Innovative management of logistics and supply chains: the hard times

Abstract

Logistics and supply chains are under pressure to adapt to volatility in fuel prices and uncertainty generated by globalisation and falling demand due to the current recession. A number of European managers were asked to discuss their supply chains and logistics to see whether they were adapting to these pressures. The intention was to discover a hint of adaptive learning and innovation in their activities. They responded by citing examples from their experience that are categorised in a table. Overall, their response ranged from re-inventing the inventory to route optimisation and reversing the erstwhile emphasis on outsourcing. Dealing with the rising cost of logistics was more intense and revealed relatively more learning and innovative measures. Regarding supply chains, the participants were less excited, but argued that successful logistics depended on successful supply chains which required learning and cooperation. This paper intends to classify and analyse these views using practical examples from the participants' supply chain activities.

Logistics Services Sector and Economic Recession in Greece: Challenges and Opportunities

“…From the very beginning, the economic crisis motivated managers to appreciate cooperation, adaptive learning, and innovation in logistics activities as the appropriate response mechanisms to the pressures of rising cost of logistics and falling global market demand. Re-inventing inventory and analyzing alternative routing options, along with overturning the erstwhile emphasis on outsourcing, were foreseen as viable solutions [45].…”