A few years ago most production and trading companies maintained their own logistics departments but today most logistic functions are outsourced to logistics service providers. Individualized service packages consisting of different logistic functions (also called Fourth Party Logistics-4PL or Value Added Logistics) have a special standing on the market. It is increasingly necessary to meet the demands for individuality and for the resulting complex planning, development and implementation. Especially small and medium sized enterprises are able to gain competitive market advantages, given their flexibility, specialization and adaptability. Not only the individualization also high specialization, division of tasks and low intensity of services allow organizing the flow of goods more flexible and reacting more effectively to unexpected environmental impacts.

Goals of the research department

• Planning, simulating and optimizing adaptive, fault-robust flows of goods in logistics service provider systems with divided responsibilities
• Controlling, monitoring and backtracking of transport chains by means of integrated identification, localization and sensor systems
• Integrated information exchange across companies via electronic logistics platforms (cloud approach, service orientation, mobile applications)
• Innovative service and business models for future logistics service providers (Value Added logistic, logistics operations)