Managing Changes in Logistics: Tools and Techniques

Competitive companies in today?s global markets must continuously reconfigure or even re-innovate their logistics systems to meet challenges in both upstream and downstream markets. Nevertheless, research describing how innovative logistics solutions should be generated and implemented is rare; most logistics research is concerned with the content rather than with the process of change. That is, most logistics research aims at describing best or new practices, oftentimes under the labels of lean thinking, supply chain management, etc. While such research is a valuable source of inspiration, logistics managers are left with the challenges of motivating change and choosing, combining and constructing appropriate solutions for their situation, as well as actually implementing those. As the title indicates, this Ph.D. project aims to build tools and techniques to be put into play by logistics managers in processes of strategy (re)formation and change. Focusing on the formation and realization of logistics strategy, this project considers how involving key stakeholders and employing different types of illustrative models may help facilitate change processes. The proposed models range from simulation models used for visualization and constructive prototyping to theoretical frameworks used for reinterpreting existing strategy, thus challenging the mental models of key actors. The project is an action research venture conducted in cooperation with Coloplast A/S. This project is part of CIP?s supply chain management research program, and is also associated with the strategic manufacturing program, as the project is to feed tools and techniques into the Experimental Lab for Production. CIP project group: Linda Nielsen-Englyst (Ph.D. researcher), Professor John Johansen (primary advisor), Professor Harry Boer (associate advisor) Project duration: fall 2000 ? spring 2004