uses a systematic literature review and questionnaire-based survey approach to identify the enablers of KM; and later, total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) was used to evolve mutual relationships among the identified 11 enablers for developing a hierarchical model.FindingsThe results of the analysis show that enablers, namely, organisational structure and leadership, application of advanced information and communication system, collaboration with established stakeholders and organisational learning and innovative approaches are identified as main enablers for improving the logistics capabilities of Indian organisations.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides useful implications for the researchers working on exploring the role of KM enablers in improving the logistics capabilities of organisations.Practical implicationsThis study provides rich practical implications for the manufacturers, supply chain managers, logistics service providers and logistics consultants involved in the decision-making process. They can focus majorly on knowledge creation and knowledge storage processes to improve the logistics performance of their respective organisations.Originality/valueThis study is an attempt to identify the enablers of KM that could improve the logistics capabilities of Indian organisations. The application of the TISM method to develop a theoretical framework is the novel contribution of this study.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of China’s cold chain logistics resources and agricultural product using remote sensing perspective

ABSTRACT The cold chain logistics is a special distribution process with respect to agricultural products that are sensitive to temperature. In this approach, remote sensing data and spatial analysis are the main components of china’s cold chain logistics capabilities, particularly on agricultural products. Therefore, The Cold Chain Logistics analysis on agricultural products in various provinces is evaluated using a Spatial Exploratory Data Analysis and Geo-detector approach. Hence, The characteristically Remote Sensing Spatio-Temporal Logistical Regression (RS-STLR) model has been developed to characterize both the cold chain's logistic resource and provincial differences. This paper provides a perspective on the growth and variations in Chinese logistics services for cold chain logistics. The research has been conducted at a lab-scale which established an alternate interpretation between different regional variations in logistic capital of the ecological features of the cold chain logistics. The aim of this analysis is to validate the condition of the cold chain market based on the quantitative system of risk assessment on agricultural produces.

Examining retail business model transformation: a longitudinal study of the transition to omnichannel order fulfillment

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to provide a theoretical explanation of the strategic and structural changes occurring in US omnichannel retail supply chains. Using longitudinal data, the research documents transitions in retailers' supply chain strategies, specifically related to the order fulfillment process. It further offers explanation for how and why these transitions occurred.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a process theory lens to explain the business model transformation of the omnichannel order fulfillment process. Using a case study approach, a longitudinal multicase study was conducted with six large US retailers over a span of 10 years. Within-case and cross-case analysis identifies the sequence and rationale of different strategic and structural shifts in retailers' omnichannel order fulfillment strategy.FindingsThe within- and cross-case analyses offer insight into how the transitions occur, at what rate they occur across several different retailers, and why the rate can differ across the stages of omnichannel transition among retailers. The research documents that retailers took varied approaches to strategically develop and structurally change their order fulfillment processes in their transition to omnichannel retail. The findings reveal that these approaches are dependent on retailers' store-based logistics capabilities and specific supply chain arrangements within their retail segment.Research limitations/implicationsThe longitudinal and theoretically driven approach provides researchers a better understanding of the business model transformation in US retail omnichannel operations. This approach builds theoretical context around why and how strategic and structural changes in omnichannel fulfillment occurred over time. It also explains the underlying omnichannel phenomenon more accurately than research focused on discrete changes at a single point in time.Practical implicationsThe findings and managerial insights can assist practitioners in understanding how environmental changes have led to strategic and structural shifts across different stages of omnichannel fulfillment evolution. These insights also provide guidance to retailers that are currently in early stages of developing their omnichannel fulfillment strategy.Originality/valueLogistics and fulfillment operations of retailers have changed dramatically over the last 10–15 years. The authors apply a process theory lens to explain how and why retailers have integrated their channels to achieve omnichannel success at the store level.

Last-mile logistics fulfilment: A framework for energy efficiency

PurposeLast-mile fulfilment is among the most energy consuming logistics operations in the supply chain because of the vast amount of stops and low fill rates. The study's purpose is to explore last-mile fulfilment options in regard to their energy efficiency and to develop guiding propositions for energy efficient last-mile fulfilment options. Design/methodology/approachInterviews with Swedish retailers and their logistics service providers (LSPs) were conducted to compare different last-mile fulfilment options for consumer goods. Data of these options in respect to energy efficiency was analysed in regard to a framework with the components of distribution structure, transportation execution, and household logistics capability. FindingsThis study analysed the energy efficiency of six distinct options in the last-mile fulfilment. Since transportation in the last mile is highly energy consuming, energy could be saved in last-mile fulfilment when goods are carried as far as possible collectively down in the supply chain to collection points close to the point of consumption (POC) in commercial vehicles with high fill rates. The end consumer should be responsible for only the last part of the last mile. Proximity between private households and collection points increases the possibility that the consumer will walk or use public transportation. Practical implicationsThis study provides insights to managers of logistics companies and retailers regarding how to save energy in last-mile logistics fulfilment. Originality/valueViewing consumers as co-producers of logistics solutions and aligning the distribution structure, transportation execution, and household logistics capability suggest propositions for the improved energy efficiency of last-mile fulfilment options in the supply chain.

Promised delivery time: Implications for retailer’s optimal sales channel strategy

Incorporating the pros (increased market size) and cons (costs, delivery time, and channel competition) associated with the online channel, this paper investigates whether or not a retailer should establish an online channel alongside its offline physical store, and if so, under what conditions. Specifically, we take the impact of promised delivery time (PDT), which is of great significance in the online channel, into the consideration of sales channel choice. We first consider a single retailer and then extend the analysis to two competing retailers with joint quantity and PDT competition to analyse each retailer’s optimal sales channel strategy. The results demonstrate that the optimal sales channel depends on the logistics capability of the third-party logistics provider, the increased market size obtained by introducing an online channel and the degree of demand competition. Interestingly and counter intuitively, we find that introducing an online channel can hurt the retailer’s profit when the logistics capability coefficient is sufficiently small or large. This is because logistics capability has a significant impact on PDT and demand. We also find that with increasing of the degree of demand competition, the retailer with the larger market will be more likely to introduce an online channel.

Provider Burnout and Fatigue During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From a High-Volume Intensive Care Unit.

Provider Burnout and Fatigue During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From a High-Volume Intensive Care Unit.

The role of 4PL provider as a mediation and supply chain agility

PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine the role and capabilities of fourth party logistics (4PL) in the supply chain agility and firm performance. In addition to this, the relationship between supply chain agility and firm performance is also examined. This study aims to fulfill the gap in the literature about the studies on the relationship between 4PL capability dimensions, supply chain agility and business performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses survey data from 58 senior executives and managers in the logistics and supply chain functions from 4PL service providers' customer firms in Turkey. The results are structural equation modeling using SmartPLS software. Snowball sampling method was used to collect survey data.FindingsThis study shows that integrator and supply chain infomediary are appropriate practices for mediating the impact of agile supply chain strategies, on firm performance. For supply chain practitioners, results indicate that firms benefit greatly if they consider the outsourcing, such as a 4PL partnership, in conjunction with their supply chain strategy.Research limitations/implicationsTime, cost and the presence of businesses located in different cities across Turkey in the sample of study and the existence of the tendency of enterprises not to participate in the research can be stated as the limitations of this study.Originality/valueIn the literature, studies on 4PL have been conducted in different fields which can be categorized as follows: 4PL solution development, reasons that facilitate and prevent the design and implementation of 4PL, scope of 4PL service delivery and profit and risk sharing from the structure of 4PL networks. Briefly, the studies focus on conceptualizing and differentiating of 4PL from 3PL before reaching a common definition. Motivation of this study is to fulfill the gap of literature about supply chain agility, firm performance relationship and mediation role of 4PL skill dimensions.

Research on Regional Logistics Capacity of Agricultural Products in Henan Province

There are many kinds and large scale of agricultural products in Henan Province of China. To research on regional logistics capacity of agricultural products is helpful for us to understand the advantages and disadvantages of agricultural products logistics capacity. However, there are many influencing factors and large complexity in the evaluation of agricultural product logistics ability, so it is necessary to establish a scientific variable system. In this paper, 10 variables are selected from three dimensions which are regional economic variables, regional basic variable, and regional development variable, therefore the variable system is constructed. The regional agricultural product logistics capability of 18 cities in Henan Province is evaluated by factor analysis and Cluster Analysis. It is found that logistics development is different among these cities with the low efficiency and high loss of agricultural product logistics. In addition, on the basis of conclusion of the analysis, some suggestions are putting forward to promote the development of agricultural products logistics.

The Effect of Logistics Salience on Logistical Capabilities and Firm Performances

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of logistics salience on logistics capabilities and performance. The two selected capabilities in the study are service differentiation and innovation. much of the literature has focused on the development of logistics through being customer focused, managing supply chain, integration of processes, measurement and exchanging information therefore, attention shall also be provided on some other and less talked about logistical capabilities which includes innovation and differentiation. The study used survey method for data collection and analysis. The sample size of the study is 150 regression and correlation techniques were applied on the data using SPSS. It was obtained from the results that logistics salience has a positive impact on logistic capabilities and performance. Furthermore, the study also found that logistics innovativeness and service differentiation goes hand in hand and are highly correlated.

Designing Key Indicators for Measuring E-Commerce Supply Chain Performance

E-commerce usage grew up rapidly in the business sectors. Its interaction run virtually which is from upstream to downstream or reverse process. This interaction is a description of SCM. SC performance measurement was employed to determine the level of performance that can be considered in determining strategic policy. This research aims to propose KPIs’ model for finance, information system and logistics capability dimensions in the e-commerce. The collecting of data was carried out by distributing questionnaires to respondents with amount of 100 questionnaires. In this research, the data was analyzed with the structural equation modeling (SEM) to test validity of KPI and hypotheses. As results in supply chain performance, 25 indicators are valid, involving 4 indicators on financial dimension, 9 indicators on logistic capability dimension, and 12 indicators on technology information dimension. Furthermore, this research finding is the logistic capabilities have significant effect on the financial aspect and information technology has a significant effect on logistics capabilities. This research finding may contribute on the development model of SC performance measurement.

Modelling of sharing networks in the circular economy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and optimize a mathematical model based on a framework that integrates key concepts related to a circular economy (CE) and sharing economy (SE) for a leading manufacturer of laptops in India. Design/methodology/approach This study mathematically modelled the integration of sharing networks in a circular production system. This is done through an optimization package that deploys a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model. Findings This study evaluated the economic benefit and the environmental impact associated with the aforementioned integration in a production system. This study illustrated the inverse relationship between economic benefit and environmental impact and provided a set of solutions that can be used according to the case organizations goals, capacities and logistical capabilities. Research limitations/implications This study will aid similarly structured companies in adopting this approach to integrate sustainable practices in their production system. It also enumerated Industry 4.0 (I4.0) use-cases that can be used to effectively implement this mathematical model. Further research can be conducted using multiple companies in an inter-dependent network to maximize synergy. Practical implications This study will help to better understand the role of sharing networks in the circular economy model especially in the consumer electronics industry. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to mathematically model the integration of aspects related to SE and CE. It also validates the aforementioned model using a numerical case-study and offers decision-support to key executives within the case organization.

Empirical investigation of the associations of technological capability, logistics capability and supply chain management strategies with competitive advantage: Evidence from Saudi manufacturers

The objective of this study is to empirically evaluate the associations of information technology, supply chain management, and logistic capability with a competitive advantage of some Saudi Arabia industry during the year of 2020 using Resource-based Theory. Using the information from a self-administered survey with an ultimate sample of 118 respondents, the outcome of Multiple Regression indicates a significant positive correlations of information technology, supply chain management, and logistics capabilities strategies with a competitive advantage. The outcome of this study should be applied by the company’s top management to improve their supply chain management within strategic plans, as a result, increase the magnitude of their competitive advantage and financial performance. © 2020 by the authors; licensee Growing Science.

Logistics capabilities measurement in the fractal supply network

Measurement of logistics capabilities will enable firms to provide order winners by adding value for products and services during the different stage of supply chain to win the competition and enhance firm's performance and customer's satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop a fuzzy-AHP multi-criteria decision-making model to measure logistics capabilities in the fractal supply network. The key areas of measurement within a fractal supply network are identified and a hierarchical model is proposed with a set of generic measures. In addition, a questionnaire is developed for pair-wise comparison and to collect opinions from practitioners, researchers and managers to validate the proposed model. The relative importance of the measurement criteria is assessed using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy-AHP. Hence, the validity of the model is confirmed with the results obtained.

CONTRACT COORDINATION FOR GREEN LOGISTICS CAPABILITIES INVOLVING THE LOGISTICS SERVICE DEMAND SIDE

In order to study how to effectively green the logistics capability, we establish a Stackelberg game model of logistics service demand side and logistics service provider. Taking the logistics service provider as the leading factor, this paper analyzes the coordination effect of revenue-sharing contract, cost-sharing contract and combination contract of revenue-sharing contract and cost-sharing contract on the enthusiasm of logistics service providers to rebuild green logistics capability. At the same time, the impact of different contracts on the wholesale price of unit logistics capacity, the price of unit products and the enforceability of the combination contract are discussed. The research results show that the single contract cannot achieve the optimal green level of logistics capability, the combination contract can effectively coordinate the green level of logistics capability and the wholesale price of logistics capacity and the market price of products have been improved. However, the combination contract is unfavorable to the profit of the demand side of the logistics service, and the government financial subsidy is needed to promote the execution of the combination contract.

Logistics capabilities measurement in the fractal supply network

Measurement of logistics capabilities will enable firms to provide order winners by adding value for products and services during the different stage of supply chain to win the competition and enhance firm's performance and customer's satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop a Fuzzy-AHP multi-criteria decision-making model to measure logistics capabilities in the fractal supply network. The key areas of measurement within a fractal supply network are identified and a hierarchical model is proposed with a set of generic measures. In addition, a questionnaire is developed for pair-wise comparison and to collect opinions from practitioners, researchers and managers to validate the proposed model. The relative importance of the measurement criteria is assessed using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Fuzzy-AHP. Hence, the validity of the model is confirmed with the results obtained.

A magyar egészségügyi tartalékolás intézményrendszerének történelmi áttekintése 1. rész

In the course of history, war was the most intensive inducement of the evolution of healthcare. The evolution of guns and war machines involves more and more serious challenges in the care of battle injuries both in quantitative and qualitative ways. Therefore, the capabilities of battlefield medics logistics and efficient use of healthcare materials had to improve. In the first part of the article, the authors show this process beginning with the 17th century until the breakdown of the 1848–1849 independence war, and in the second part, from the decades prior to the First World War until nowadays.

Modeling Vaccine Allocations in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Australia

Timely allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines on a large scale is a highly complex, dynamic, and context-specific task. The focus of this research on optimizing vaccine allocation is on the downstream part of a COVID-19 vaccine supply chain. Previous research on vaccine supply chains and pandemic supply chains has not fully incorporated the multitude of factors and underlying constraints affecting a vaccine supply chain which can be optimized to mitigate the risk of infection. An effective model is needed to conceptualize the process of the downstream vaccine supply chain to ensure efficient coordination and timely distribution of vaccines to the population. This paper develops a mathematical model to support vaccine allocation decisions based on exposure risk, susceptibility rate, and operational constraints including capacity of medical centers, vaccine stocks, and transshipment capacity. Our conceptual model integrates a centralized booking system, risk profiling and prioritization, and a vaccine distribution system, to develop an effective vaccine allocation model based on the parameters of the total population susceptible to COVID-19 and the density-based exposure risk in the catchment of each medical center. We have incorporated the possibility of transshipment between medical centers and a variety of different vaccine package sizes. Using the state of Victoria, Australia as a case study, we applied the proposed model to test different scenarios of vaccine allocation and distribution. This research proposes specific guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and makes recommendations on how healthcare providers and government entities should work together to establish more efficient logistical capabilities.

Assessing logistics capability for the Australian courier firms

Assessing logistics capability for the Australian courier firms

An Empirical Study on the Effects of Logistics Capabilities of Third Party Logistics Company(3PL) in Offshore Logistics

An Empirical Study on the Effects of Logistics Capabilities of Third Party Logistics Company(3PL) in Offshore Logistics

Analysis of Logistics Infrastructure Characteristics in Amazonas

Logistics is an essential component of economic growth, the development of a country, as the element of production movement and regional trade, in which it directly affects competitiveness. Throughout the history of mankind wars have been won and defeated by the strengths and capabilities of logistics - or lack thereof. Transport infrastructure plays a significant role in the logistics process of a given region, as it impacts transport costs, causing barriers to economic and social development. It is often said that the problem of the Amazon region is not logistics, but lack of infrastructure to serve the region. Thus, this research sought to verify the scenario of distribution logistics in the interior of the Amazon, investments in transport infrastructure in the state of Amazonas. This article aimed to verify the importance of logistics in companies in the State of Amazonas and to analyze the challenges of small and large companies.