Creating superior transport logistics services in supply chains

Abstract

In this issue, the cluster of six papers are the articles presented in the 2014 International Forum on Shipping, Ports and Airports themed “Sustainable Development in Shipping and Transport Logistics (IFSPA)” held in Hong Kong in May 2014. Over 70 papers were presented in IFSPA 2014, and based on the recommendations of the editorial panel, ten manuscripts were shortlisted. Authors of shortlisted papers were invited to submit expanded full manuscripts to go through the journal peer review process. As a result based on IJLM peer review process, six papers were finally accepted for publication in this journal. First three papers have a strategic perspective, whereas the fourth, fifth, and sixth papers have an operational angle, providing significant contributions to the diversified management issues relevant to transport and logistics.

In the first paper, Yang (2016a) employs SEM to examine the relationship between supply chain integration, supply chain capabilities (including its reliability, flexibility, value-added service, and efficiency), and supply chain performance (including market performance and financial performance). The second paper by Liu and Lai (2016) analyses the impact of supply chain integration on the container shipping companies' financial performance by the structural equation model technique. Service reliability, service flexibility, value-added service, service efficiency, and market performance are used as latent variables to test the direct and indirect relationship between these latent variables and the companies' financial performance. It is found that the relationship between supply chain integration and the market performance is moderate, and the relationship between supply chain integration and financial performance is weak. The third paper by Yang (2016b) is to investigate the logistics learning capability of international distribution centre operators (IDCOs) and their organizational performance by the structural equation model technique. Logistics learning capability is found to have an indirect effect to organizational performance via IDCOs' logistics service capability.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth papers represent three studies are related with bonded port areas, sustainable shipping, and container yard truck routing and scheduling from China, Panama Canal, and Taiwan. The purpose of the study by Chen et al. (2016) is to verify the profitability of three remanufacturing scenarios in the closed-loop supply chain while performing the environmental responsibility. The Stackelberg game approach is used to derive an equilibrium under which an optimal quantity for exporting increases and maximizes the home manufacturer's profits is provided. Tai and Lin (2016) simulate trunk route deployment for ocean container carriers after Panama Canal expansion to be completed in 2016 and suggest liquefied natural gas as a replacement for heavy oil is the best way to energy savings and emission control. Tsai et al. (2016) proposed an integer programming model by time-space network technique to optimize yard trucks move between quay cranes and yard cranes in a container terminal. A numerical example using the real operational data collected in a quayside container terminal is applied to determine the optimal fleet size of yard trucks.