Davor Dujak

Efficient Demand Management in Retailing Through Category Management

Demand management is complex and crucial coordinating activity in supply chain management. Its roots are at retail echelon of supply chain where it is most efficiently conducted through category management process. This chapter aims to highlight the importance of category management for efficient demand management activities in the retail supply chain management through a theoretical analysis of the category management process. The need for cooperation between retailers with other members of the supply chain in category management is also emphasized, especially in form of category captainship collaboration. Category management run by retailers is the beginning and precondition for efficient and effective demand management throughout the whole supply chain. Potential implementation problems in certain areas of demand management in retailing are pointed out, and finally solutions for overcoming these issues are offered.

Blockchain Applications in Supply Chain

Blockchain is a technological concept which evolves from the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, and disrupts constantly enlarging areas of economy. The concept of blockchain is developing, and while the future of Bitcoin remains unclear (as it is for the most elements of the economy) it is evident that the blockchain holds enormous potential for large-scale improvements. However, being a technology that could decrease significance many of today’s large global corporations, institutions and power structures which have keen interest in preserving established hierarchies, its potential could well remain unexploited. This paper aims to introduce and present the concept of blockchain and its current applications in logistics and supply networks. Blockchain technology promises overpowering trust issues and allowing trustless, secure and authenticated system of logistics and supply chain information exchange in supply networks. The new implementations within supply chain are shifting from blockchain to a wider notion of distributed ledger technologies. Paper presents description and rationale behind current and possible future applications of blockchain in logistics and supply chain.

GLN standard as a facilitator of physical location identification within process of distribution

Background: Distribution, from the business point of view, is a set of decisions and actions that will provide the right products at the right time and place, in line with customer expectations. It is a process that generates significant cost, but also effectively implemented, significantly affects the positive perception of the company. Institute of Logistics and Warehousing (IliM), based on the research results related to the optimization of the distribution network and consulting projects for companies, indicates the high importance of the correct description of the physical location within the supply chains in order to make transport processes more effective. Individual companies work on their own geocoding of warehouse locations and location of their business partners (suppliers, customers), but the lack of standardization in this area causes delays related to delivery problems with reaching the right destination. Furthermore, the cooperating companies do not have a precise indication of the operating conditions of each location, e.g. Time windows of the plant, logistic units accepted at parties, supported transport etc. Lack of this information generates additional costs associated with re-operation and the costs of lost benefits for the lack of goods on time. The solution to this problem seems to be a wide-scale implementation of GS1 standard which is the Global Location Number (GLN), that, thanks to a broad base of information will assist the distribution processes. Material and methods: The results of survey conducted among Polish companies in the second half of 2016 indicate an unsatisfactory degree of implementation of the transport processes, resulting from incorrect or inaccurate description of the location, and thus, a significant number of errors in deliveries. Accordingly, authors studied literature and examined case studies indicating the possibility of using GLN standard to identify the physical location and to show the perspective of its implementation in the TSL industry. Results: Result of the work is an analysis of the current situation and problems associated with an identification of physical locations in the distribution process and the description of the information needs of the TSL industry. Shows strengths and weaknesses of the GLN standard and opportunities and threats arising from its implementation in logistics. In addition, authors developed a business model that main aspect is the value proposition and benefits for stakeholders in the processes of distribution. Conclusions: The ability to implement GS1 standards in logistics, despite numerous references to literature and the real needs of business, it is still ambiguously defined. Therefore, in this article authors focus on the concept of using GLN standard to improve an identification and unification of description of physical location. This study resulted in the development of tool implementing founded functionality (in the context of providing information about the physical location) in business practice.

Distributive trade's significance in national economy

Background: The paper analyzes a significance of distributive trade in contemporary national economies of select European countries (10) from the point of view of employment, gross value-added creation, supply chain establishment, and international expansion. A cause for the paper is a dissatisfactory level of economic development of certain transitional countries on one side and the high distributive trade shares (especially in the number of employees and in the GDP) on the other side. Methods: Distributive trades significance for a country is analyzed entirely and segmental. The data collected by Eurostat and Deloitte are analyzed and depicted graphically via usual statistical methods (relative numbers, indices and shares, tabulation and graphical depictions). Results: The results of the research conducted should confirm a thesis on distributive trades significance based on its shares in the economic structure ; however, as an integrator in the value- creating chains, distributive trade has different significance for certain national economies, for the large-sized companies and groups (especially the retailing ones) are also expanded internationally, along with their supply chains. Conclusions: Distributive trade does not have an equal significance for the economic development in all countries. Equally, all the divisions within distributive trade do not have equal significance for the overall countrys economy, as well as for a launch of its economic development. Nevertheless, it should be necessary to analyze concentration and internationalization in detail for the sake of an evaluation of distributive trades significance as an integrator in value- creating chains. In that respect, some transitional countries observed do lag behind

Vertical Marketing Systems, Supply Chains and the New Indicators of Retailing’s Significance

Abstract In modern vertical marketing systems (i.e., in grocery sector), the greatest power is demonstrated by retail chains, and producers depend thereupon. This paper analyzes vertical marketing systems and the role of retailing therein. Specially analyzed is the power of retail chains’ demand with regard to the entire supply chains they head, as well as the present-day new competition in retailing and modern business concepts related to the vertical marketing systems. Additionally, analyzed are also select indicators to examine the significance of retailing in an individual national economy. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the new indicators of significance of retailing in economy with regard to the realized GDP, as a component of value chains. These indicators complement the usual retailing significance analyses from the point of view of its share in the number of employees and the number of companies. From the conducted analysis, one may conclude that the vertical marketing systems become increasingly important, and retailing assumes a new role in economy in that sense. Thus, new indicators of retailing significance might also be necessary.