The paper was presented at the Polish Logistics Congress “Logistics 2004 – Logistics networks in the integrated European market”. Poznań, May 19-21, 2004.
Abstract
The development of the logistics services market is primarily determined by the transport of goods, along with its economic, political, and technological conditions. The logistical characteristics of road transport, such as flexibility, reliability, or the ability for logistical integration – especially in the context of global competition and the enlargement of the European Union – are of significant importance in the process of shaping logistics networks within supply chain management. Achieving the goal of European transport policy, which is the systematic shift of freight from road to rail, will require further liberalization and harmonization of the European transport market. The standardization of communication infrastructure elements will improve cross-border rail transport, while innovations in information and communication technologies will contribute to ensuring safety and shaping optimal supply chains.
Competition in the logistics services market is increasingly characterized by a trend toward consolidation. Due to growing pressure to reduce costs and the effects resulting from participation in logistics networks, as well as the need to adapt to the requirements of customers seeking comprehensive logistics solutions, oligopolistic market structures will emerge, created on the basis of acquired companies and joint ventures. The EU enlargement to include Central and Eastern European countries will have an impact on the logistics services market, particularly in the context of making decisions about the location of distribution centers. Consequently, because many companies, due to the inability to supply the markets of Central and Eastern European countries on time through existing distribution centers located in the Benelux countries or France, will establish warehouses and distribution centers in the countries admitted to the EU.
Another driving force for the development of the logistics services market is the outsourcing of logistics by industrial enterprises. In the future, these enterprises should focus their attention not only on reducing logistics costs but also, before making an outsourcing decision, define the goals to be achieved in this way. The point is to ensure that the development potential inherent in the quality of logistics does not suffer as a result of outsourcing.
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