How Digital Platforms with a Social Purpose Trigger Change towards Sustainable Supply Chains

While digital platforms have been intensively researched, there has been little investigation into their role in sustainable change. Our study focuses on food supply chains and food waste and sustainable challenges. Using data collected from exploratory case studies of digital platforms and traditional actors in the food industry of a Nordic country, we categorized three major sustainable platform types: Alterationist, Redistributor, and Capability Builder. We view these as “Zebras,” a business serving profit and social purpose, and observe their emerging role in the food supply chain. We also identify key dimensions of governance and sustainability impact. With this study, we investigate how digital platforms contribute to sustainable change while also retaining their profit focus

Measuring Service individuality in Third Party

Purpose - 3PL services are more or less individually designed bundles of logistics operations that are provided on the basis of a long term relationship between logistics service providers and their clients mostly in industry and retail. The appropriate degree of the individuality is however subject to a trade-off between the creation of complexity to reflect individual customer needs and the realization of synergy effects by the replication of common elements and the multiplied utilization of relevant resources for different customers. The appropriate mix of the more individual elements and the more common elements is seen as a major success factor for the design of the service propositions. Design/methodology/approach - The explorative paper is combining major elements and frameworks from different interdisciplinary research streams, such as modularity and service design and adapts them to the subject of third party logistics. Findings - As a major result the paper is providing a conceptual model for the systematic and formal description of modularity and individuality in the configuration of third party logistics services. The model thus serves as a tool to classify and categorize degrees of complexity that are embedded in TPL settings. Research limitations/implications (if applicable) - As our research is still in the exploratory stage, we do not offer empirical findings. Practical implications - Our findings can help firms to better understand the critical factors in their current TPL service offerings and how to replicate or (re)design the new services offered. Depending on the level of complexity of the TPL services, firms need also to consider the implications of the replication and/or (re)design on the configuration of the supply chain, especially downstream. Originality/value - The paper crosses disciplinary boundaries and combines relevant research streams to provide a sound foundation for the categorization and classification of TPL services and for new service design/development (NSD) and supply chain configuration

Digitalization of Supply Chains: Focus on International Rail Transport in the Case of the Czech Republic

The digitalization of supply chains presents a complex subject for research based on different geography setups, legal policy frameworks and a focus on technology. The paper discusses potential and issues in regards to the digitalization implementation in supply chains of the future with a focus laid on rail transport as one of the transport modes in freight distribution. The authors analyze empirical data for the Czech Republic as a geographically scoped case study by analyzing interviews with business practitioners that are active in the rail transport market. The research outcomes interlink the development of the legal framework in international rail transport with the emergence of electronic transport documentation as an important practical aspect of digitalization. Finally, it raises questions related to the critical preconditions of digitalization of supply chains

Red thread from a Workshop

Sustainability in business is clearly recognized as a very important topic which is intensively discussed in theory and practice. (When it comes to the social and ecological aspects of sustainability, the logistics and transportation industry is often considered one of the prime suspects to be identified as a major polluter reluctant to implement changes and improvements. A workshop was designed and organized in the fall of 2011 to start a discussion on the role that the logistics service industry plays or should play in the sustainability business. The clear objective was to work on the issue – not from the viewpoint of politics and society, not from the viewpoint of industry and the retail sector, and not from that of academia ‐ but from the view of the logistics service providers. In other words, the workshop was designed to help develop a clear statement of the role of the logistics industry. A statement of the logistics industry’s role as the logistics industry understands it. This short paper recapitulates the red thread of the workshop discussions and ends with a summary. This summary is meant as a first draft of a manifest of the industry regarding their view towards the topic of sustainability. It provides statements in response to four basic questions regarding sustainability. As this manifest is made by a focused, but in size and geography limited group, it is of course not representative. Therefore we would like to encourage everyone from the industry in addition to those from outside the industry to support us with comments. Tell us if and why you agree or not, and how we could improve and augment the statements made

The Digital Supply Chain of the Future: Technologies, Applications and Business Models

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Assessing network structures within container shipping industry

Purpose - Container shipping, due to its boundary crossing nature, is generally seen as an international business. A first look into the physical networks of the industry has shown that container-shipping companies operate however rather differently, with different motives for internationalization, and infact show different patterns to their international development. However, there are other important transactional and market-oriented considerations, and overall dynamics that need to be examined before concluding on the internationalization levels of container shipping companies, and the industry. The purpose of this paper is to further investigate the patterns of internationalisation by the examination of the more demand-oriented considerations. Design/methodology/approach - In order to answer the research question, the paper focusses on the examination of the front-end activities and structures like sales office networks and the overall extent of market presence. For this the fundamental sales networks of the companies were considered as a key indicator, and the port networks of the 20 largest container-shipping companies in the world (by TEU capacity) were analyzed. Findings - The resulting data set allows an examination on each company’s overall network at various geographic levels, and a direct comparison of the networks of the companies. It shows that not all shipping companies are highly international. It also shows that market share and total capacity are not necessarily a good indicator for the worldwide presence of a company. Research limitations/implications (if applicable) - The paper adds yet another piece to the interesting puzzle on internationalization patterns of container shipping companies. However, for a complete picture on the internationalization process further work will be required that is based e.g. on the development pattern of single companies and that may also take more the dynamic aspects and comparisons into account. Practical implications - Preceeding work provides insights that are directed towards the port networks and thus toward the more back office oriented resource architecture and the more geographical aspect of physical coverage. By reorganising the focus on the sales network of the single container shipping companies, this paper presents findings that are also applicable to the front end, towards the customer, The comparison of both views is promising interesting insights such as ownership structures and entry modes along with the specific location commitment as a basis for strategic considerations. Originality/value – In the academic literature there is not much to find on the internationalization process and the dominating internationalisation patterns related to container shipping. The paper makes an important contribution in this regard by considering the different aspects of the international shipping networks and by bringing these closer to extant frameworks on internationalization

Autonomous trucks: A supply chain adoption perspective

Autonomous trucks can potentially have a huge impact on supply chain networks. Though gaining a lot of attention in the industry, the topic has gained sparse interest from academia. This paper sets out to answer the question: What factors could potentially predict autonomous truck adoption? Though it is inherently difficult to make predictions for the future, we have conducted scenario analysis based on input from key experts in the field. Our findings suggest that technological maturity and regulation will be the two most important factors to observe, while also being very uncertain

Undersøgelse af hvilke 3PL ydelser der kan indgå i Citylogistik ‐ kbh

Denne rapport er udarbejdet af forskere på Institut for Produktion og Erhvervsøkonomi ved Copenhagen Business School til projektet Citylogistik – kbh, som er igangsat af Københavns Kommune og støttet af Trafikstyrelsen og InterregIV‐projektet Øresund Ecomobility. Citylogistik‐kbh projektet skal vurdere mulighederne i at etablere citylogistik med udgangspunkt i et konsolideringscenter uden for bymidten, hvor fra konsoliderede transporter skal servicere den indre bys erhvervsdrivende. Formålet med rapporten er 1) en analyse af mulige aftagere, deres leveringsmønstre samt ønsker til leveringer; og 2) en kortlægning af mulige 3PL ydelser, sammen med en diskussion af aftagernes interesse for samt mulige fordele fra ydelserne samt implikationer for et konsolideringscenter. Konklusionerne fra rapporten bygger på litteraturstudier af citylogistik samt en spørgeskemaundersøgelse blandt aftagerne foretaget af Københavns Kommune og Malmö Högskola

Beyond Task-technology Fit: Exploring Network Value of Blockchain Technology Based on Two Supply Chain Cases

Despite the popularity of blockchain technology in the supply chain domain, cases with adoption beyond the pilot phase are limited. Even though technology fit is essential for blockchain adoption, we find network fit to be equally important for participating companies in a network. This research explores how the network affects value creation beyond a technology fit. Studying two cases, one from the gemstone industry and another from the shipping industry, we use the task technology fit model, network effects, and structural embeddedness as theoretical lenses to explore the fit that leads to the success of blockchain adoption. Our investigation reveals the task technology fit as a prerequisite and shows central organizations acting as initiators in the early phase, trying to extend the network in subsequent phases. Our investigation indicates that the network fit, autonomy, and equivalence of the organizations contributed to the successful adoption of blockchains