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The purpose of this paper is to review the current state of disaster logistics among Caribbean small island developing states that are Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members, and, based on those findings propose a coherent logistics framework that could influence the development of a robust system that can effectively respond to disasters in the region.

Consisted of a series of in-depth interviews with national and regional disaster managers in the Caribbean. Secondary sources augmented the interviews. Data analysis conformed to Pope, et al. guidelines for qualitative research. There are limitations to this approach, but, the lack of existing research on the region and the need for information on the topic justify the approach.

The main findings show the lack of a coherent and integrated logistics strategy. Missing or weak components like transportation and distribution infrastructure, a procurement strategy, inadequate port facilities and insufficient human resources undermine the overall logistics performance. Although limitations of small island status further weigh on the development and implementation of a regional logistics approach is possible. The paper proposes one.

The proposed framework has implications for disaster management and disaster policy in the Caribbean. From a disaster policy perspective it suggests important logistics governance decisions including funding, scalability issues and formalized agreements that must be made collectively.

From a management perspective the shows how to strengthen the regional response mechanism (RRM), builds efficiency in response and provides redundancies in the regional logistics system.

This paper’s value lies in its focus on a region that is often omitted in academic literature, but is disaster-prone. Importantly, the research proposes a workable framework on which to build a robust logistics infrastructure and improve logistics capacity based on primary research.

Although green logistics has become a new focus of cooperation between government and enterprises under environmental constraints, how local governments formulate subsidy policies to effectively guide the green transformation of regional logistics and how to facilitate the reasonable cost-sharing are rather critical. This paper will deeply explore the dynamic process of the tripartite participation (government, platform, and logistics enterprises) in the selection of regional green logistics strategy, and reveal the evolutionary game relationship of the three parties.

To explore the dynamics involving the government, platform and logistics enterprises for the green logistic transformation, and reveal the evolutionary gaming among the three parties, based on the bounded rationality premise, this study constructs the tripartite asymmetric evolutionary game models, uses the stability theorem of differential equation to explore the evolution and stability strategy of the system in different cases and explicates the paths of influence on the tripartite behaviors via simulations.

Results of this study indicate that there exist stable equilibrium strategies among the three parties regarding the regional green logistics, and they are affected by different factors. The government's subsidy, subsidy intensity and the platform's cost-sharing proportion can generate positive effects, but the latter two can also impact negatively beyond the effective ranges. The findings provide a theoretical basis for local governments, platforms and logistics enterprises to formulate justifiable subsidy intensity and determine reasonable sharing proportion.

Firstly, considering the significant relevance of local government, it is included in the evolution model, and the tripartite game (among government, platform and enterprises) is explored; Secondly, by comparing the equilibrium results under different game conditions, this paper analyzes the evolution of each party's game strategy to achieve the optimal return under bounded rationality and the important factors determining the strategic selection; Finally, the key factor of platform cost sharing is involved, and to what extent the change of platform cost sharing ratio will influence the systematic stability is explored.

The purpose of this paper is to establish a combined forecasting model to predict regional logistics demand, which is an important procedure on decision making of regional logistics planning.

There are several kinds of mathematical models often used in forecasting regional logistics demand. Trend extrapolation method extrapolates the future development trends bases on the hypothesis that the regional logistics will develop steadily. Grey system method predicts the change of logistics demand by the generation and development of original data sequence and excavation of inherent rules of the original data. Regression method obtains the change rules through the analysis between explained variable and explanatory variables. Each method has unique characteristics. In order to improve the accuracy of the prediction, combined methods are established. Genetic algorithm is used to determine the weights of different single models.

The results show that the combined forecasting model optimised by genetic algorithm can improve the accuracy.

Combined forecasting model can integrate the advantages of different single forecasting models. The key of improving the accuracy is to determine the weights of single forecasting models. Genetic algorithm can do well in finding suitable weights of each single forecasting model.

The paper succeeds in providing a combined forecasting model using genetic algorithm to determine the weights of each single prediction model, which helps to the decision making of regional logistics demand.

The purpose of this study is to master the development process and the construction effectiveness of backbone circulation network in an all-round way, formulate regional logistics development planning as well as promote the development of logistics industry by scientifically evaluating the logistics development of node cities with a view to analyzing their spatial differentiation features.

In this paper, an integrated evaluation model is constructed by adopting factor analysis, gray target decision-making model based on cone volume and other methods so as to evaluate the logistics development of node cities. The dimensionality of three-dimensional panel data is reduced by factor analysis at first. Then, the gray target decision-making method based on cone volume is adopted to evaluate the development of node cities, whose evaluation results are carried out through the clustering analysis. The clustering analysis is used to determine the development level of node cities and to extract the spatial differentiation features of node cities.

The results show that the proposed model can comprehensively evaluate the logistics level of node cities and clarify the overall logistics development and spatial differentiation of node cities, which could provide objective evidence for formulating national policies as well as promoting the balanced and coordinated development of regional logistics in China.

The paper succeeds in overcoming the disadvantages of existing methods assessing the logistics development level, such as principal component analysis and factor analysis, which are not applicable to panel data.

This paper aims to clarify the spatial connection characteristics and organization mode of logistics economy of 21 cities in Guangdong Province under the background of the integrated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay area, and explore the spatial development characteristics and influencing factors of logistics economy in Guangdong Province.

This paper constructs the development level model of urban logistics economy in Guangdong Province from three aspects: demand level, supply level and support level, and uses the entropy weight method to measure the development level index of urban logistics economy in Guangdong Province. Then, the traffic accessibility index model is used to measure the traffic accessibility index between cities in Guangdong Province. Finally, using the social network analysis method, combined with the development level index of urban logistics economy in Guangdong Province and the urban traffic access index in Guangdong Province, this paper analyzes the spatial connection characteristics and influencing factors of logistics economy network in Guangdong Province.

There are regional differences in the development level of logistics economy in Guangdong Province; The overall network density of its logistics economic connection is large, but there is an imbalance in the network structure, and the core edge phenomenon is obvious; Logistics economic space presents the characteristics of double core development.

Because the research object is the spatial connection characteristics of logistics economy in Guangdong Province, the research results may lack universality. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to put forward further tests.

By studying the spatial connection mode of logistics economy in 21 cities in Guangdong Province, China, this paper promotes the original methods and empirical contributions, and constructs the research framework of spatial relationship of logistics economy. This research framework is universal to a certain extent.

This paper is conducive to promoting the integrated development of logistics economy in Guangdong Province and improving the balance of regional development of logistics economy.

Firstly, this study provides a new perspective to understand the spatial relationship and spatial spillover of logistics economy from relational data rather than attribute data. Secondly, This study enriched and broadened the research topic of spatial correlation of logistics economy. Thirdly, this research aims to promote the original methods and empirical contributions. Specifically, this study establishes a comprehensive research framework on the spatial network structure of logistics economy.

Purpose – The aim of the chapter is to explore the link between logistics and territory, particularly at local scale with ‘freight villages’. This topic is a matter for transport economics and management as well as for urban and regional planning.

Methodology – The methodology of this research relies on the exploitation of existing limited literature and on a practical field experience, using contact with professionals as well as with local authorities, comparing logistics regional planning in China and France. The process of conception, building and operation of logistics premises and areas is analysed, identifying the private and public actors who take part to it, and the rationales guiding their actions.

Results and perspectives – The necessity to insert logistics into its spatial environment obeys evolving concerns: in an initial phase, the aim is mere quantitative growth of production, trade and freight; today, logistics facilities must contribute to the search for sustainable development. The exchange of experience and of best practices, linked with academic observation, feeds the continuation of research on this seldom-addressed topic.

This paper aims to further the understanding of planning and carrying out logistics operations in disaster relief.

Topical literature review of academic and practitioner journals.

Creates a framework distinguishing between actors, phases, and logistical processes of disaster relief. Drawing parallels of humanitarian logistics and business logistics, the paper discovers and describes the unique characteristics of humanitarian logistics while recognizing the need of humanitarian logistics to learn from business logistics.

The paper is conceptual in nature; empirical research is needed to support the framework. The framework sets a research agenda for academics.

Useful discussion of the unique characteristics of humanitarian logistics. The framework provides practitioners with a tool for planning and carrying out humanitarian logistics operations.

No overarching framework for humanitarian logistics exists in the logistics literature so far. The field of humanitarian logistics has so far received limited attention by logistics academics.

There is a need for theory development within the field of humanitarian logistics to understand logistics needs in different stages of a crisis and how to meet these. This paper aims to discuss three dimensions identified in logistics and organization theories and how they relate to three different cases of humanitarian logistics operations – the regional concept of the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies, the development and working of the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre and coordination challenges of military logistics in UN mandated peacekeeping operations. The purpose is to build a framework to be used in further studies.

A framework for the study of humanitarian logistics along three dimensions is developed, followed by a discussion of the chosen cases in relation to these dimensions. The framework will be used as basis for the case studies to be undertaken for the purpose of understanding and identification of new questions and needs for other or revised concepts from theory.

The paper shows the relevance of a wide literature to the issues pertinent to humanitarian logistics. There is considerable promise in extant literature on logistics, SCM and coordination, but this needs to be confronted with the particular issues seen in the humanitarian logistics setting to achieve further theory development.

The major contribution of the paper lies in its breadth of theoretical perspectives presented and combined in a preliminary theoretical framework. This is applied more specifically in the three case studies described in the paper.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how modularity is used for enabling value creation in managing healthcare logistics services.

Material logistics of four different kinds of hospitals is examined through a qualitative case study. The theoretical framework builds on the literature on healthcare logistics, service modularity and value creation.

The case hospitals have developed their material logistics independently from others when looking at the modularity of offerings, processes and organisations. Services, such as assortment management, shelving and developing an information platform, have been performed in-house partly by the care personnel, but steps towards modularised and standardised solutions are now being taken in the case hospitals, including ideas about outsourcing some of the services.

This paper proposes seven modularity components for healthcare logistics management: segmentation, categorisation and unitisation of offerings, differentiation and decoupling of processes, and centralisation and specialisation of organisations. Thus, this study clarifies the three-dimensional concept of modularity as a cognitive frame for managing logistics services with heterogeneous customer needs in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

Modularity offers a tool for developing logistics services inside the hospital and increases possibilities to consider also external logistics service providers.

Managing healthcare logistics services through modularity has potential social implications in developing healthcare processes and changing the usage of health services. On a wider scale, modularity is helping healthcare systems reaching their goals in terms of service quality and cost.

This paper shows the context-specific antecedents of service modularity and the usage of modular thinking in managing healthcare logistics.

This paper, with the tobacco industry as the background, establishes an indicator system for tobacco supply chain performance evaluation using the FAHP method.

Based on the relevant data of tobacco enterprises in Guangxi, the paper calculates the performance values of tobacco companies in various cities of Guangxi, and through the analysis of each indicator and the performance values of each city, the authors find that the improvement ability has a major impact on tobacco supply chain performance. Then, the paper establishes a system dynamics model to further demonstrate the impact of information digitalization on the performance of the tobacco supply chain in Guangxi, thus providing theoretical support for building digital tobacco logistics in Guangxi.

The findings of the study show that the performance of the tobacco supply chains in various cities of Guangxi is generally at the level of “Pass–Good,” which can barely meet the requirements of tobacco supply chain operation, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The authors show that digital and IT-based empowerment can maximize the performance of Guangxi's tobacco logistics performance.