ALBERT

Notes: Development and management of ports is a major objective of economic development in many countries. As ownership and operations of seaports have traditionally been in the public sector, restructuring has often been slow and frustrating. Public-private partnership has been offered by many as a solution. This paper reviews a project at Pusan port, South Korea where close public-private partnership was the key to success. Relying on the experience gained from the Pusan port, a process model has been offered that many other ports in developing countries can use to achieve successful public-private collaboration.

Notes: In the age of globalization, seaports play a vital role in connecting national supply chains to the global marketplace. Improving port operations has become a priority for many countries. One of the ways to achieve this objective is process reengineering. This paper reviews the IT-enabled reengineering process at Pusan Port, South Korea. The paper examines the issues and problems leading to process reengineering, the steps involved in the reengineering process, and major performance improvements. Lessons learned from the case have been highlighted for the benefit of port planners in developing countries. The case can thus form the baseline on which further adaptation can be made to suit their specific needs.

Notes: European business environment is experiencing major changes. The process of integration in Europe, the GATT agreements, the developments in Eastern Europe, and above all, global competition are pushing European businesses to become more competitive. One area that is receiving increasing attention of managers is logistics. The gradual deregulation of the transport marketplace and the lifting of border controls have added to the efforts to become more efficient in logistics.

Notes: As companies strive to create better value for their customers in today's competitive marketplace, managers are beginning to realize the important role logistics plays. As they seek new ways to compete, one technique that has made headlines in the management community is benchmarking. Discusses the use of benchmarking in logistics in a few companies. Highlights the processes used, the obstacles faced and the gains made in these companies. Also analyses ways in which these obstacles were overcome. Based on these case studies, presents a generalized benchmarking process model, and identifies and discusses the steps involved. Finally, provides practical suggestions for successful implementation of a benchmarking project.

Notes: Purpose - The major goal of this study was to identify the underlying factors of supply chain integration in European firms with particular emphasis on the role of information sharing and interorganizational collaboration. Design/methodology/approach - In order to get an overall view of the state of supply chain integration in European firms, a mail survey was done to investigate the extent and nature of supply chain integration in 149 companies. Using statistical analysis, the study attempts to comprehend if increasing levels of the intensity of supply chain integration show concomitant rise of operational performance. Findings - European firms are starting to be aware of the strategic importance of integration across the boundaries of the supply chain. Both correlation analyses and multiple regression analyses have clearly shown that supply chain integration affects operational performance and the degree of integration also influences cost and efficiency. An interesting and surprising finding from our survey was the significant negative correlation between the length of relationship with suppliers and performance measures such as total logistics costs, on-time delivery and rate of return. While performance has been shown to have improved as a result of collaboration with suppliers and customers alike in areas such as supply chain design, inventory management and customer relationship management (CRM), the nature and extent of integration has been rather selective. Most companies are quite cautious when it comes to sharing sensitive data and rightfully so. Research limitations/implications - In order to obtain more generalizable results, further larger studies of supply chain integration are needed to reveal the impediments for a wider degree of integration and to highlight potential strategies to increase integration across the supply chain. Practical implications - The main findings confirm that comprehensive supply chain integration is more a rhetoric than reality in most European firms. However, we found a clear indication of the value placed by the respondents on integration with key suppliers and customers for performance enhancement. Originality/value - This is the first empirical work measuring the state of supply chain integration in European firms and the challenges faced by them. Supply chain management professionals would have a clearer idea about the areas ripe for collaborative effort.

Notes: As companies strive to create better value for their customers in today's competitive marketplace, managers are begining to realize the important role logistics plays. As they seek new ways to compete, one technique that has made headlines in the management community is benchmarking. Discusses the use of benchmarking in logistics in a few companies. Highlights the processes used, the obstacles faced and the gains made in these companies. Analyses the ways these obstacles were overcome. Based on these case studies, presents a generalized benchmarking process model and identifies and discusses the steps involved. Finally, provides practical suggestions for successful implementation of a benchmarking project.

Notes: Europe is in the midst of major changes that have a significant impact on the business environment. As a result, logistics is undergoing radical redesign in most major European corporations. Relying on case studies, discussions with logistics professionals and contemporary literature, the authors present several propositions which capture the major trends in European logistics. The authors analyze the logistics strategies of leading European companies and offer a methodology for classification of companies according to logistics excellence. Europe as a homogeneous market is far from a reality. In leading companies executives realize the geographical differences and manage logistics accordingly.