Autor: Elgar Fleisch

Transportation and logistics operations are vulnerable to numerous types of risks. The globaly distributed production and sales lead to complex logistics tasks and more high-value goods are transported in global logistics networks. Nevertheless, detailed information about the condition of the goods and their integrity are not consistently available. The exact conditions during transport remain unclear. Efficient information and communication processes improve the coordination and effectiveness already in logistics. This article describes how the logistics network can be optimized by integration of cargo insurances as competent managers. Consequently, transport processes in terms of the potential dangers can be improved and entirely new business models can be developed.

Traditionally product focused companies diversify into the industrial service business and recognize the transition to solution provider as a key idea for their business. But the historically grown organizational structures do only support this transition to a certain extent. Existing structures need to be replaced by organizational design which supports the new strategies of the companies. Product business and service business will need to be organizationally detached from each other. These changes in organizations are often accompanied by conflicts and challenges which need to be addressed.

Many manufacturing companies want to become solution providers. Unfortunately, they have not extended their service offering systematically. They also have not built up the required capabilities in the company. The article describes how companies can find the right breadth of service offering and the required competences by analysing the customers' processes and needs. The article serves as a guideline for managers to extend and implement the service offering.

Using case studies, this article describes the business impact that Ubiquitous Computing could have on future organisations. Not only human beings but also products want to communicate a specific image. The article shows how this will affect future business processes. The product becomes the agent of the producer and communicates with its environment in order to comply with the performance objectives given by the producer. By using Ubiquitous Computing, possible future product functions will outperform the current industrial communication design by far.