Logistics, Volume 2, Issue 3 (September 2018) – 9 articles

In the context of logistics, blockchain can help to increase end-to-end visibility along global supply chains. Thus, it can lead to improved tracking of goods and offer tamper-proof data to build trust among parties. Although a variety of blockchain use cases already exists, not all of them seem to rely on blockchain-specific features, but could rather be solved with traditional technologies. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to identify characteristic use cases described for blockchain in the field of LSCM and to analyze them regarding their mindful technology use based on five mindful technology adoption principles: engagement with the technology; Technological novelty seeking; awareness of local context; cognizance of alternative technologies; and anticipation of technology alteration. The authors identified five blockchain case clusters and chose one case for each category to be analyzed in detail. Most cases demonstrate high engagement with the technology, but there are significant differences when it comes to the other mindful use principles. This paper highlights the need to understand the problem and to apply the right technology in order to solve it. When solving a problem, care should be taken to address a technology’s unique features to ensure effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Full article

The utilization of agricultural prunings as renewable energy sources requires effective and efficient logistics systems. The objective of this paper was to map out logistics activities along the agricultural pruning-to-energy (PtE) value chains. It describes the logistics performances based on the existing and potential pruning biomass supply chains focusing on prunings from fruit tree, vineyards, olive groove, and up-rooted tree branches. A logistics audit analysis approach has been used for detailed assessment of logistics performances. The analysis was based mainly on primary data gathered using a structured data survey format targeting the existing and potential PtE initiatives in Spain, Germany, Denmark, France, and Poland. The analysis considered the major stages of the chain, such as pruning, harvesting, processing (e.g., baling and chipping), storage, transport, and the linkage between the different stages. The paper identified the constraints along the logistics chain and recommended appropriate interventions to promote the marketing of agricultural pruning focusing on the supply of quality bales and chips for renewable energy production, and to increase the sustainability of renewable energy generation from PtE initiatives. The study has indicated that there are economic, social, and environmental benefits of PtE initiatives, as well as opportunities to increase the implementation and sustainability of the system. Full article

Despite the claim that blockchain will revolutionise business and redefine logistics, existing research so far is limited concerning frameworks that categorise blockchain application potentials and their implications. In particular, academic literature in transport and logistics to date has not sufficiently distinguished between blockchain adoption (‘what to adopt’) and the identification of the right business opportunity (‘where to start’). In response, this paper (1) uses Rogers’ (2003) ‘attributes of innovation framework’ to identify potential blockchain applications and (2) presents a framework explicating four transformation phases to subsequently categorise the identified areas of application according to their effects on organisational structures and processes. Using academic and practitioner literature, we classify possible applications for adoption and provide a framework to identify blockchain opportunities in the logistics industry, thereby helping managers to systematically assess where to start building organisational capabilities in order to successfully adopt and deploy blockchain-based technology. Full article

Building a competitive and resource-efficient transportation system involves the achievement of a number of ambitious goals. Two of the main instruments in the European transportation policy in this field address the significant reduction of GHG emissions and oil dependency in transportation. Alternative fuels and compressed natural gas (CNG) in particular have huge potential for achieving these goals. The main problem that limits its wide utilization is related to the insufficient number of CNG refueling stations, especially along highways and routes from the core TEN-T network where no gas pipelines are available. Therefore, the aim of this research is to study a possible solution to building daughter CNG refueling stations which can be used as basis for formulating some recommendations for their accelerated construction along TEN-T core network as well as providing some initial knowledge to be used later for more comprehensive research. The research is based on the case-study method, which allows the presentation of the described best practice. The process of data collection is based on semi-structured interviews, study of normative documents, observation of daily sales and direct observations which were processed with the help of qualitative and quantitative methods for time series analysis—trend and seasonal component as well as descriptive statistics tools. Scientific literature and research as well as secondary data provided by international institutions are also used. Full article

The recent economic recession in Greece has had a detrimental impact on all national business activities, with the logistics industry being one of the most affected sectors primarily due to the significant decrease in market demand for goods and services. In this regard, the aim of this research is to identify key challenges and prospects for the Greek logistics services industry stemming from the recent economic crisis era through a critical literature taxonomy, a semantic analysis of the reviewed articles, and a questionnaire-based survey involving 140 executives from the third-party logistics sector. In principal, the recent economic crisis is reported to have significantly affected logistics service providers, thus further imposing structural reforms in the industry. The reduction in operating profits of transport companies is noticeable with the onset of the economic crisis, specifically in 2016. Nevertheless, logistics executives are optimistic regarding the near future, provided that educated and informed strategic management decisions are made and inventive business practices are embraced. Full article

This paper presents a methodology to solve a special case of the vehicle routing problem (VRP) called the heterogeneous fleets VRP with excessive demand of the vehicle at the pickup points, and the longest time constraint (HFVRP-EXDE-LTC). We developed two metaheuristics—a differential evolution (DE) algorithm and an adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS)—to solve the problem. These two proposed methods have been designed to effectively solve a special case of VRP. From the computational results, we can see that the proposed heuristics outperformed the best practices that are currently in use. The DE yielded a 9.78% lower cost than that of the current practice (757,250 baht per year), while ALNS generated a 10.89% (906,750 baht per year) lower cost than that of current practice. Comparing the proposed heuristics, ALNS achieved a 1.01% lower cost than that of DE, as ALNS had a better mechanism that was designed to escape from the local optimal. Full article

Managing supply chain volatility (SCV) is often identified as one of the major challenges of modern supply chain management. While research has predominantly focused on describing the multidimensional areas of SCV and its negative impacts, clear guidelines on how to manage SCV for efficiency, and prioritize the areas on which to focus, are sparse. This study seeks to fill this gap in the research by: (1) assessing the relative impact of SCV sources, and (2) proposing means to deal with them. Based on an Analytical Hierarchy Process conducted with 17 SCM practitioners, the paper assesses the relative impact of sources of SCV, and further contextualizes them according to factors such as product lead time and production strategy, providing more fine-grained insights for SC managers seeking to manage SCV. Subsequently, the paper applies the Nominal Group Technique with the same group of practitioners in order to identify and condense strategies for dealing with the most impactful sources of SCV (intra-organizational misalignment, inaccurate forecasting, long lead times, erratic behavior of decision makers in the supply chain, erratic behavior of customers, and high level of competition), leading to a set of 44 SCV-management strategies. Full article

Global logistics companies are increasingly disclosing carbon related information due to institutional and stakeholder pressures. Existing research, however, is limited to categorizing these pressures and their influences on corporate carbon disclosure strategies. In particular, literature to date has not distinguished between different carbon disclosure strategies and how they may have changed over time. In response, this paper: (1) proposes a framework that depicts four different carbon disclosure responses and strategies based on internal and external pressures; and (2) subsequently analyzes and compares corporate carbon disclosure strategies between 2010 and 2015. Using a sample of 39 leading global logistics companies, carbon disclosure strategies are categorized based on the analysis of 25 applied carbon management practices from Bloomberg ESG to see if carbon management practices and the associated strategies have changed. The findings show overall shifts to more transparent corporate carbon disclosure strategies between 2010 and 2015 with an increase of applied carbon management practices in both internal and external actions. Full article

The general goal of waste management is to conserve resources and avoid negative environmental impacts. This paper deals with the optimization of logistics processes at an underground waste storage site by means of solving scheduling issues and reducing setup times, with the help of a simulation model. Specific to underground waste storage is the fact that it is often only a side business to actual mining. With limited capacity and resources, all legal requirements must be met, while the business should still be profitable. This paper discusses the improvement of a logistical system’s performance using machine scheduling approaches with the support of a plant simulation model. The process sequence is determined by means of a priority index. Genetic algorithms are then applied to improve the priority index to further increase performance. Results of the simulation model show that the performance of the logistics system can be increased by up to 400 percent, ensuring adequate system performance for current as well as future demand without changes to the system’s capacities and resources. Full article