ARE WE READY TO DISTANCE LEARNING? EXPERIENCES OF DISTANCE LEARNING IN OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT-FOCUSED HIGHER EDUCATION
The importance of e-learning and blended learning in higher education in Hungary has significantly increased in recent years. Students use a variety of online platforms with more or less weight in their studies, in addition to traditional classroom learning. Yet, the world, all walks of life, including, of course, higher education, have been shaken by a series of restrictions on the coronavirus sweeping Europe from the end of winter 2019/2020, including the suspension of traditional contact-based education. In Hungary, the transition to distance learning became necessary in just over a week due to the closure of universities. How did this affect the students? How is the knowledge acquired through distance learning assessed in the operations and supply chain management education? How strong and how weak was this new distance learning system developed for extreme reasons? In our research, we sought answers to the above questions. To this end, we asked our undergraduate and graduate students at Corvinus University of Budapest about our Operations Management (BSc) and Supply Chain Management-focused (MSc) courses (approximately 360 students). In addition to questionnaire research, we compared the student results achieved in previous years to determine whether there is a significant difference between the results of the last semester and those converted to distance learning. According to our hypothesis, distance learning challenged students to independently understand and master the theoretical curriculum. Still, they were more forced to apply a practical perspective in case studies and problem-solving. Key words: distance learning, higher education, operations management, supply chain management, Covid-19
Copyright (c) 2021 Business Logistics in Modern Management
INFLUENCE OF API INTERFACES ON DATA EXCHANGE AND INFORMATION SHARING IN THE TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS SECTOR
The article is based on the research on API interfaces used by logistics service providers and logistics integration platforms. The article shows what API interfaces are in use, compares API vs EDI, what business transactions are supported by API interfaces and what are the reasons of why API is used. The article considers a very important topic of standardization for API and shows th e way how these standards for API can be achieved with a detailed roadmap. Key words: API, EDI, transport, logistics, standardization, semantic data model
LOGISTICS 4.0 – DIGITALIZATION OF THE SUPPLY CHAINS
Constantly changing market needs and the concentration of the entire supply chain on the level of customer service force both in the business and scientific world to seek modern solutions to improve logistics processes. This trend is leading to the transformation of current solutions into intelligent supply chains. The use of modern technologies is aimed at improving logistic processes at the operational level, by shortening the time of execution, minimizing bottlenecks and errors resulting from faulty information flow. With the above aspects in mind, the authors of this article have analysed in depth the structural differences distinguishing logistics 4.0 from the latest technological solutions. Concrete examples show toolkits and actions that optimise logistics processes in an enterprise, supported by intelligent cyber -physical systems providing relevant information, based on full cooperation of the Internet of Things (IoT), to achieve a significant degree of automation. Particular attention has also been paid to the immeasurably important aspect that the human element invariably remains. The basic business requirement is that the systems should be autonomous, people should not be forgotten because they have to plan and take action that cannot or should not be automated. However, in order to meet the requirements and decentralisation, an automated, intelligent and increasingly autonomous flow of assets, goods, materials and information between a point in the logistics ecosystem is crucial. Keywords: Logistics 4.0, supply chain, digitalization, IoT, real time
INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) SOLUTIONS IN SMART TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
To overcome very common problems of the supply chain and transportation management such as uncertainty, cost and complexity, smart transportation management paired with the Internet of Things (IoT) gives one of the plausible solutions for processing lots of data, monitoring products and vehicles. This paper is based on the analysis of a usage of IoT in transportation management, in terms of increasing delivery productivity and improving supply chain performance. The advantages and disadvantages of using embedded Internet technology in transportation management to become smart transportation, as well as capabilities for IoT network security and energy efficiency, are presented. The technical characteristics will be described and compared with technologies used in transportation management. Developing smart transpor tation management enables companies to collect and analyse lots of data, hence big data management will be discussed in combination with IoT and artificial intelligence (AI), where AI is in charge of data preparation in supply chain management and its usag e in smart transportation management. Key words: Internet of things, smart transportation management, network security and privacy, big data
MONITORING OF GOODS-DOCUMENTATION FLOWS IN MODERN LOGISTIC SUPPLY CHAIN, BASED ON BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY
The current supply chains, in fact we can speak of full modern, digital supply chains, are changing in an extremely dynamic way, requiring constant supervision and control of goods flowing through them. This is an extremely important issue for the protection of the health and life of consumers, which in terms of the idea of corporate social responsibility puts people at the center of attention and all business activities must be geared to their needs. Consumer safety is a priority. EU regulations oblige businesses to trace the origin of products in both food and consumer health and life industries. Companies are obliged to set up appropriate identification systems and procedures. They expect that the solutions recommended and implemented for them will not only allow for the correct tracking of the delivery of goods, but also protect against possible image failure due to a lack of control of their origin. The essence of the control of goods-documentation flows is to monitor the movement and origin of the product at each stage of the change of place in the logistic modern supply chain. For this reason, it is very important to monitor the quality and authenticity of the origin of the product in detail, at every stage of its journey, in order to react as quickly as possible in the event of a threat to the health or life of consumers. The maximum response time as well as safety can be ensured by using Blockchain technology for the requirements described above. In this article the authors have focused on the use of Blockchain technology in the implementation of logistics processes, in particular in the process of control of trade in goods and documentation. Key words: blockchain, groceries, supply chain, traceability, GDSN, data sync., master data
EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ICT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Industry 4.0, industrial digitalization, robotics, sustainability, circular economy, eco-efficiency – these are all hot topics for researchers and professionals, as well. Since we are in the era of fourth industrial revolution, companies invest more and more money in tools and solutions that make it possible to connect all their processes, machines, workers and even products into a single network, and to gather data about them and through analyses, achieve high performance and improvement. Keeping up with technological innovation especially in ICT is vital for companies all around the world. Another important issue is sustainability and the concept of circular economy. The greatest challenge of our society is to change our operations in order to live within the limits of our planet. This expectation for change usually emerges from stakeholders of companies, but in order to gain competitive advantage it is important to improve environmental performance and their capability to create and prosper within the circular economy concept. In this paper we would like to explore if there is a connection between ICT development and environmental performance. Could these concepts work together, do companies develop both aspects and use the advances? We investigate how the application of advanced ICT tools effect companies’ environmental performan ce, which will be tested on a database of 300 companies by statistical analyses. The database was collected by the Hungarian Competitiveness Research Centre in 2013. Preliminary results say that the companies in the sample, which are advanced in use of ICT tools both in meaning of extension of usage and variety of tools, lay significantly higher emphasis on auditing environmental activity, introducing an accounting system which is capable to assess environmental expenses, and formulating environmental criteria for suppliers than those who are less advanced in ICT. Key words: ICT, Industry 4.0, environmental performance
CORPORATE CULTURE IN RELATION TO A SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS ORGANIZATION
The rapidly changing global environment in which logistics organizations operate requires an appropriate and rapid organizational response and, consequently, an appropriate corporate culture. Due to the increasing awareness of environmental issues, organizations are being forced to take measures aimed at reducing environmental impacts and optimizing the use of resources. There is also an urgent need for greater social equality, which requires organizations to adapt their businesses, apply modern approaches to management, and change their organizational culture from what was considered successful not long ago. Organizational culture is a common philosophy of employees in every organization, and it includes stakeholders and the environment of the organization. The purpose of this research was to examine what an organizational culture that supports the concept of sustainability should look like. A qualitative approach, based on documentary analysis of previously studied theories of corporate culture and concepts of a sustainable organization, was used. The results show that the right choice of organizational culture typology is of great importance in integrating sustainability into the organization. A sustainably oriented organization must also have a strong organizational culture in place, but it must be continuously nurtured, upgraded, and explored. Key words: corporate culture, organizational culture, sustainable organization, management
CROATIAN URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS IN 2020: SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY SURVEY
Faced with a variety of challenges generated by growing urbanization, cities worldwide aim at redesigning their transportation systems and making them more efficient, better integrated and sustainable. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the current state of Croatian urban transportation systems in such a context. The survey of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Project 2.0 by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development was implemented in capturing the perspective of the local population (N=2484). Transportation systems’ users are key stakeholders in achieving urban transportation system sustainability. Their behaviour provides useful input for city planners, transportation service providers and destination management. The mobility patterns, behaviour and attitudes of urban residents are therefore used as indicators of the functioning, accessibility, multimodality and integration of urban transportation systems. Regardless of the fact that most respondents commute daily, the majority of respondents do not feel restricted by the available urban mobility options. Reliance on cars in everyday travel is not surprising, and this option is followed by a substantial share of respondents using public transportation (PT) and walking. Other alternative options are only partially utilized (bike sharing, car sharing and combinations of modes are not considered a viable option for most) and only a small proportion of respondents display intermodal habits. Practical and social implications based on research findings also take research limitations (foremost the convenience sample) into consideration. Further research should build on this research and emphasize urban transportation options in the context of urban tourism. Key words: urban transportation systems, urban mobility, mobility patterns, Croatian urban mobility systems
CONFIGURATION OF PRODUCTION ENTERPRISES SUPPLY CHAINS BY THE CUSTOMER
Companies that are in the supply chain of a product are usually quite conservative in their changes, and supply chains are stable and unchangeable because all participants in the chain are partners. On the one hand, this is a positive characteristic of chains, on the other hand, it prevents formation of such a property of chains as flexibility in relation to products` customers. Customers determine demand characteristics, but they depend on both external and internal factors. This circumstance forces supply chains to look for the ways of implementing the flexibility characteristics in relation to customers. In this paper, a concept for developing supply chain flexibility i s considered. A mechanism for its implementation was tested when configuring supply chains with the customers` participation. It is estimated that this will allow us to solve the issues of manufacturing orders within the framework of the main requirements of customers in terms of price, speed and quality in an order follow -up due to the fact that a customer directly affects formation of the supply chain in the process of order. Key words: supply chains, flexibility, order, customer, individualized products, demand, production enterprise.
PRODUCTIVITY ANALYSIS OF RETAIL TRADE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND SERBIA USING THE AHP-TOPSIS METHOD
Measuring retail trade has received considerable attention in both theory and practice. Taking up this important issue, this paper analyses retail trade productivity by means of the AHP-TOPSIS method. The empirical research has shown varying retail trade productivity across different countries in Europe. For example, in 2016, retail trade productivity measured as sales per employee in Luxemburg, Belgium and the Netherlands exceeded the EU average. It can be seen from the decision matrix rankings obtained using the TOPSIS method that in 2016 in terms of retail productivity, the European Union seen as a single market ranked first, followed by individual countries: Malta ranked second, Luxembourg ranked third, while Germany was fourth. As for some countries in transition in South-Eastern Europe, Slovenia came 11th, Croatia came 23ndand Serbia came 18th. The application of new business models in retail trade varies across countries and, as a result, so does their retail productivity. Key words: efficiency, factors, trade, Serbia, AHP-TOPSIS method.
ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION INTEGRATION IN CRM SYSTEMS FOR SMES FOR THE NEEDS OF OMNICHANNEL RETAILING
The basic theoretical omnichannel paradigm is full information integration of all retail channels. The authors try to answer the following research question: to what extent are modern CRM systems adapted to support omnichannel retailing in the range of information flow? The article aims to identify and evaluate conduct practices related to the acquisition, storage and sharing of information in CRM system retail channels from the perspective of possibilities offered by this class of software. The research was conducted using a survey method. The subject of the study are customer relationship management (CRM) systems for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The research entity are logistic companies that use CRM class software for multi-channel distribution. The result of the research is the assessment of the usability of CRM systems in terms of business needs posed by global competition in the field of multi-channel distribution. The authors point to the need to develop CRM systems in terms of their systemic and functional integration with business partners in the supply chain. Due to the large number of CRM systems available on the software market, the article focuses only on systems dedicated to SMEs. The results of the study include conclusions for designers and distributors of CRM systems regarding omnichannel information features of their IT applications. The authors' next research intention is to carry out similar research on CRM systems for large enterprises (analysis of similarities and differences). Key words: omnichannel, information integration, customer relationship management (CRM) system, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), surveys
PANEL ANALYSIS OF WAREHOUSING ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE IN 13 NEW EU MEMBER STATES
Warehousing and transportation support activities are an important part of the overall transportation sector. COVID-19 outbreak requires a prediction of future risks contingent in the overall economic predicament. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the analysis of possible adverse effects of this crisis on the Warehousing activity. We analysed a 10-year panel from 2008 to 2017 of 13 latest European Union member countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia, and their data representing the “Warehousing and support activities for transportation” of the overall “Transportation and storage sector”. We differenced the data to achieve stationarity and to lose the idiosyncratic effects present in the coefficients. We regressed the variables representing the overall economy on warehousing and transportation support activities. The null hypothesis of no-causation may be rejected for most causal conjectures with three successive test methods: Panel Pairwise Granger Causality test, Panel Estimated Generalized Least Squares with Fixed Effects, and Panel Generalized Method of Moments with First Differences. We conclude the changes in the overall economy have an impact on warehousing and transportation support activities in terms of its value added. Key words: warehousing, transportation support activities, panel analysis.
IMPROVING SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE THROUGH METHODS OF FAST ADAPTATION TO SUDDEN DEMAND SHIFTS IN THE TIME OF CRISIS
Supply chain resilience is a topic long discussed, however, spread of the newly emerged COVID-19 virus pandemic in 2020 and subsequent application of measures to deal with it had strong impact on supply chains. One of the challenges of 2020, which companies had to face, was a sudden change in demand. While commonly known forecasting methods are able to estimate demand that behaves according to the historical experience, need for different approach to sudden shifts in demand both up and down, arose. Research into comparison of such methods was carried out and they were tested on data from the outbreak of COVID-19 virus pandemic crisis in the Czech Republic, when applied measures and concerns of people caused a significant change that had impact on the demand for various goods. Key words: supply chain, supply chain resilience, demand forecasting, Covid-19, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE)
CONTEMPORARY SCIENTIFIC LANDSCAPE OF THE BULLWHIP EFFECT RESEARCH
There are several researchers working with the questions of supply chain management and the bullwhip effect. The goal of this paper is presenting the different organizations investigating this topic. These institutions relate to each other on several angles. Research and publications are also made in cooperation between them. These relations can influence the concept used in the different research groups. This study aims to define the most significant schools of bullwhip effect and scientific network behind. The main authors of the topic can be determined as well. It is also important to see how the main researchers are influencing the cooperation landscape. This article is investigating these connections considering both the most significant researchers of the topic and the research groups. Basis of this study is dimension s database and the VOSviewer program is used to visualize the scientific landscape. Using this method, the connection and cooperation can be visualized. This research is a literature review from the perspective of network generated by the publications anal ysing bullwhip effect and supply chain management. There is potential to further extend the scope of the study by involving connected areas such as performance measurement. The investigation can point out whether bullwhip effect researchers are extending t he scope with the performance measurement systems or the other way around. This will also answer the question how the key performance indicators in use measure bullwhip effect based on literature. It will also reflect on the direction of research between theory and practice. Key words: literature mapping, bullwhip effect, scientific landscape, performance measurement
TIMELINE-BASED NETWORK ANALYSIS OF A PUBLICATION SAMPLE RELATED TO PACKAGING VIBRATION TESTING
Records of search queries can often be exported from scientific databases, most of them contain the record of citations, as well. However, it is ineffective to register the citation relationships among publications manually, so the reader might lean on the number of citations when looking for leading publications. One can be interested in trend-setting publications or the primary columns of the discipline in terms of publications. Beneath the conventional literature reviews, helpful solutions are available to assist the reader in similar questions. Network visualizations in bibliographic analyses have long-established practices, offering appealing tools to visualize complex connection systems constituted by different bibliometric couplings. The current paper investigates the direct citation network of a sample drawn from the Web of Science scientific database in the relation of a particular research field concerning road induced vibrations from a packaging testing perspective. The sample consists of 46 publications embracing 28 years as of date. Core publications are identified first, supplemented by qualitative contextual reviews, followed by main path analysis. The assays attempt to estimate the main research topics of the investigated discipline by the given sample. Key words: Direct citation network, Timeline-based network, Main path analysis, Road vehicle vibration, Packaging vibration testing
NETWORK ORIENTATION IN LOGISTICS SERVICE INDUSTRY: CONCEPTUALIZATION AND OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTS
Logistics firms do not have all resources needed to carry out their activities. Resource scarcity is particularly conspicuous in the case of means of transport, and increasingly in warehouses or reloading facilities. The logistics services are therefore delivered by many interdependent firms that co-ordinate their work with subcontractors in a multi-level complex structure. Logistics service providers collaborate with direct or indirect suppliers, but also customers and in some cases competitors. A complex picture of multiple relationships emerges, forming a network of co-operating firms. Managers can use of network relationships to mobilize other organizations’ resources in order to improve performance. Their attitude directed at seizing opportunities embedded in inter-organizational networks is called network orientation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of network orientation. We synthesize and operationalize theoretical constructs relative to network orientation, and explain how competitive advantage of logistics enterprises can be created through networks. To our best knowledge this study is first to explain the mechanism of competitive advantage formation in logistics enterprises using network orientation. We propose a structured composition of the network orientation concept and contribute to further develop logistics industry research and practice by providing a reflective analysis, inspiration and guidance. Key words: network orientation, logistics service industry, competitive advantage
THE AGE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF POLISH ROAD TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES
In this paper we study the relationships between the age of the road transportation companies registered in Poland in a period between 2013 and 2017 and their performance. The sample for this study is obtained from Emerging Markets Information Service and comprise 8,723 observations relating to 2,367 road transportation companies. We chose the growth of sales and the profitability ratios, namely return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA) as proxies for the performance of studied companies. We employ in our research Kendall tau-b and Spearman rho coefficients. The obtained empirical results indicate a negative and statistically significant relationships between the age of studied companies and their growth of sales and the profitability. For business practitioners it means that younger road transportation companies outperform their older peers, in terms of both: the growth of sales and the profitability. Very low p-values confirm our results are robust. The paper ends with managerial implication and advantages following from the applied analysis, limitations of the study and indications for further research. Key words: age, performance, growth, profitability, road transportation
TRAFFIC DEMAND DEVELOPMENT ON CROATIAN MOTORWAYS
The aim of this paper is to research and analyse traffic demand development on Croatian motorways in the period from 2007 to 2018. The purpose of the paper is to produce a forecast of traffic demand dev elopment on Croatian motorways until the year 2030 based on the noticed trends. Research results are based on descriptive statistics methods and on the average growth rate method. Major findings of this paper can be of help to traffic managers of all level s. Key words: traffic, motorways, traffic demand
ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM OF TRANSPORT SPACE INDICATORS AS A BASIS FOR MANAGING THE MACROTERRITORIES SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT
The article covers the aspects of transport networks from the point of view of the spatial paradigm and defines the main priority directions of their development, taking into account the modern requirements of society. The article is devoted to t he main aspects and the role of forming a system of indicators of transport space in the context of society's transition to the sustainable development principles. The article analyzes foreign methods for assessing the effectiveness of territories developm ent. Conceptual model of the system of indicators of transport development of territories is proposed. Ontologies are used as the basis for an explanation of key concepts to obtain the objective assessments of the current state of the transport space, the prospects for its development and the impact on the competitiveness of the entire territory. The article offers a comprehensive approach to the description of transport in large territories based on the systematization of transport indicators assessment. Key words: transport accessibility, transport availability, sustainable development, macro-territory, indicators of transport space
GROWTH, PROFITABILITY AND LIQUIDITY OF POLISH ROAD TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES
Fast growth of road transportation companies registered in Poland, whose fleet has become the largest in European Union has yet not received sufficient attention. Here relationships of profitability and financial liquidity and a company growth of sales for 2367 road transportation companies registered in Poland in period 2013 -2017 are studied. The static, linear, symptomatic and mezoeconomic econometric model is proposed and the analysis is based on the moving quartile, Spearman rho and Kendall tau-b coefficients and multi-segment piecewise-linear approximation with Theil-Sen trend lines. The relationships between the growth of sales and considered factors are not uniform and depend on a factor rage. The results of this study postu late positive relationship between the profitability and the growth of sales in a given range for studied companies. The optimum financial liquidity to increase the growth of sales for road transportation companies registered has been identified. Managerial implications and advantages following from the applied analysis are given. Key words: growth, profitability, financial liquidity, road transportation
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION – ECONOMIC AND LEGAL VIEWPOINT FROM CROATIA AND TURKEY
In today's global economy, multimodal transport systems have become the pillar of international trade. Multimodal transportation is a strategic type of transportation that includes companies' costs and many other advantages, as well as the vital importance of countries' ecological and port traffic development. Th eir main objective is the reduction of overall transport and handling costs within the supp ly chain while at the same time trying to respond to the demand for just-in-time, door-to-door cargo services. Multimodal transportation to the EU transport policy wants to establish mobility that will be sustainable, environment-friendly, and energy-efficient. These objectives can be accomplished by multimodal transport of the people and goods that optimally blends the different methods of transport by maximizing each one's strength and diminishing the weaknesses. Various national and international bodies try to create multimodality policies and regulations for securing better incorporation of the different transport modes and creating better interoperability at all transport system levels. The paper aims to examine legal and economic viewpoints on multimodal transportation and to identify their impact and barriers for further development in Croatia and Turkey. The first part of the paper gives a literature review about multimodal transport from the economic and legal viewpoint. The second part of the paper examines the current situation in Croatia and Turkey. Finally, in the last section, conclusions and the proposals for further research are given. Key words: multimodal transportation, economic viewpoint, legal regulation, policies, Croatia, Turkey
APPLICATION OF THE MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS FOR THE RAILWAY ROUTE EVALUATION AND SELECTION
After a detailed analysis of each railroad route alternative, the problem of route evaluation in the process of planning and designing is reduced to making a decision concerning its optimal selection. In this article the authors emphasize the significance of the reconstruction of the railroad route connection for the development of the North Adriatic Ports, Rijeka, Koper and Trieste. The most important project related to North Adriatic Port’s railway transport system is the construction of a new high-efficiency railroad which will connect the ports of Rijeka, Koper and Trieste. The construction of a new high-efficiency railway will create a significant shortening of railroad links of South East Europe with its central and western parts and will improve the conditions of traffic exploitation of the North Adriatic transport route. The objective of this paper is to show that the application of the multi-criteria analysis can lead to conclusions regarding the evaluation and selection of the appropriate railroad transport route. In order to fulfill the research obje ctive, a model comprising criteria and sub-criteria for railroad route evaluation is defined. The proposed model was used for the evaluation of the railway route Rijeka-Koper-Trieste by applying the PROMETHEE II method for multi-criteria ranking of alternatives. Key words: railway transport system, North Adriatic Ports, multi-criteria analysis, railway route evaluation.
AIR-RAIL COMBINED TRANSPORT OF GOODS WITHIN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
The main objective of this article is to evaluate and assess the possibilities of combined transport of goods with a special focus on non-traditional interconnection of air-rail transport modalities. The framework for this research is determined with two aspects - the aspect of environmentally friendly and sustainable transport and logistic solutions and the geographical aspect which focuses on the region of EU 27 (except of Malta) and the United Kingdom. Using the regression model, we attempt to confirm the dependence between the air transport performance in tonne-kilometres (Tkm) and the quality or availability of railway infrastructure (length of railways in km), the GDP per capita and the volumes of Intratrade import and export within the above geographical area. The existence of direct relationship between the length of the railways in km and the air transport performance in Tkm cou ld confirm the complementary effect of these two transport modalities and it could be an evidence of the possibility of combined air-rail transport solutions. Thanks to the complementarity of the air transport with the rail transport modality, the aspect of environmentally friendly combined transport can also be emphasized since the rail transport is considered ecological. The very existence of this regression model also says that there is a kind of interconnection between these two modes of transport and it also could imply the feasibility of combined air-rail transport solutions. Further research will deal with the dynamics of changes in the interrelationship between air and rail transport over the period of several past years with implications for the future and with the purpose of trying to contribute to the possible development of air-rail combined transport within the EU countries. Key words: Air Transport, Railways, Combined Transport of Goods, Aspect of Ecology
CONCEPTUAL MODELING FOR DISCRETE SIMULATION OF SUPPLY CHAIN
Modeling and simulation is very powerful technique for studying complex systems. There exists increased concern of this phenomenon, generally through workshops, conferences and special journal issues during last several decades. Despite a number of case studies and books written, there is still some gap within methodology of modeling itself. Plenty of authors concerns much more on particular simulation study, its system and results and they do not dedicate a lot of attention to the methodology. The aim of this article is scope on the conceptual modeling for discrete-event simulation for supply chains as a vital part of whole simulation study. It concerns about the framework of conceptual modeling and conceptual model and their definitions and requirements and gives a guidance on conceptual modeling independently of the computer model coding.
THE FORMS AND CONDITIONS OF SUCCESSFUL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN THE METAL AND MACHINERY SUPPLY CHAINS
According to a basic theory of sociology conflict belongs to life so it belongs to business life as well. If we face this view logically the next step is how companies avoid the unnecessary conflicts and how they handle inevitable conflicts. Our empirical paper suggests several successful conflict management methods which were identified through qualitative methodology. In depth interviews managers from the metal industry and machinery supply chains explain their experiences and failures regarding conflict management. We found that business actors do their best to avoid legal procedure as conflict resolution. They prefer different informal tactics for managing conflict such as better communication or personal discussion. However formal solutions are becoming increasingly important. For example nowadays a used complex enterprise resource planning (ERP) software heavily determines actions and timing of actions upon deviation from normal or agreed business processes which leaves little room for human words and reflection. We suggest some proven methods for successful conflict management. Based on our results and experiences a larger scale, quantitative survey could give more general results.
EVALUATION OF THE VEHICLE REPAIR SUBSYSTEM WITH MARKOV MODELS
Analysis and evaluation of repair subsystem in the transport system is extremely important. It has a direct impact on the quality of performed tasks and the readiness level of surveyed organization. It also enables to identify factors that have a negative impact on the repair process, its duration and quality. These include e.g. waiting times for spare parts, for specialists (mechanics) or free repair stations (channels), as well as availability of equipment or tools necessary for implementation of renewal procedures. The level of training, knowledge and experience of mechanics, which can be key to the success of planned repairs, is also extremely important. This article presents an analysis of the example of repair subsystem. The Markov models were used for diagnostics, which enabled to determine the probability limit values of duration of the operating states distinguished in this subsystem and, on this basis, to determine the imperfections of implemented processes and possibility of their improvement.
FRANCHISING AND LOGISTICS: WAY TO GROW OR NOT
Logistics as an important part of the company’s operations were going through different phases of development in order to fulfill the demands of the companies. Logistic operators needed to develop and to grow with their business and to expand internationally. When companies reached that phase, they needed to decide how to expand nationally or internationally. Franchising is one of the most popular business models for the expansion and growth of businesses. As a business model franchising is present in almost every industrial sector worldwide. The main aim of the paper is to examine if the franchising business model is an appropriate way for logistics companies to grow and to give a review of current franchise networks in the logistics sector. In the first part of the paper, we will present what franchising is and its influence on the world economy. In the second part of the paper, we will present a literature review about franchising potentials in logistics. In the third part of the paper several logistics companies will be analyzed and their attitude toward franchising as a growth business model. Finally, in the last part, conclusions and the proposals for further research will be presented.
CHANGES IN SUPPLY CHAINS IN THE LIGHT OF EMERGING MARKET PROCUREMENT
Purchases and supply chain management are the fields, which have become one of the key element of any business activity in the recent years. Taking into account the beginning of the 21st century and its revolutionary changes in the business management, it is difficult to imagine the successful future of any enterprise operating on the modern market, already involved or integrated into the global competition, without any business support obtained by purchasing procedures. This also applies to the Polish companies, that without any modern purchasing development and widely shaped by the modern logistic megatrends, are currently unable to compete with others anymore. One of such 'megatrend' is transformation in logistics models (placement of business centres in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, namely to emerging markets), which directly influence functioning and the shape of supply chains and their individual elements. Thus, the supply chains have become more multidimensional and complex but still adapted to changing business environment, whereas global purchasing trends have become a difficult challenge for companies in the conditions of a modern, turbulent and very competitive global environment. In this respect, the author of this paper is making a pioneering attempt to indicate the changes in supply chains, which occurred as a result of the development of procurement in emerging markets (as for example modifications of the structure and number of foreign suppliers and ways to obtain general information about them, factors which inspire establishing cooperation as well as changes in the kinds of transport used and kinds of loading units). The above mentioned goal was achieved through comparison of the author's own surveys data carried out in 2012 and 2018. The studies were conducted on a group of 120 people - managers in the manufacturing companies responsible for supply chains management. The research method was based on electronic surveys, while a survey questionnaire made the research tool.
THE ECONOMIC DIMENSION OF THE OUTSOURCING APPLICATION IN THE FIELD OF SELECTED LOGISTICS SERVICES BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE EUROPEAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
The aim of the article is to present the subject of economic aspects of outsourcing in the field of selected logistics services on the example of the automotive industry. The verification of the following research hypothesis was used to achieve this goal. Outsourcing in the scope of selected logistic services may lead to measurable economic benefits in the form of reduced costs of logistic services. The implementation of this task required the author to apply appropriate research methods and techniques, such as: analysis of available literature sources and internal materials, methods of induction and deduction, and interview methods (computer-assisted telephone interviewing), in order to demonstrate economic benefits from the use of outsourcing in relation to selected logistic services. The direct recipients of the research results, apart from researchers dealing with the outsourcing and logistics of services, will also be entities from the automotive market, which at the current stage are considering the possibility of implementing the discussed concept in terms of planned organizational changes.
DISCRETE-EVENT SIMULATION OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
Procurement in the field of defence is a complicated and long-term process, whose success strongly depends on the corresponding legislation of the EU level, state level and internal directives of the MoD. Despite this fact, there are several possibilities for how to make public procurement within the MoD more efficient. The aim of this paper is to show the critical points of the public contracts awarding process and find out the options for its improvement by using discrete-event simulation as a technique for analysis of the current system built up the statistics data. The final experiment brings possible scenarios for decision-makers (the MoD contracting authorities) related to the adjustment of the logistical channel structure and its specific procedures timing in order to improve the system of public procurement within (not only) the MoD and its efficiency.