Reverse Logistics (Research Paper Sample)

New Challenges facing Transportation and Logistics Management and their Solutions Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name Professor’s Name Date New Challenges facing Transportation and Logistics Management and their Solutions Abstract The transportation and logistics management industry entail processes such as planning, controlling, and implementing processes that entail moving and storing goods. The objective of these two is to ensure that goods and inventory are transported effectively and efficiently through an organization’s supply chain. Logistics involves the production, receipt, and distribution of goods and materials to their final destination while transportation entails moving the finished goods to the customers and raw materials to the manufacturers. The symbiotic relationship between logistics and transportation requires a lot of attention to detail and care. Companies such as FedEx Logistics, DHL, Americold Logistics, and XPO are among the popular transportation and logistics companies. Though the industry manages its processes through the supply chain and deliveries are made efficiently, transport and logistics management has its fair share of challenges. These challenges include technology and innovation, high costs, globalization, changing customer demands, new developments in the industry, and stringent regulations and procedures. It is imperative that solutions are found to help those transport and logistic managers maneuver the complex business environment. Accordingly, this report will evaluate the new challenges associated with transportation and logistics management and provide viable solutions that can be used to deal with them. The introduction will give a brief overview of transport and logistics management and then the literature review will evaluate the challenges and issues as addressed by various literature and finally, the report will delve into the new challenges and their solutions. Keywords: Transportation, Logistics, transportation and logistics management, new challenges, viable solutions. Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 1Abstract PAGEREF _Toc121948368 \h 22Introduction PAGEREF _Toc121948369 \h 42.1Research Questions PAGEREF _Toc121948370 \h 53Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc121948371 \h 54Discussion – New Challenges facing Transportation and Logistics Management PAGEREF _Toc121948372 \h 114.1High and Increased Costs PAGEREF _Toc121948373 \h 124.2Market Constraints and Forces PAGEREF _Toc121948374 \h 134.3Sustainability Issues PAGEREF _Toc121948375 \h 144.4Stringent Regulations and Policies PAGEREF _Toc121948376 \h 154.5Innovation and Technological Advancements PAGEREF _Toc121948377 \h 154.6Unskilled Workers and Shortages of Workforce PAGEREF _Toc121948378 \h 164.7Globalization and Emerging Trends PAGEREF _Toc121948379 \h 175Viable Solutions to the New Challenges PAGEREF _Toc121948380 \h 185.1Solutions to High Costs PAGEREF _Toc121948381 \h 185.2Solutions to Market Forces PAGEREF _Toc121948382 \h 195.3Solutions to Sustainability Issues PAGEREF _Toc121948383 \h 195.4Solutions to Stringent Regulations PAGEREF _Toc121948384 \h 205.5Solutions to Innovation and Technological Issues PAGEREF _Toc121948385 \h 215.6Solutions to Shortage of Workforce and Unskilled Workers PAGEREF _Toc121948386 \h 215.7Solutions to Globalization Challenges PAGEREF _Toc121948387 \h 226Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc121948388 \h 227References PAGEREF _Toc121948389 \h 24 Introduction One thing often comes to mind when one hears names such as DHL, XPO, FedEx Logistics, or Maersk – Transportation and Logistics (T & L). Almost all businesses require the sale and purchase of materials and delivery of goods to the customers, and hence effective transport and logistics processes are essential. Logistics entails producing, receiving, and distributing goods or raw materials while transportation entails moving them to manufacturers and consumers (Waters, 2021). Transportation is a sub-unit of logistics. The movement and distribution of goods or products effectively through the supply chain requires that the processes are managed efficiently. This is where transportation and logistics management comes in. It entails managing the goods or raw materials as they move through the supply chain (Kain & Verma, 2018). Ultimately, the goal of efficient transportation and logistics management is to ensure that products and materials go through the supply chain efficiently. Good management of the supply chain is depicted through short production times, efficient customer service, decreased emissions, reduced costs, high-quality products, and good supply and delivery times (Cohen & Roussel, 2013). However, the complex business environment, innovation, and customer demands have made transportation and logistics management quite difficult. Companies are experiencing myriads of new challenges in trying to manage their transportation and logistics systems and processes efficiently. These include high costs, poor infrastructure, stringent government regulations and policies, lack of skilled and adequate human resources, globalization, technology, security concerns, and the growing need for sustainability among others (Brdulak & Brdulak, 2021). With the growing need for transportation and logistics, it is essential that solutions to these problems are provided. These solutions can include establishing partnerships, integrating new technologies, outsourcing, and hiring trained workers among others. For that reason, this report will address the new challenges facing transportation and logistics management and further provide their solutions. Research Questions The transportation and logistics industry is an essential part of successful businesses. Effectively managing these two aspects will ensure that supply chain processes run smoothly for the suppliers, manufacturers, and consumers. However, the contemporary business environment has seen transport and logistics managers face new challenges that hinder successful distribution, receipt of goods, and delivery. The report will address these through the following research questions: 1 What are the new challenges facing transportation and logistics management? 2 What are the viable solutions to help businesses and the industry at large cope with these challenges? Literature Review The literature review will provide an overview of transportation and logistics management and the challenges that managers face. The competitive business environment and growing demands today have increasingly affected the transportation and logistics industry, further making its management quite difficult. Though the terms are used interchangeably, Speranza (2018) reveals that they are different, and in fact, transportation is found under logistics. Transportation and logistics managers must be actively involved in ensuring that raw materials and goods going through the supply chain are effectively distributed and delivered. According to findings by Haralambides (2019), the transportation and logistics industry is among the biggest ones in the US and has become quite competitive. In fact, both international and domestic companies benefit from the industry. Waters (2021) states that logistics entails distributing, receiving, and producing goods while transportation is about moving the goods or freight from one point to another. As managers work to ensure that the systems for transportation and logistics are efficient, they are met with numerous challenges. However, Brdulak & Brdulak (2021) stipulate that though there are solutions to help alleviate the challenges, they may not be universally applicable. This is because the challenges may differ in regions because of the geographical setting, technologies, human resources, legal aspects, macroeconomic facts, and the organization’s setting. Various literature reports have pointed to different challenges facing the transportation and logistics industry. Azmat & Kummer (2022) discussed some of the challenges that now face transportation and logistics management – these include advancement in technology, lack of skilled operators, high costs, lack of best practice standards, and too many regulations and legislation. These have made to effectively manage operations in the transportation and logistics industry. Additionally, research conducted by Brdulak & Brdulak (2021) revealed some of the biggest challenges facing the transportation and logistics industry between 2018 and 2020. The research carried out in Poland revealed that the introduction of the Mobility Package, regulations, market disruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of skilled and trained staff, increased costs, changes in the market, new technologies, and shortage of workers (warehouse and office workers, and drivers). Brdulak & Brdulak (2021) also reveal that blockage of markets, development of e-commerce, political wars such as Russia versus Ukraine, digitization, and new business models have also hindered the effective management of the transportation and logistics industry. The increased competition in the local and international markets (Uber), recession, reduced consumption, and an increased need for sustainability processes also daunt the management of T & L (Brdulak & Brdulak, 2021). In a recent article by Douglas (2022), the top challenges that face logistics management include cutting down on transportation and overall operational costs, uncertainties, stringent regulations due to the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, and a challenging labor market that makes it difficult to find and hire qualified workers. Gauging from the articles and when they were published, these can be seen as new challenges facing logistics management. From an overview of the various literature, there are new challenges that stand out with all the authors. To begin with, T & L management faces the challenge of h...