Transformation of Distribution Logistics Management in the Digitalization of the Economy

Abstract

A problem predicted by experts with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is that many markets, in particular, the restaurant market, the tourism market, and the entertainment market, will face long-term stagnation in the near future due to outflow of financial resources. On the other hand, even though the standards of social interactions have changed, the basic needs of modern society for nourishing and varied food, entertainment and experiences cannot disappear as a result of a pandemic. The goal of our study consisted of gaining insights into the new hybrid practices of logistics and customer services that business needs to master in the new environment, combining offline and online activities. We have found that success in the market is achieved by organizations that regularly generate new entrepreneurial, scientific and technical ideas and consolidate their own and attracted resources to create, develop and launch new products, services and technologies on the market. Employing analytical methods, we have characterized the drivers of the transformation of distribution logistics management in the context of the digitalization of the economy, concluding that this process primarily affects the management of distribution channels. The features of transformation in the management of international distribution channels are studied. The requirements for logistics management in this functional area of management are defined.

Innovations in the T&L (Transport and Logistics) Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sweden, Germany and Poland

“…Some researchers have realized that innovation is the most effective way to achieve this goal and have focused their interest and research potential on it [30]. Despite the relatively large number of publications in the sector, according to the authors, there is still a lack of sufficiently insightful primary research, which is not a case study of one company (such as [31]), one country (such as [32]) or based on secondary data (such as [33]). It should be emphasized that the conclusions presented in the paper are based on research conducted in three countries and concerning as many as 1597 economic entities, which is very rare in scientific papers.…”

“…In this case, the role of large international organizations such as the EU is very important, which should pay attention to the possibility of securing and guaranteeing companies that follow the path of innovation in research and development [21]. On a smaller scale, individual national governments should also stimulate such policies, while the research shows that only 50% of the countries make intensive use of innovation policies with external organizations (31.8% as supporters of cooperation and 18.2% as open collaborators) [33,63].…”

The Misunderstanding of China’s Investment, and a Clarification: “Faustian Bargain” or “Good Bargain”? On the OFDI Data of Central and Eastern Europe

“…There is a view in Western academic circles that the behavior of Chinese companies brings corruption, suggesting that Chinese investment may have a worse impact on local regulation and the control of corruption. Furthermore, we studied some other literature on international capital flows, the transformation of economic digitalization, and technological and innovation influence [68][69][70][71]. Based on this, Hypothesis 2 is proposed: Hypothesis 2 (H2).…”

Logistics and Agri-Food: Digitization to Increase Competitive Advantage and Sustainability. Literature Review and the Case of Italy

“…Logistics integration shared by companies is a major goal [13]; by closely coordinating different logistics activities along the supply chain [14], it is possible to optimize the flow of materials with customer requirements, thereby increasing reliability and speed of response to market. In addition, the role of digitization in logistics can greatly improve sustainability, as shown in several recent research papers [15][16][17][18] For these reasons, the present paper aims at analyzing the specificity of logistics at the level of strategic management through an extensive literature review, along with the ways in which digitization can help to improve specific aspects of both efficiency and sustainability, with a particular focus on the agri-food sector.…”