Appendix 1

Sustainable Logistics Services in the Barents Region:
Identification of the ICT Deployment
WP5: Transport and Infrastructure
Final Report
28.2.2006
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Background ............................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Project Goals ............................................................................................................. 3
1.3 Study Approach ........................................................................................................ 3
2 ICT Deployment in the Logistics Service Industry in the Barents Region...................... 5
2.1 Purpose of the Study and Study Design .................................................................... 5
2.2 Results from Finland, Norway and Sweden ............................................................. 6
2.3 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................ 8
3 ICT Deployment in the Forest Sector in the North-western Russia .............................. 10
3.1 Purpose of the Study and Study Design .................................................................. 10
3.1.1 Interview Themes and Company Profiles ........................................................ 10
3.2 Main Findings ......................................................................................................... 11
3.3 SWOT Analysis ...................................................................................................... 13
4 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 14
References ......................................................................................................................... 16
Appendix 1 ........................................................................................................................ 17
Appendix 2 ........................................................................................................................ 26
1 Introduction
1.1 Background
In the Barents region, efficient and cost-effective logistics services are of crucial
importance for the area’s enterprises. In an area that is characterized by long distances
and harsh climate conditions, special attention needs to be placed on the means to assure
cost-effective and accessible logistics services in order to remain competitive.
One means to increase the productivity of the transportation and the logistics sector is an
increasing use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The industry in
the Barents region is characterized by a large number of small and medium-sized
companies. There is currently not much information on the ICT use among small logistics
service providers when majority of the existing studies have focused on the large, global
companies in the industry.
1.2 Project Goals
The main goal of this project was to explore the development of the information and
communication systems in the logistics service industry. The first phase of the project
took a close look on the types of ICT-systems available for the logistics service providers
and served as a preliminary design for the closer empirical research in the subject. The
focus was on the logistics service industry in the Barents region in Finland, Norway, and
Sweden.
Several STBR (Sustainable Transport in the Barents Region) projects have investigated
the infrastructure issues and transportation links in the Barents region. While the main
focus in this project is on the ICT implementation and use, an attempt here was also made
to analyze the transportation links and identify the possible obstacles in the Barents area
transportation and logistics.
More specifically, the goals focusing on the ICT use were the following:
- to provide information on the ICT implementation and use in the logistics service
sector in the Barents region
- to identify possible differences in the ICT use in different countries in the Barents
region
- to conduct SWOT-analysis on the means to increase ICT adoption in the logistics
service industry and on the transportation infrastructure and links in the Barents
region.
1.3 Study Approach
The initial phase of the project involved the identification and the selection of partners
that would be involved in a closer cooperation during the upcoming stages of the project.
The project benefited from cooperation with the STBR (Sustainable Transport in the
Barents Region) in finding the partners for conducting studies in different Barents area
countries. Partners were found in Norway (Dr. Wei Deng Solvang at Högskola i Narvik)
and in Sweden (Dr. Anders Segerstedt and PhD student Jenny Widmark at Luleå
Technical University). The study goals and approach was the specified together with the
Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian project partners. The first face-to-face meeting was
organized in Luleå, Sweden, on April 6th 2005, where a more specific study plan was
established.
It was decided that in order to obtain information on the ICT implementation in the
logistics service sector, a mail survey was to be conducted in each participating country.
The survey was conducted in August 2005. The initial results of the study were then
presented in a logistics conference in Luleå on September 2nd, 2005.
In addition, interviews with representatives from companies in the forest industry were
conducted. Majority of the interviews took place in Kostamuksha in the North-western
Russia. These interviews took place on July 13-15th. In order to get further insights into
the wood buying process from Russia, a representative from a Finnish company in the
forest sector was also interviewed.
2 ICT Deployment in the Logistics Service Industry in
the Barents Region
2.1 Purpose of the Study and Study Design
The logistics service industry in the Barents region is characterized by a large number of
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) together with few large companies that have
multi-national or global operations. The main focus of this research is on the SMEs.
Regarding the logistics service industry, this research had three main goals:
1. To provide general characteristics of the logistics service industry in the Barents
region (the types of companies that operate in the region, trends in the industry
development, etc.),
2. to describe the prevailing cooperation practices in the LSP industry, and,
3. to study the current status of the implementation of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) in the LSP industry.
Secondly, this research aimed at increasing knowledge on the supply chain management
in the Barents region. In the context of this study, the current cooperation practices in the
Russian forest industry supply chains were studied. Similarly to the study on the logistics
service industry, interest laid on the status of ICT implementation as well as motivators
and barriers for further increase in ICT investments.
The main method for data collection in Finland, Sweden, and Norway was a structured
mail survey. In Finland and in Sweden, initial interviews with company representatives
were conducted to get an overall understanding on the logistics service industry. The data
collection methods applied in the study varied to some extent in each country. The
methods were effectively communicated with the participating research groups to obtain
sufficiently comparable data. An example of a survey instrument in presented in
Appendix 1.
In Finland, this project is continuation for a research project conducted for the Ministry
of Transport and Communications in the year 2004 (see Pekkarinen et al., 2004). In the
2004 project, a total of 18 qualitative interviews were conducted in the logistics sector.
These interviews provided the basis for the current study. During the Spring of 2005, a
mail questionnaire was constructed together with the research groups in Luleå and
Narvik. The questionnaire was validated with a pre-test with a number of academics and
the representatives from the Finnish Transport and Logistics Association (SKAL). A list
of mailing addresses to the companies was also obtained from SKAL. Here it is important
to note that together with SKAL representatives, the questionnaire was decided to be sent
to companies with 3 or more vehicles, located all over Finland. Thus, the Finnish data
includes companies in Southern Finland as well. Originally the plan was to separate
companies in the Northern part of the country (Regions of Lapland, Oulu and Kainuu),
but due to the relatively low number of responses, the whole data is used in this report.
The questionnaire was sent to a total of 750 companies, resulting in 79 responses to date
(response rate of 10,5%). One of the companies was no longer in business and the
number of usable responses was thus 78. No telephone inquiries were conducted.
In Sweden, qualitative interviews with 7 companies in the logistics service industry in the
Barents region were conducted. These interviews were used to give insight to the way
companies conduct their business. After the interviews, the questionnaire was
constructed. The questionnaire was validated with a pre-test with a number of academics
and entrepreneurs. Potential respondents received one mailing that consisted of a cover
letter explaining the purpose of the study, a copy of the survey, and a postage-paid return
envelope. A searchable web site, Affärsdata (www.affarsdata.se), PRV (Patent och
Registreringsverket) and SCB (Statistiska Centralbyrån) were used to assess the number
of logistics companies in Norr- and Västerbotten. The search produces a list of 350
companies providing transportation services. All of the companies were selected for
sample survey. The questionnaire was sent to 350 companies in Norr- and Västerbotten,
resulting in 59 returns. This gives a response rate of 16.9%.
In Norway, a searchable Guleside website (www.guleside.no) was used to assess the
number of logistics companies. Totally, 268 companies were found that categorized as
logistics service providers in the Barents region at Norwegian side. While not all
companies could be contacted by fax or email, 125 surveys were sent out by email, 77 by
fax and 66 by post. The number of response is 36 among which 31 returns are effective
and the response rate is 11.6%. Hereinto, 16 surveys are returned by e-post, 10 returned
by fax and 5 returned by post.
2.2 Results from Finland, Norway and Sweden
The surveys conducted in this research resulted in altogether 168 responses from
companies in the logistics service industry. The implementation of different ICT tools in
different countries is presented in Tables 2.1 – 2.3.
Clearly, the level of ICT implementation in all participating countries is very low (the
results from Sweden are presented in a 5-point Likert-type of scale, where 1 indicating
“not planning to purchase” and 5 indicating “purchased and fully in use”). Majority of the
companies responding companies have a computer and the Internet in use, but other
technologies show very low implementation rates. The LSPs in Norway are more
technologically advanced than the LSPs in Finland and Sweden. It is important to note,
however, that the survey resulted in responses from large LSPs on in Norway. It is to be
noted that the average size of the companies responding to the survey is very small. Small
companies often have very limited resources (financial, knowledge) to invest in modern
ICT.
One of the greatest development potential in the ICT implementation in the LSP sector
involves the implementation of electronic invoices (EDI). The LSPs in Finland and in
Norway show some interest in the EDI implementation. In Finland, a number of LSPs
also consider investment in GPS (Global Positioning System) –tools. Overall, the
Swedish and Finnish LSPs are very similar regarding their ICT-capabilities.
Table 2.1 Types of ICT implemented in companies
in the logistics service industry in Finland
Technology
Companies (n=78)
(%)
Implemented
Plan
60 (85%)
7 (10%)
Internet
0
1 (2%)
Warehouse management system
11(17%)
10 (16%)
Route planning
Intranet for
Customer
Supplier
6 (9%)
2 (3%)
3 (4%)
5 (6%)
3 (5%)
2 (3%)
18 (28%)
6 (8%)
23 (34%)
11 (16%)
11 (16%)
7 (9%)
4 (5%)
3 (4%)
3 (4%)
4 (6%)
4 (6%)
4 (6%)
Electronic data interchange
Electronic invoice
Reserving by internet
Global position system
Navigation system for drivers
Vehicle positioning system
Bar code and scanning for
Product tracking
Load carrier tracking
Delivery scheduling
Table 2.2 Types of ICT implemented in companies
in the logistics service industry in Norway
Technology
Companies (n=30)
(%)
Implementation
Plan
100
-Computer
83
0
Internet
Electronic data interchange
Electronic invoice
Reserving by internet
Route planning tools
Bar code and scanning in:
Products
Loads
Planning
40
40
40
10
3
7
30
10
17
7
3
3
27
20
20
13
10
13
3
10
Intranet towards:
Customer
Supplier
Warehouse management system
Global position system (GPS)
Table 2.3 Types of ICT implemented in companies
in the logistics service industry in Sweden
ICT Implementation (n= 59)
Mean
Std
Internet
3.75
1.58
Warehouse management system
1.34
1.04
Route planning
2.05
1.57
Electronic invoice
1.32
0.82
Reserving by Internet
2.10
1.65
GPS for drivers
1.97
1.51
Status of vehicles
1.71
1.30
Goods trace ability
1.36
1.03
Traceability of load carrier
1.17
0.67
Delivery planning
1.59
1.34
Electronic Data Interchange
Global Positioning System
2.3 SWOT Analysis
The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the ICT implementation
in the logistics service industry in the Barents region were analyzed and the results are
presented in Table 2.4 below.
Table 2.4 SWOT of the logistics service industry development and the ICT deployment
in the Barents region
Strengths
Weaknesses
S1 – Most companies in the logistics
W1 – Companies are small with limited
service industry have some ICT tools
resources for developing the ICT
implemented and in use
capabilities
S2 – Companies perceived several benefits W2 – Lack of adequate employee training
of increased use of modern ICT tools
limits the ICT deployment
Opportunities
O1 – Increased use of ICT can help small
companies offer better customer service
level (e.g. tracking and tracing)
Threats
T1 – Increased diesel fuel price wipes out
profits of small companies in the logistics
service industry
T2 – Workforce in the logistics service
industry
- Aging of the current workforce
- Shortage of skilled drivers
Secondly, the previous research findings in the STBR (Sustainable Transport in the
Barents Region) were used to further develop the above SWOT analysis. The purpose
was to update the above SWOT analysis by adding also other than ICT and logistics
service industry related issues, i.e. infrastructure and transportation links in the Barents
region. The development of the SWOT analysis benefited from several Interreg projects
completed.
Strengths:
- Companies in the Barents region are generally relatively satisfied with the current sea
transportation links and the scheduled sea traffic (Merenkulkuyhteistyö Perämerellä –
esitutkimus, 2003)
- Transportation volumes of the heavy basic industries in the Barents region are large and
it is possible to establish sea transportation connections based on the industries’ needs
(Merenkulkuyhteistyö Perämerellä – esitutkimus, 2003)
Weaknesses:
- The different rail gauge in Finland and in Sweden prevents effective rail transportation
between Finland and Sweden (Slutraport: Fullskaleprov med spårviddsväxling av hela
tågsätt i trafik via Haparanda/Tornio, 2003)
- Imbalance in transportation volumes to and from the Barents region, particularly in
container transportation, results in large amounts of empty transportation capacity from
the South to the Barents region (Merenkulkuyhteistyö Perämerellä –esitutkimus, 2003)
- Big industries (metal, forest, and chemical) in the Barents region use different vessel
types, thus preventing cooperation possibilities for combining the transportation volumes
(Merenkulkuyhteistyö Perämerellä –esitutkimus, 2003)
Opportunities:
- Container transportation provides opportunities for small and medium-sized companies
to utilize sea transportation (Merenkulkuyhteistyö Perämerellä –esitutkimus, 2003)
Threats:
- Large companies in the Barents region optimize the transportation systems based on
their own needs and as the needs change, small companies and public institutions in the
Barents region may experience problems (e.g. harbor investment reimbursement, line
traffic schedules and available capacity for small companies)
3 ICT Deployment in the Forest Sector in the Northwestern Russia
3.1 Purpose of the Study and Study Design
The second part of the study involved ICT in the forest sector in North-Western Russia,
particularly in area of Kostomuksha. Kostomuksha is located close to the Finnish border
and there have recently been numerous Interreg and other projects that have described the
business prospects in Kostamuksha. The goal of this research was to study the current
situation in regards to ICT implementation in the forest industry in Kostomuksha. The
forest industry was chosen because of its growing importance in the North-Western
Russia and in the Barents region overall. North-western Russia is seen as a very
important supplier of wood to the Baltic Sea countries and Russian wood will be likely
processed both in Russia and other Baltic States. The investment plans of many
sawmilling companies and the opening of Swedwood (the branch of IKEA) in
Kostomuksha are the direct evidences of strategic role of forest industry in Russia.
After analyzing secondary data on forest industry development in the Barents region, the
research efforts were designed. A qualitative study approach was chosen. The interviews
were conducted with the representatives of the companies from the forest industry during
13-15, July in Kostomuksha. Complementary to the main research a series of interviews
were conducted with the educational group in forestry from Kostomuksha. The
educational group was sponsored by Swedish project “Forestry Zone Creation”. The
interviews with the students were aimed at evaluating the level of IT literacy and ICT
awareness.
3.1.1 Interview Themes and Company Profiles
The questionnaire was structured so that during interviews general data on the company,
its main activities and products, information on main customers and suppliers,
relationships with customers and suppliers were gathered. ICT and its elements, spending
on ICT, motivational factors and barriers, attitudes towards the Barents cooperation
constituted the rest of the questions in the questionnaire. The questionnaire is included in
Appendix 2.
The main goal of the interviews was to produce the following:
 Description of the logistics practices and the main features of supply chain
management in the forest industry
 The cooperation practices in the supply chain
 An analysis of the deployment of ICT in the forest industry supply chain
The following presents the profiles of the interviewed companies:
Company 1 – a furniture manufacturer with 100 employees producing standard furniture
and furniture for individual orders.
Company 2 - The main activities are logging of forest, processing (primarily sawing) of
wood thicker than 6 mm, production of wooden building constructions and joiner’s
production, production of railroad and tramway sleepers, wholesale trade of wood
materials and wooden constructions, which all together make up 40% of the total
activities. The company’s size is rather big totaling 170 employees.
Company 3 - The main activities are logging of the forest, transportation, planks
producing, producing planks by Scandinavian method. Size: 10 employees
Company 4 - The main activities are harvesting, sorting, and transportation, sawing, and
selling of the filled wood primarily on export in large volumes. The number of employees
is 100. It is the biggest company in Kostomuksha with forest sites of 400 thousand cubic
meters.
Company 5 - The company is a family owned enterprise. Its main activities are building
of houses, cottages, saunas, and other constructions made of dead pine wood.
Company 6 - Furniture manufacturer. At the moment the company is in the beginning
stage of its development, therefore only few of the planned activities are performed to the
full extent
Company 7 - There are two main activities of the company, the first is logging of the
forest and the second is hotel business. Size: 40 employees
Company 8 - Individual enterprise. Main activities: middleman services in forest
material selling-buying transactions
Company 9 - A Finnish company, buying wood from Kostomuksha.
The interviewed companies operate on different parts of the forest sector supply chain,
which was an important factor for selecting the companies for interviews. These
companies represent the forestry supply chain from logging to production. The
interviewed companies are also of different size, from large companies with 170
employees to individual and family businesses.
3.2 Main Findings
The main finding of the structure of supply chain in forestry in Kostomuksha is the
integration of inbound logistics activities within the same company, not depending on the
size of the company. Thus, the activities as getting trees to cut in the forest, harvesting,
sorting, transportation and conversion into products are performed by the same company.
This practice permits companies to get more control over the inbound flows of raw
materials. Few companies mentioned that sometimes they use outsourced transportation
services, but still prefer to perform all activities by its own forces.
One of the most notable results of the interview is a very low level of Kostomuksha
companies’ awareness on outbound flows of the product or raw wood sold. The
companies deal only with the first layer of outbound flows supply chain members, such
as distributors and middlemen. There is no information in the companies on the final
customers and consumers of their production. Furthermore, the companies expressed lack
of interest in possible obtaining of this sort of information. Another finding deals with the
very low involvement of 3PL companies in the forestry, as companies arrange
transportation by its own forces.
The main conclusions on ICT utilized by the companies show that ICT is in the very
incipience stage in the forestry in Kostomuksha. The companies use on the daily basis
phone and fax as means of communication, and internet to some extent. However, one
respondent did not have an internet connection at all. Internet connection utilized by the
companies is a low-speed one; no broadband is implemented by the companies. The
levels of ICT hardware equipment are moderate; most of the companies have PCs,
scanners, printers, phones and mobile phones at use. We provided the companies with the
list of software employed for internal and external use. The results prove that companies
are more interested in developing internal software for the purposes of automation,
accounting, and information storing. Two of the studied companies, the biggest from the
sample are planning to implement ERP system. Concerning the use of software for
external purposes, one may observe very limited number of programs, which companies
have. Mostly the use of external software is limited by programs for e-mail
communication. None of the companies had B2B software available. Some electronic
document interchange took place in two of the companies interviewed. The companies
have little ICT expenses, less than 1% of the revenues.
The perceived motivators for ICT implementation included the following (in the order of
importance: 1) increased efficiency, 2) decreasing operational costs, and 3) improved
inventory management. The barriers were 1) unawareness of the ICT benefits, 2)
investment costs (lack of funds), and 3) lack of technological skills (insufficient training,
lack of ICT specialists).
Concluding on the ICT it was observed that companies are using on a daily basis basic
types of ICT and one can see that managers find motivational factors for CIT
implementation. Non-understanding of benefits, which ICT can bring, was mentioned as
the main barrier for development of ICT competence, because companies do not know
how ICT will affect the company performance. A lack IT skilled specialists in
Kostomuksha was mentioned as one of the obstacle of more wide-spread use of ICT in
forestry. Our interviews of educational group in forestry also unveiled low levels of IT
skills among the students.
In the final part of the questionnaire we focused on the involvement of the companies in
the Barents and EU projects and cooperation. All respondents acknowledged the lack of
information available on the ongoing projects and too little concrete actions, which these
projects provide to the individual enterprises. Many companies brought forward that
forestry in Kostomuksha influenced to a great extent by Russian context, such as high
levels of bureaucracy and changes in taxation.
Based on the results of the interview the most important areas for development of ICT in
forestry are dissemination of information on ICT available, education in ICT sphere and
development of infrastructure. Therefore education and training should be regarded as
crucial part in ICT network. Moreover, our proposal on ICT involvement in forestry in
Kostomuksha, deals with creation of forestry related information portal. The objective
behind creating the portal is to bring together different actors in forestry as domestic as
foreign ones in order to expand awareness of ICT benefits (Shuck et. al 2005; Horne et.
al. 2005). It is suggested also that informational portal should include links to ICT
consultancy companies and education possibilities in the forestry and IT spheres in
Kostomuksha.
3.3 SWOT Analysis
Strengths
S1-Favorable location
-proximity to the Finnish boarder
-close to the resource base
S2-Experience in trade with foreign customers
S3-Integrated supply chain within a single
company
S4-Qualified inexpensive labour
Weaknesses
W1-Small companies (size)
W2-Strikt regulatory environment in forestry
W3-Unawareness of ICT benefits
W4- Lack of funds to invest to ICT
W5-Lack of ICT specialists
W6-Low level of process automation
Opportunities
O1-Development of ICT infrastructure in the
region
O2-Increased demand for quality wood on
external and domestic markets
O3- Increased level of ICT education and
understanding of ICT benefits
Threats
T1-Increased level of competition from new
players (e.g. Swedwood)
T2-Migration in the region (lack of
workforce)
T3-Too long time needed for ICT adoption
4 Conclusions
The main focus in this study is on the cooperation practices and the ICT implementation
in the LSP and the forest industries. The results are based on a survey data of all together
168 LSPs in Finland, Norway, and Sweden and 9 qualitative interviews with companies
in (or associated to) the forest industry in the North-west part of Russia.
The survey results among the LSPs in Finland and Sweden are similar in most aspects
regarding the overall development, cooperation practices and ICT implementation status.
The LSPs surveyed in Norway differ in some regards. Firstly, intermodal transportation
was a more common practice among the surveyed LSPs in Norway. Secondly, the
Norwegian data showed a higher overall ICT implementation status (it is, of course,
important to note the limited number of companies participating in the survey where
generalizations may not be possible). In all three countries, the LSP sector is typified of a
large number of small and medium-sized LSPs where companies typically own less than
ten vehicles. There are typically very few large players on the Scandinavian markets.
The results indicate that majority of the LSPs are familiar with computer technology and
have some ICT tools available. Yet not all LSPs have the Internet connection and there
are even companies that do not have a plan to move to the Internet-age. The electronic
data interchange (EDI) implementation is in a very incipience stage in Finland and
Sweden, whereas 40% of the surveyed Norwegian LSPs had EDI in use (here, again,
some bias may be caused due to the fact that only the Norwegian survey data included
large companies). Route planning tools were also more common among the surveyed
LSPs in Norway. The GPS technology implementation made an interesting exception:
among the generally less “technology-oriented” LSPs in Finland the GPS systems were
more common. In further analysis of the data, it is of interest to further analyze the ICT
implementation status and the underlying drivers for ICT implementation.
One of the critical near-term challenges is the aging of the drivers. Large numbers of
drivers are close to the retirement age in the Barents region. At the same time, truckdriving is not among the most popular occupations among the todays young. It is
expected that numerous small and medium-sized companies in the LSP sector are go out
the market when the current owners retire and when there is no new generation
continuing their work. Secondly, the current situation in the world economy has increased
the oil price to its peak. This is a great challenge for the LSPs, particularly the small and
medium-sized ones that reported the difficulty in adding index claims in their contracts.
The increasing fuel price was the most reported barrier for sustainable development in the
LSP business in Finland and in Norway. Similarly, the most often reported barrier for
sustainable development of the LSP business in Sweden was the increasing fuel price
along with high taxes. A closer investigation of the survey data obtained for this study is
needed to provide further suggestions on the competitive means (capabilities) of the LSPs
in the Barents region.
The interviews with the company representatives in the Russian forest sector indicate that
the ICT implementation is in a very incipience stage in the sector. Several barriers for
ICT investments are found: Firstly, there is a shortage of computer skills, which largely
prevents the use of computerized tools. Availability and knowledge of basic tools such as
MS Office are not commonplace in smaller companies in North-Western Russia.
Secondly, the common infrastructure for ICT is not up-to-date and thus prevents a
widespread use of the tools (e.g. the GSM phones often only work in the city areas).
Thirdly, the administrative requirements do not support shifting to for example electronic
documents (while “paper and a stamp are needed”). However, companies in the Russian
forest industry showed interest developing their informational capabilities. The first
priority was placed on developing the company’s internal planning tools for accounting
and other functions.
References
Evangelista, P., A. Marasco & M. Caiazzo (2005). ICT adoption in a fragmented
industry: evidences from the road haulage sector in Southern Italy, Conference
Proceedings of the Logistics Research Network 2005, published by the Chartered
Institute of Transport and Logistics, Logistics and Transport Centre, Northands, UK. Pp.
131-138.
Kilpala, H., W.D. Solvang, A. Segerstedt, J. Widmark, A. Bagaeva & P. Tuohinto (2005).
Analysis of ICT use in the Barents region: research findings from logistics service
providers and forest industry, STBR publications 11/2005, pp. 49.
Fullskaleprov med spårviddsväxling av hela tågsätt i trafik via Haparanda/Tornio –
förstudie. Slutraport. 20 October. (European Regional Development Fund). Pp. 72.
Pekkarinen, S., L. Väyrynen, J. Juga & H. Kilpala (2004). Matkalla asiakkuuksien
kehittäjäksi – Logistiikkayritysten asiakaslähtöinen ongelmanratkaisukyky ja joustavuus,
Liikenne- ja viestintäministeriön julkaisuja 69/2004, pp. 74.
Merenkulkuyhteistyö Perämerellä – esitutkimus (2003). EU Interreg III A Project.
Göteborg.
Appendix 1
The survey instrument used (example from Sweden)
Del 1
Till att börja med är vi intresserade att ta del av bakgrundsinformation till ert företag, vilka
tjänster ni erbjuder samt till vilka marknader ni erbjuder era tjänster. Följ instruktionerna och var
vänlig efter bästa förmåga fylla i tomrummen eller ”X:a” det tillämpliga alternativet.
Hur många medelantal anställda finns per år i företaget
Inklusive arbetande ägare
Därav heltidssysselsatta
___________ st
Hur många fordon har ert företag (inkl. underåkare)
___________ st
Hur många fordon ägs av underåkare
Med underåkare menas inhyrda åkerier, åkerier som
underleverantör.
___________
Företagets omsättning 2004
___________ TSek
Vad är företagets vinstmarginal
(Årsvinstens andel av omsättningen.)
___________ TSek
Gör en uppskattning om hur stor del av Andel
omsättningen som beräknas komma från av oms.
…
i%
1. Förmedlingsföretag ………
_____
(Med fömedlingsföretag menar vi BDX, %
DHL, Schenker etc.)
2. Annat förmedlingsföretag,
nämligen_________________________ _____
%
3. Direkt mot
transportköpare…………..
_____
%
_____
∑ 100%
Hur har företaget
utvecklats de senast tre
åren vad gäller…
1. Omsättningen…
2. Antal anställda…..
Avsevärt
minskat
___________ st
st
Hur stor del av omsättningen
beräknas er/era tre största
transportköpare (t ex ICA,
Plannja, LKAB etc.) stå för under 2004
samt namnge dem…
1. _____________________________
____
%
2. _____________________________
____
%
3. _____________________________
____
%
_____
∑
100%
Något
Oförändrad Ökat
minskat
något
Ökat
avsevärt
3. Lönsamheten…..
4. Marknadsandelen….
För vilken marknad
produceras huvudsakligen
företagets tjänster…
Lokal marknad
Nationell
marknad
Internationell
marknad
Kombination
nationell- &
internationell
marknad
1. De senaste tre åren…..
2. De kommande tre
åren…
Nedan följer ett antal påståenden om de gods ert företag transporterar, var vänlig läs påståendena
och ”X:a” den kategori som passar bäst. Kategorierna är:
Mycket liten
omfattning
1
Liten
omfattning
2
Viss
omfattning
3
Stor
omfattning
4
Ert företag transporterar främst gods från…
1
Mycket stor
omfattning
5
2
3
4
5
1. Mineralutvinning……………………
2. Tillverkningsindustrin……………….
3. Partihandel…………………………..
4. Skogsindustrin……………………….
5. Mjölkproduktion…………………....
6. Anläggningstransporter………………
6. Annat, nämligen_____________________________________
Del 2
I denna del vill vi få en uppfattning om spridningen av informationsteknologi (IT) som används
bland företagen i regionen samt följderna av införande av IT. Var vänlig fyll i tomrummen eller
läs påståendena och ”X:a” den kategori som passar bäst. Kategorierna är:
Inte planerad
1
Planerat för att Infört men ej i
införa
drift
2
3
Infört men inte
fullt i drift
4
Infört och fullt i
drift
5
Har ni infört någon av följande i ert företag samt
vilket årtal var det i full drift …
1
2
3
4
5
Årtal
1. Internet ………………..
_____
2. Lagerstyrningssystem………
_____
3. Ruttplaneringssystem………..
_____
Intranät mot……
(Intranät dvs. ett nät som är avgränsat till det egna
företaget, där information såsom ramavtal, blanketter,
personalinformation, pris- och produktinformation finns)
4. Kunder…..
_____
5. Leverantörer……..
_____
EDI (Datakommunikation)
6. Elektroniska fakturor….
_____
7. Göra beställningar på internet……..
_____
GPS (positioneringssystem)
8. Navigationssystem för chaufförer………..
_____
9. Positionering av lastbilarna för transportledaren……..
_____
Streckkodsläsning
10. Godsspårbarhet……….
_____
11. Spårbarhet av lastbärare……….
_____
12. Leveransplanering…………
_____
Läs påståendena om motiv till införande av IT-hjälpmedel. ”X:a” sedan den kategori som passar
bäst. Kategorierna är:
Mycket liten
betydelse
1
Liten
betydelse
2
Viss
betydelse
3
Stor
betydelse
4
Vilka huvudsakliga motiv ser ni för att införa IT hjälpmedel…
Mycket stor
betydelse
5
1
2
3
4
5
1. Minskade kostnader…………………………………..
2. Bättre kundservice …………………………………...
3. Minskad personalkrävande administration……………
4. Ökad kontroll och planering…………………………
5. Färre mänskliga misstag…………………....................
6. Integration med kundernas interna logistik- och
produktionsstyrning…
7. Bättre feedback på hur verksamheten sköts…………..
8. Krav från förmedlingsföretag etc.……………………..
Läs följande påståenden om införande av IT och ”X:a” den kategori som passar bäst.
Kategorierna är:
Mycket liten
omfattning
1
Liten
omfattning
2
Viss
omfattning
3
Vad har IT-satsningar lett till konsekvenser i ert företag:
Stor
omfattning
4
1
Mycket stor
omfattning
5
2
3
4
5
1. Minskade kostnader…………………………………..
2. Bättre kundservice …………………………………...
3. Minskad personalkrävande administration……………
4. Ökad kontroll och planering…………………………
5. Färre mänskliga misstag…………………....................
Del 3
I denna del vill vi få en uppfattning om företag samverkar, hur de samverkar och inom vilka
områden. Vi vill även få en uppfattning om företag använder sig av transittrafik. Var vänlig fyll i
tomrummen eller ”X:a” det tillämpliga alternativet.
Ja
Nej
Samverkar ert företag med andra företag…
Med samverkan menar vi regelbunden kontakt eller
samarbete med andra personer eller företag, som inte
nödvändigtvis bygger på formella avtal Exempelvis
gemensamma körningar och anbud etc..
Nämn de fem företag/organisationer som ni har störst
samverkan med;
1.____________________________
4.____________________________
2.____________________________
5.____________________________
3.____________________________
Var sker er samverkan med andra
aktörer främst…
Lokal marknad
Nationell
marknad
Internationell marknad
1. De senaste tre åren…..
2. Uppskatta för de kommande tre
åren…
Nedan följer ett par påståenden om samverkan, läs påståendena och ”X:a” den kategori som
passar bäst. Kategorierna är:
Mycket liten
omfattning/Mycket
liten betydelse
1
Liten
Viss
omfattning/Liten omfattning
betydelse
2
3
Stor
omfattning/Stor
betydelse
4
Inom vilket av följande områden har ni samverkat med andra företag
under den senaste treårsperioden…
Mycket stor
omfattning/Mycket
stor betydelse
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1. Transporter………………………….
2. Inköp………………………………..
3. Försäljning…………………………..
4. Marknadsförning……………………
Vilka är de främsta skälen till samverkan (under de senaste tre åren)
med andra transportföretag…
1. Kostnadsreducering…………………………………………….
2. Tillträde till nya marknader…………………………………….
3. Ökad flexibilitet………………………………………………..
4. Ökad tillgång och kunskap…………………………………….
5. Ökad information om nya affärsmöjligheter…………………...
6. Annat, nämligen_____________________________________
När ni bedriver samarbete med era kunder är det då inom…
1
2
3
4
5
1. Strategiskutveckling…………………………………
2. Upplägg av tjänster………………………………….
3. Underhåll/hantering av tjänster……………………..
4. Kvalitets- och effektivitetsarbete……………………
5. Utbildning…………………....................................
6. Teknologiska investeringar…………………………
7. Annat,
nämligen__________________________________________
Nedan följer ett par påståenden om konkurrens, läs påståendena och ”X:a” den kategori som
passar bäst. Kategorierna är:
Mycket liten
förändring
1
Hur har
konkurrensen
förändrats de
senaste
tre åren från
svenska
företag vad
gäller…
Liten
förändring
2
1
2
Viss
förändring
3
3
4
5
Stor
förändring
4
Mycket stor
förändring
5
Hur har
konkurrensen
förändrats de
senaste
tre åren från
utländska
företag vad
gäller…
1. pris……………
1. pris……………
2. kvalitet………
2. kvalitet………
3. leveranstid…..
3. leveranstid…..
4. krav (från kund)
4. krav (från kund)
1
2
3
4
5
Del 4
I denna del vill vi få en uppfattning om företag använder sig av kombitrafik dvs. transportsystem
där olika transportmedel ingår, t.ex. landsväg - järnväg eller landsväg - sjö. Följ instruktionerna
och var vänlig efter bästa förmåga fylla i tomrummen eller ”X:a” det tillämpliga alternativet.
Ja
Nej
Uppskatta
för de
kommande
tre åren
om
andelen…
Är ni inblandade i någon typ av kombitrafik…
Flera olika slag av transportmedel t ex lastbil och
tåg
Om JA, hur stor andel av det totala
transporterade godsets vikt går med…
Andel
av vikt
i%
1. Vägtransport……………………………..
____ %
2. Väg- och sjötransport……………………
____ %
3. Flyg- och vägtransport…………………...
____ %
4. Järnväg i kombination……………………
____ %
Minskar
Oförändrat Ökar
5. Sjöfart……………………………………
____ %
6. Annat,
nämligen_________________________________ ____ %
_____
∑ 100%
Läs påståendena om informationstekniska hinder vid kombitrafik ”X:a” sedan den
kategori som passar bäst. Kategorierna är:
Mycket liten
betydelse
1
Liten
betydelse
2
Viss
betydelse
3
Stor
betydelse
4
Upplever ni någon av dessa informationstekniska hinder vid kombi
trafik…
1. Olika lösningar för kommunikation………………..
2. Skillnad i tillämpningen av EDI standarder………...
3. Olika utformning av transportetiketter……………..
4. Andra tekniska begränsningar………………………
Mycket stor
betydelse
5
1
2
3
4
5
Del 5
I denna del vill vi få en uppfattning om vad ert företag ser för hot och möjligheter för positiv
utveckling. Följ instruktionerna och var vänlig efter bästa förmåga fylla i de öppna frågorna.
För ert företag vad ser ni som det största hotet för en fortsatt positiv överlevnad…
1.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
För ert företag vad ser ni som den viktigaste åtgärden (förändring av lag; egen ny aktivitet, etc.) för en
fortsatt positiv utveckling…
1.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Del 6
I denna del vill vi få en uppfattning om vad ert företag kontinuerligt följer upp. Följ
instruktionerna och var vänlig efter bästa förmåga fylla i de öppna frågorna.
För ert företag vad är viktigt att följa upp varje vecka…
1.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
För ert företag vad är viktigt att följa upp varje månad…
1.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3.) _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Appendix 2
The implementation and use of ICT in supply chain management in the
forest industry
1. General company information
(general information about the company; location, turnover, number of employees,
etc.)
2. Products, processes, markets
 Could you describe the main products of your company?
 Are your products standard products or do you customize your products
according to different customer needs?
 Do you direct your products to particular markets (e.g. geographical area)?
Do you see any trend here?
 How would you describe the whole order fulfillment process in your
company?
 Has there been recent reengineering of the processes (are there any plans
for doing that)?
3. Supply Chain Management (SCM)
 Which part of the chain does your organization represent (raw material
suppliers, sawmillers, distributors and merchants, end user)? Which part of
the chain does your organization manage/control, how?
 What organization is the “focal company” in the organization’s supply
chain?
 Can you map material and immaterial flows within the SC (for instance
one-way flow of information, multidirectional, frequent communication)
 How would you see your role in a supply chain developing?
 Regarding your customers, could you describe your customer relationships
(duration, nature)? Do you cooperate with your customers (strategic
development, design of products, quality and efficiency matters,
education, technology and investments, ICT)?
 What do you see are the major SCM-related problems in your company?
Does your company suffer from problems such as:
- Last-minute orders
- Order changes
- Picking and packing errors
- Coordination failures
- Data corrections?
4. ICT tools implemented and used
 What kind of information systems does your company have? (this list will
help to measure the intensity of adoption)
(list of ICT: tel, fax, internet, extranet, intranet, website, e-mail, CRM, ERP,
LAN, WAN, RFDI, Bar-code, Databases, EDI)
 Hardware:
PC, Laptops, Terminals, Monitors (CRT or flat panel monitors), PDA,
Printers (color printer, white and black printers, bubblejet or laser
printers), Scanners, Projectors, Server appliances, CD, DVD, LANs,
Back-up devices, Video conference facilities, Wireless network cards,
wired network cards, RFDI, tags, GPS, Tracing and tracking equipment
Phones, faxes, mobile phones… Something else?
 Software:
Internal use:
Software for automation of the processes, Office software (MS office,
etc.), Human Resource Management (track personnel, calculation of
salaries), Accounting software, Inventory databases, ERP
External use
Software for networks and internet access, Extranets software,
communication tools (e-mail, instant messaging, message boards,
voicemail, ip telephony, and videoconferencing software), Website related
software, B2B software (electronic order processing, electronic payments,
online marketplaces, auctions), Customer information software
 Spending on ICT. What is your company s approximate percentage of
total ICT expenditure allocated to
Hardware
Software
Training
Database maintenance
 Do you share costs for ICT implementation with other SC members?
 Percentage of employees with IT skills?
 How would you evaluate the level of ICT competence of your company
(above average, bellow average etc.)?
 Do you have a person in the company responsible for ICT (an organization
unit?)
 What do you see are the major motivators in your company to invest in
new ICT technologies? What are the barriers?
List of motivators (we provide them with list and they are supposed to choose
5 the most important ones):
Error reduction
Increasing efficiency
Quality improvement
Decreasing operation costs
Increased SC integration
Customer integration (service level improvement)
Improved competitiveness
Improved inventory management
Improved level of communication
ICT is viewed as facilitator for strategy implementation
List of barriers:
Investment costs (lack of funds)
Lack of technological skills (insufficient training, lack of ICT specialists)
Difficulties in SCM systems integration
Organizational barriers, unawareness of ICT benefits
Too many standards (incompatibility with suppliers, customers) and
technology obsolescence
High running costs
Uncertainty with respect to performance of ICT (return on investment unclear)
Long time implementation
5. Barents area as a business region
 Do you follow the Barents area cooperation (e.g. the EU-funded projects
in logistics, forest industry development, finance)?
 What do you see are the Barents region as a business area? What do you
see are the region’s major strengths and weaknesses from the business
perspective? Is there something that prevents you from obtaining higher
efficiency?
 Do you cooperate with some other companies in the forest industry across
the country borders? What are your experiences regarding this?