LOGISTIC RESOURCES AN INTERACTIVE APPROACH

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LOGISTIC RESOURCESAN INTERACTIVE APPROACH

• Håkan Håkansson
• Norwegian School of Management BI
• Nofoma Conference 2002

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Research Tools

• Airpump
• Cloud chamber
• Particle accelerator - CERN
• Soft ware systems
• Models

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Important consequences

• that scientific tools are necessary for any study
  of empirical phenomenon
• that every scientific tool has very specific
  limitations that we can only study what the
  scientific tools allow us to study
• that scientific tools help us to analyse specific
  problems in a detailed way

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Consequences cont.

• they are only tools - see and handle certain
  aspects and miss others
• they are just temporary tools, better will be
  found tomorrow. (This is the basic reason for our
  existence as researchers.)
• two main tasks as researchers. To develop
  existing tools and to find new alternative tools.

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An Interactive Approach

• Process problemsolving, learning, adaptations,
  changes, changing frame of ends-and-means
• Structure emerging structure giving limitations
  but also specific opportunities for participating
  actors

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Resources

• Static approach
• Given resources
• Utilisation in terms of used quantity
• Homogeneous

• Interactive approach
• Development of resources
• Utilisation dependent on how they are combined
• Heterogenous

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Resources

• Homogeneous
• Separate production function
• Quality/function can be measured (solving the
  metering problem)
• Value lies in the resource can be given one
  price

• Heterogeneous
• Team effects have joint production function
• Knowing more about relative performance
• Value lies in the interface to other resources

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Five Ph.d-studies

• Wedin (2001) regarding electricity
• Holmen (2001) regarding egg-shaped pipes
• Gressetvold (ongoing) regarding ASICs
• Baraldi (ongoing) regarding furniture
• Bengtsson (ongoing) regarding use of wood as
  frames in taller houses than two stores

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Logistic resources

• Large, varied and built into huge systems
• Existing within a large number of different
  organisations most resources have logistical
  effects
• Have generally been regarded as homogeneous
  i.e. the less the better
• But why should it be better to work on a product
  compared to move it? And what about the
  development potential in logistic resources?

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Netlog

• Logistical resources are focused and
  systematically studied
• They are assumed to be heterogeneous
• Four types are identified Products, facilities,
  business units, and business relationships.

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Netlog cont.

• 100 cases each built up around one focal resource
  and its interfaces with other resources
• 7 Ph.d students/8 senior researchers/4 years
• 7 companies directly involved

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Expected results

• To get a different view of logistical resources,
  how they can be used and how value is created
• To investigate the function of interaction for
  creation and development of resources
• To develop new concepts for characterising the
  resource development process such as friction
• To give a picture of the existing variety and
  also to indicate potentials for improvements

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Results for companies

• Depends on their own involvement One example,
  early June we met the whole top management team
  in one of the involved companies and they want us
  to be part in their strategic development as they
  see the development of the key relationships with
  customers and suppliers as crucial for the future
  of the company