The ISO 9000 series of quality management systems standards, introduced in 1986, has been adopted at over 560,000 locations worldwide. Anecdotal evidence suggests that firms can achieve internal benefits such as quality or productivity improvements or that certification can help firms maintain or increase their market share, or both. Others argue that the standard is too generic to cause performance improvement but can be seen as a signal of good management. In this paper, we track financial performance from 1987 to 1997 of all publicly traded ISO 9000 certified manufacturing firms in the United States with SIC codes 2000--3999, and test whether ISO 9000 certification leads to productivity improvements, market benefits, and improved financial performance. We employ event-study methods, matching each certified firm to a control group of one or more noncertified firms in the same industry with similar precertification size and/or return on assets. We find that firms' decision to seek their first ISO 9000 certification was indeed followed by significant abnormal improvements in financial performance, though the exact timing and magnitude of this effect depend on the specification of the control group. Three years after certification, the certified firms do display strongly significant abnormal performance under all control-group specifications. The degree to which the precise results vary across control-group specifications indicates that event studies should always include extensive sensitivity analysis, for instance matching by size and performance separately and jointly, using both single firms and portfolios as controls.

The financial impact of ISO 9000 certification in the United States: An empirical analysis

This paper explains a model that is a choice if transport made by shippers, as well as their total demand for transportation services. The choice of the mode is shown to involve a trade-off among freight rates, speed, dependability and enroute loss. The paper provides a simplified model which seeks to describe the essentials of the economic foundations of freight shipment decisions.

An inventory theoretic model of freight transport demand. in: transport logistics

Authors are very grateful to the information, data and technical discussions provided by Patentes Talgo S.A. (Spain). This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (Spanish Government) under research project ENE-2016-78509-C3-2-P; Ministerio de Educacion (Spanish Government) under grant FPU17/02753 and especially EU FEDER funds.
This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, Spanish Government) under research project ENE-2016-78509-C3-2-P; Ministerio de Educacion through grant FPU17/02753 and EU FEDER funds. Authors have also received funds from these grants for covering the costs to publish in open access.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/17/3605/pdf

Analysis, Evaluation and Simulation of Railway Diesel-Electric and Hybrid Units as Distributed Energy Resources

Finland state of logistics 2014

Blockchain technology is mainly implemented in the financial services. However, there are more and more companies from different industries considering the possibility of using this technology. Potential benefits of blockchain are also recognized in logistics management. In sea shipping similar to other transport modes the application of blockchain-based solutions is still a new phenomenon. The paper presents a growing interest in blockchain technology in the area of transport and logistics and in maritime logistics in particular. The main aim of the paper is to classify current and planned applications of blockchain technology in sea shipping. To achieve this goal, two research methods were used: web content analysis and multi-case study. The results show that there are several container shipowners active in the blockchain projects, however, in terms of tonnage, they represent as much as 84% of the world's container fleet. Four main ways of developing blockchain technology in the field of maritime logistics management are distinguished: shipowner’s projects, ICT providers’ projects, supply chain operators’ projects, dedicated consortia projects. The main fields within which blockchain technology is currently tested or already implemented are identified as: contracting and documentation flow (e.g. Bill of Lading), smart contracts, container/cargo track-and-trace, marine insurance, ship register system, bunker tracking system, crew certification system. The results of the paper have some managerial implications. They can help in making strategic decisions by sea shipping companies and maritime logistics operators to decide if it is worth to engage in such projects and choose the best option for themselves.

/pdf/application-of-blockchain-technology-in-maritime-logistics-341n6glr08.pdf

Application of blockchain technology in maritime logistics

The e-commerce industry has been developing extremely dynamically for many years. This development was intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the research conducted by the authors of this paper, in Poland, during the pandemic, the number of delivered parcels increased 20–100%, depending on the courier company. The research of the authors of this article focused on the energy efficiency of the last mile, which is very important for the efficiency of the entire delivery process to customers. As the authors calculated, the last mile can consume over 70% of energy of the whole distribution channel. The article presents the results of research concerning the energy efficiency of deliveries performed by couriers and express companies in Poland. Two models of distribution used Poland have been compared—direct deliveries to final customers, and deliveries to parcel lockers. The research methods are interviews with the managers and couriers, analysis of the literature, and the simulation method. According to the results of the simulations performed by the authors, distribution with the use of parcels lockers can help reduce the consumption of fuel even by 74–87% per parcel or 36% per m3. Apart from this, the authors calculated the impact of scale of operations on the energy efficiency of the transport processes on the last mile, which is an indirect effect of the growth of the e-commerce market, caused by the pandemic. Based on the results of the original research of the authors, it can be assessed that the growth of the number of the delivered parcels during the pandemic resulted in the consumption of fuel per one parcel being reduced in some cases by over 36%. The novelty of the authors’ research is that the conducted simulations regarded not only the efficiency of the processes, but also the energy consumption in delivering parcels at the last mile and during the pandemic.

The Energy Efficiency of the Last Mile in the E-Commerce Distribution in the Context the COVID-19 Pandemic

DOI 10.17818/NM/2017/1.6 UDK 656.02 (438) Preliminary communication / Prethodno priopćenje Paper accepted / Rukopis primljen: 23. 2. 2016. Bogusz Wiśnicki Transport Engineering and Economics Faculty Maritime University of Szczecin Poland e-mail: b.wisnicki@am.szczecin.pl Dariusz Milewski Department of Transport Systems and Policy Faculty of Management and Economics of Services University of Szczecin e-mail: dariusz.milewski@wzieu.pl

/pdf/the-concept-of-the-development-of-intermodal-transport-397u3jqx96.pdf

The Concept of the Development of Intermodal Transport Network Illustrated by Polish Market

The paper presents the problem of the impact of the competitiveness of maritime transport on the efficiency of global supply chains on the example of the apparel industry. With the use of a model developed by the authors, simulations of the profitability of the sourcing in low-costs countries (Bangladesh, China) have been conducted. The model takes into account the specificity of the apparel industry, parameters of cargo, value of goods, and demand characteristics. If freight rates for maritime transport services were to increase significantly, the profitability of production in the Far East compared to local or regional production would be lower particularly for cheaper products. The level of these freight rates is not the main factor of the efficiency of this strategy. Simulations revealed, that changes of costs of production has greater impact on this profitability. In the garment market the possibility of quick response to demand is often more important than costs. The calculations were made on the basis of data obtained from Polish companies, which order production in countries with low production costs and transport garment in containers by sea and from transport and logistics operators.

/pdf/the-efficiency-of-a-supply-chain-with-the-use-of-maritime-23qghq6406.pdf

The efficiency of a supply chain with the use of maritime transport on the example of the apparel industry

Logistyka - podejście systemowe, czyli całościowe

The supply chain strategy has a significant impact on energy consumption. This strategy determines the location of individual links in the chain (suppliers, producers, distributors), which affects the costs of logistics processes, including, in particular, transport processes. Currently, due to the rapid increase in fuel prices, the issue of energy consumption in the supply chains is becoming increasingly important. The aim of the article is to present the impact of the increase in fuel and energy costs on the costs of logistics processes and, as a result, on the profitability of different supply chain strategies. The profitability of changing from global to local sources of supply as a result of rising energy prices was especially taken into account. The article presents the results of interviews from enterprises carried out by the authors and the results of simulations carried out using a model developed by the authors. The need to conduct such research resulted from the existing research gap and the need to take into account contemporary changes and conditions. The research was conducted in a period of rapid increase in fuel and energy costs. Both the research conducted by the method of interviews, as well as the calculations and simulations indicated that despite a very large increase in rates for transport services, especially in maritime transport, it is still not profitable to relocate production from the Far East to Europe.

/pdf/implications-of-increasing-fuel-costs-for-supply-chain-1v4b1ssw.pdf

Dariusz Milewski

Papers

The Energy Efficiency of the Last Mile in the E-Commerce Distribution in the Context the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Concept of the Development of Intermodal Transport Network Illustrated by Polish Market

The efficiency of a supply chain with the use of maritime transport on the example of the apparel industry

Logistyka - podejście systemowe, czyli całościowe

Implications of Increasing Fuel Costs for Supply Chain Strategy