FRIENDLY SUPPLY CHAINS - Concept of indicators for evaluating transport chains that involve several traffic carriers, using the supply of food staples in Europe as an example

01.04.2008 - 30.09.2011
Assigned research project
Abstract Drawing, i.a., on the findings and developing the recommendations of the Logistik-Austria-Plus project "Milky Ways" and the ISB basic research project "Freight on Rail Austria", a concept of indicators will be developed to evaluate transport chains along the lines of goods categories of the international NST/R nomenclature for perishable foodstuffs. With "performance" initially meaning the economic competitiveness of transport processes in the microeconomic analysis, the purpose is to put this term in a wider evaluation policy context in response to the discussion on climate protection and environmental problems arising from the road transport of goods. To this end, it is necessary to put concrete meaning to the "performance" concept in terms of the claims of players within the transport and value-adding chains, and, secondly, to bolster it with "metaeconomic" indices and targets regarding, i.a., environmental and climate compatibility, energy efficiency, transport infrastructure utilisation rates, the framework for modal split changes, or transport product and technology cycles. The object of the exercise is to deepen the foundations of traffic planning and facilitate argumentative lines in the transport policy decision-making process vis-à-vis stakeholders. Considering the stringent requirements to be met by logistic processes and transport chains involved, we chose the NST/R groups 12 and 14 (including dairy produce, beer, non-alcoholic beverages) as objects for developing a concept of systematic indicators. The goods concerned are successful exports of high brand value and wide market reach, and at the same time popular imports among Austrian consumers. Accordingly, there is a briskly growing international exchange with ever spreading sales markets, which in turn results in large-scale transit traffic. The stringent requirements to be met by the transport chain are the result of rules on product quality, the varying degrees of perishability of products (such as dairy produce) and the fine distribution in the consumption sink which makes such goods available to consumers virtually everywhere. This in turn calls on forwarders to meet logistic criteria that require transporters to specialise and personnel to be specially qualified. As an added aspect, such transports are exempt from some traffic restrictions, in order to assure the regular supply of raw materials to producers and the timely delivery of products to the market. Intricate logistic chains in particular accord road transport an ever greater market share, even though most of the production places and many storage sites are furnished with intermodal links that would, at least technically, enable them to shift transit traffic to the rail mode ¿ one of many reasons to assess goods transport by an in-depth evaluation process that accounts for the interests of all players involved and takes an active role in shaping transport policy.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Contract/collaboration

  • BMVIT

Research focus

  • Beyond TUW-research focus: 100%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Transportkettesupply chain
Lebensmitteltransportefoodstuffs transport

External partner

  • DÖRR, Heinz, DI Dr., Ingenieurkonsulent für Raumplanung und Raumordnung
  • Universität für Bodenkultur, Departement für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften

Publications