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The development of global supply chains, market liberalization, and new business trends have contributed to creating more competition in the market and increasing demand. Logistics companies strive to generate revenue by providing services of a higher scope and level of quality, while cost minimization is often associated with a system of calculating salaries and employee benefits. The fluctuation of workers is one of the current problems faced by a large number of companies, so the development of a system that will improve conditions and motivate workers is very important. The paper proposes a model for evaluating work performance and calculating bonuses for employees in the warehouse. The model considers the main performance indicators that refer to work engagement in terms of the number of picked items and presence at the workplace. The sensitivity analysis of the model established the convenience and universality of the application.

Improvements in battery technology make electric vehicles more and more suitable for the use as electricity storages. Many benefits could be achieved by using electric vehicles for storing electricity in their batteries. This paper talks about the idea of electric vehicles as electricity storages in electric power systems. The idea has a great number of supporters, but also a significant part of the professional community believes that is unfeasible. This paper is not classified in either side and strives to give a realistic picture of this idea. For this purpose, findings from papers published in scientific journals are mainly used. There is also some information from websites, mainly for some technical issues. Partly, the opinions of the authors are present. Specificities of EVs and EPSs that enabled the birth of this idea are explained along with proposed concepts through which the idea can be implemented. Keeping with the vehicle to grid concept, issues about the implementation of the idea are considered. Achievements in the practical realization of the idea are also presented.

In situation of increasing global trade, concentration of production and economic crisis cause the increasing importance of freight transport and logistics. In that manner, economic performances of a country are very affected by logistics performances. Measuring efficiency of logistics activities on global level is important for all participants in international trade. This paper proposes the new methodology for measuring global logistics efficiency that integrates international and domestic indicators into single measure. The Principal Component Analysis - Data Envelopment Analysis (PCA-DEA) approach is used in this paper. Proposed approach is tested on a numerical example which consists of eight countries. According obtained efficiency scores observed countries are ranked. The paper also identifies the most important factors affecting the global efficiency. Several hypotheses are tested in this paper. The results show that the proposed approach can be used for evaluation of logistics activities at the global level.

Many logistics companies have faced intense competition in the domestic and international markets due to the effects of globalization and the rapid development of technologies. In order to achieve a competitive advantage over other companies, managers transform their organizations by applying some management philosophies, such as the Just-In-Time philosophy, the Six Sigma concept, Lean Manufacturing Systems, etc. The group of lean tools consists of numerous techniques and approaches for business improvement. One of the most commonly used is Value Stream Mapping, which is implemented in this paper. Paper analyzes the production system of a company in Serbia that deals with plastic processing. The company's current state was analyzed using VSM, and as a result, potential areas for improvement in the production process and internal transportation were identified. In order to improve the production process, the paper suggests solutions to the problems that were pointed out, led by the flexibility of combining VSM with other methods as one of its key strengths. The results indicate that a system configured according to the ideal VSM would produce more products per shift, reducing waste, delays, and total costs to achieve sustainable production. This paper identified some of the key potential gaps as guidelines for further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution centres are complex business systems in which various interconnected processes are realized. The efficiency of distribution centres depends on a number of indicators that stipulate the way processes and activities in a system function. By monitoring the performance indicators and their deviation from defined target values, the need to respond and apply appropriate corrective actions can be designated. This paper analyzes the efficiency of the transport process of a trading company in Serbia. For efficiency analysis, the CCR DEA model was used, which integrates different performance indicators into a single efficiency measure. The analysis of the transport process was conducted through two studies. The first study analyzed the efficiency of 93 drivers based on the following variables: working hours of drivers, route duration, fuel consumption, distance travelled, transport errors, number of routes per driver, vehicle utilization time and number of deliveries. The second study analyzed the efficiency of the fleets of four distribution centres based on the following variables: number of drivers, number of vehicles, working hours of drivers, route duration, distance travelled, transport errors, air pollutant emissions and number of deliveries. Output and input oriented models were made in the first study. According to the obtained results of both models, the average efficiency of the driver was 82%, which means that each driver can achieve a higher output, i.e. input by 18%. In the second study, an output-oriented model was made and according to the obtained results, the average efficiency of fleets was 95%. The results of both studies indicate the possibility of applying certain corrective measures and improving the organization of work in the transport process. The developed models can be applied to real systems and assist managers in making decisions in order to improve operational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procurement logistics stands out as one of the basic sectors in a logistics company. The other sectors in a company depend on procurement as it can cause downtime and delays that affect the entire company. In addition to the impact on the company itself, procurement can also have an impact on end-users, given that efficient procurement is one of the factors of competitiveness. One of the basic tasks of procurement logistics is the selection of suppliers. For this reason, the aim of this paper was to propose approaches based on AHP-QFD and ANP-QFD methodology in order to select suppliers. On that occasion, the evaluation of three suppliers was performed by applying eight criteria (price, product quality, on-time delivery, location, communication, reliability, flexibility, and reputation). The results of the application of the described methodologies also showed a different ranking of suppliers depending on the chosen methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics processes due to their complexity in terms of a large number of activities and participants are cost generators. For this reason, many logistics companies plan and control the implementation of these processes in order to reduce costs. One of the tools used on this occasion is the key performance indicators (KPI) that are introduced, measured and monitored by logistics subsystems. The aim of this paper is to determine which KPIs are used in the ordering, warehouse and transport subsystems, as well as the impact of these KPIs on logistics costs. Based on a review of the literature and the most commonly used KPIs in logistics subsystems (ordering, warehouse, transport), hypotheses were developed and then tested using linear regression. In order to determine the impact of KPI of logistics processes on logistics costs, a survey was developed for logistics professionals in Serbia and sent to 50 addresses, of which 35 answers were valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to survive in the market, companies must optimally use their resources. Losses are present in all types of companies regardless of the size of the company and the industrial sector. Logistics processes as labor and cost-intensive processes are the potential source of losses. On the other hand, the greatest savings can be achieved in logistics processes. In recent years, more and more companies are realizing mentioned savings. Various tools and techniques are used in the literature for solving problems in this area. One of the most frequently used is Value Stream Mapping (VSM). This is one of the lean methods that serve to visualize activities within a particular process and identify activities that do not add value. This paper investigates how this approach can be applied to improve logistics processes in the supply chain. Applications of VSM in transport, warehousing, order picking, packaging, etc. are analyzed. There is not enough research in the literature on VSM application in the ordering process. In this paper comparative analysis of the manual ordering process and automatic ordering is conducted. A case study refers to the real system - a retail chain in Serbia. The ordering process is very important because does not add value to the product, but must be realized to certain products/services be available to the customer. Results show significant savings in different activities and a total time saving of 92, 31%. Other positive effects are investigated and presented. One of the most important is that store managers can focus on core activities related to sales and communication with employees and consumers. The computer cannot replace the role of man in the communication process with employees and consumers, while a man will never be able to remember and manage a large amount of data at that speed and in the way that the computer can do. The results show great applicability of the proposed methodology which is usable in all companies from different industrial sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer satisfaction in e-commerce directly depends on diverse dimensions of logistics services. In the market, there is a constant dilemma which logistics service dimensions affect customer satisfaction in e-commerce. The aim of the paper is to determine how certain dimensions of logistics services affect customer satisfaction in e-commerce. Thus, a methodological approach has been developed, as well as an original measuring instrument with eight dimensions: availability, delivery time, shipping costs, delivery reliability, product quality and condition, consumer complaints and return policy, information quality, and e-customers' perception and satisfaction, with 31 items in total. The model is based on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Partial Least Squares method (PLS) and has been applied on the market of Serbia. A web survey was conducted on a sample of 425 respondents, i.e. final consumers who have used e-commerce services significantly in recent years. The obtained results clearly indicate that the satisfaction of e-commerce consumers directly depends on the observed dimensions of logistics service. The developed procedure and measuring instrument represent a concrete scientific contribution to better understanding of the dimensions of logistics service and customer satisfaction in e-commerce. The measuring instrument can be used to increase the satisfaction of e-commerce clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of intermodal transport (IT) systems is one of the global and European imperatives with the goal of mitigating logistics activities (especially transportation) negative impact on the environment, but also to improve the efficiency of logistics systems. Despite its importance acknowledged long ago, the treatment of IT greatly varies in different countries. In the developed countries, IT has an institutional character and clearly defined development directions, while in the developing countries, the problems of IT in most cases are ignored. The main scientific contribution of this paper is in being the first one to assess the status of IT in the countries of the Danube region. Seven criteria and six evaluation scenarios, that were not present in the existing literature in this form, are defined, which represents another contribution of the paper. The criteria are defined so that they would include the treatment of IT in strategic documents, the opinions of users and service providers, but also empirical/ statistical indicators of IT development degree. The evaluation scenarios differ in the criteria significance and the aspect of the problem. A novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, based on fuzzy SWARA and fuzzy MARCOS methods, is developed for the assessment, which represents an additional scientific contribution of the paper. According to IT results, the countries are grouped into five categories, micro-regions. The results indicate that with the degree of economic development the status of IT improves as well, so Germany and Austria are leading, followed by the Czech Republic, then by countries such as Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia, while other countries fall behind greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient procurement is one of the key parameters of a company's competitiveness. Besides procurement, distribution plays a significant role in competitiveness as well since the quality of this process directly affects customers. For these reasons, it is necessary for logistics companies to monitor and measure the performance of their procurement and distribution. One of the tools they can use on this occasion is the KPIs. In this paper, 15 KPIs of procurement logistics and 12 KPIs of distribution logistics were analyzed in order to determine the 5 most important ones for each process. In the assessment of the significance of the KPI, 10 experts in the field of logistics participated. The results of their assessment were then used in the SWARA method to obtain the weights of each of the KPIs. After determining the weights, the QFD method was applied to determine the priorities of the observed and analyzed KPIs. The results of the application of these methods showed that order to delivery time, cost per shipment, average delivery time, revenue per order and percentage of on-time deliveries stand out as the five most important KPIs in procurement logistics. On the other hand, total distribution cost, on-time shipping ratio, flexibility of distribution, timeliness of goods delivery and profitability by item stand out as the five most important KPIs in distribution logistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, more attention has been paid to the quality of the working environment, both in literature and in practice. The main reason for this is the increased fluctuation of workers, where the inadequate quality of the working environment is one of the motives for changing the job. Stress and communication are the two basic indicators of the quality of the working environment. For this reason, the aim of this paper is to determine the impact of stress and communication on the quality of the working environment in the logistics sector of Serbia. The impact of company size, primary business activity and employee position on stress sources, stress management and frequency of communication problems was examined. The research hypotheses were defined, which were tested on the basis of data obtained from a web survey that included 101 respondents from different industrial sectors in the Serbian market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics Service Quality (LSQ) is recognized as an important tool in modern markets. In recent years, a number of researches in this field are growing rapidly. Numerous papers have been published in various industries and observation focuses. Different methods have been applied with a large number of dimensions. However, there are no papers in literature that provide a systematic review of researches in the observed area. This paper aims to investigate, systematize and analyse relevant papers dealing with the LSQ. The purpose of this paper is to form a systematic review of the different approaches, dimensions and focuses of measurement, analysis and improvement of the logistics services quality. The authors conducted systematic literature review to research papers published in academic journals. Different key words have been used for paper research in several databases. According to research question and defined criteria papers selection has been performed. The relevant group of papers is further investigated in more details. A total of 98 papers in 56 journals are identified. Three LSQ research focuses are identified. The review of the most frequently used dimensions of LSQ in different industries is made. The most appropriate and the most commonly used approaches for LSQ measuring are analysed. Most of the papers refer to empirical research and indicate the low level of LSQ. The review represents good basis of future researches, and also some kind of guidelines for practical application of LSQ in the field of transport and logistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the research of human resources in logistics and supply chains. The analysis covered different researches in developed and developing countries. The needs and problems with labor shortage, required logistics competencies and skills, as well as problems and solutions related to employment and retention of the labor are considered in detail. The results of the research conducted by authors in the Serbian market are presented. Also results showed that there is a large fluctuation caused by salaries, inability to progress and lack of vision of the company. The research was carried out on a sample of 314 respondents of mainly highly trained logistics specialists in different positions and in different industries. The results of all researches have shown that there is an evident lack of logistics experts in all positions and in all countries and regions. The situation is similar in the Serbian market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]