Competitive business models to meet future demands on sustainable logistics systems
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Linköpings universitet - Institutionen för ekonomisk och industriell utveckling |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 7 995 710 |
| Project duration | July 2008 - December 2011 |
| Status | Completed |
Important results from the project
Competitive business models to meet future demands on sustainable logistics systemsThe aim is to create and transfer knowledge on how logistics firms can improve their future competitiveness. Environmental and sustainability considerations will become more important in the future, and the project addresses how these aspects can be incorporated with other business goals. The project initially focuses the following areas: 1.Competitive business models for the logistics firms, where environmental and sustainability considerations enforce the market position and in a clear way become part of the offering to customers. 2. Controlling and measuring the environmental and sustainable development in the firm must be consistent from the company strategy (company board, strategic control measurements) throughout the activities (control and planning of flows and operations). 3. A business relevant financial evaluation of the effects of changing environmental effects, where models for describing environmental effects of alternative offerings in financial terms are developed.
Expected long term effects
Maintaining a widened systems view of the logistics system of logistics companies as well as shippers, new roles and options can be identified that can promote a more sustainable development, and simultaneously strengthen the competitiveness among logistics firms as well as shippers.
Approach and implementation
Knowledge is created through traditional research methods. A pilot study and a descriptive survey starts initiates the data collection, in parallel with literature studies. Based on their results more detailed questions are developed, and about 9 case studies are performed. Based on these a number of hypotheses are generated and tested in a larger survey study. Research results are transferred regularly to practitioners through the projects Think-tanks, i.e. in structured seminars with altering mixes of firms. In these seminars results from the ongoing research are validated, and new ideas and questions from the practitioners are regularly communicated into the research process.