1. COMPANY
WIIMA https://www.wiima.com/
2. SEMINAR’s focus
To explore and reflect how WIIMA can increase the business of carrier companies, as they are important partners in their services.
3. DESCRIPTION
Wiima Logistics is a supply chain optimizer specializing in complete logistics services known as 4PL logistics. We promise competitiveness by utilizing direct and indirect cost savings from transportation logistics with Wiima service model. We take care of the complete logistics management, procurement and follow up globally for all freight modes.
Our model is neutral and open book logistics outsourcing (4PL). Hence, our customers benefit from having their logistics as variable cost instead of fixed cost. This is particular beneficial if logistics is not your core business and you want to save costs and reduce logistics spenditure.
WIIMA’s team is conformed by logistics professionals with forwarding, procurement, supply chain and project logistics background. Our expertise combined with a global network and intelligent softwares are a winning combination.
4. CHALLENGE
The exchange of products is an important activity in any economy. This exchange is performed through trade, and some historians such as Peter Watson, indicate there are suggestions of long-distance commerce from circa 150,00 years ago. The process of managing the trade of goods include: transportation, storage and delivery. In each phase of this process there are several activities and procedures that are in place to successfully allow the exchange of goods. The general term that encloses all these activities and procedures in trade is: Logistics.
Today global trade supports itself in a complex and a massive chain network of organizations that conform to the current logistics. It is not only about raw material that business to business might need, it includes the item you buy online and needs to be shipped from some country to your home.
To enable and support emerging types of commerce (e.g. e-commerce), logistics has been organically re-inventing itself and organizing to serve the global current needs, and as a result its complexity keeps increasing. For example, currently we can identify different types of logistics: 1PL 2PL 3PL 4PL 5PL.
WIIMA business focuses on 4PL (4th Party Logistics). In 4PL, is a new concept in logistics and involves having an oversight and managing an entire supply chain. The benefit for its customers is that through WIIMA the customers do not have to deal with the different streamlines of logistics because this work is done by WIIMA. Therefore, WIIMA collaboration with carrier companies and other stakeholders in 3PL, 2PL and 1PL is of great importance.
As WIIMA is building its services, it has realized that to increase collaboration between them and carrier companies, these will create a more robust system and benefit the end user. Thus the challenge for this workshop is to reflect upon how to increase the business of the carrier companies by collaboration with WIIMA?
5. DAY and TIME
September 17th from 12 – 4 pm
6. SEMINAR LOCATION
At University of Turku, Agora seminar room K124A.
7. ENROLLMENT
Please enroll in this page: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/E883B855E32F42C8 by Wednesday Sept. 15th.
8. PRE-ASSIGNMENT
To make this session engaging and productive it is important that you familiarize yourself with the world of logistics. To achieve this goal we have three specific tasks.
- Read about PL 2PL 3PL 4PL and define each one of this type of logistics with your own words in the report of the pre-assignment.
WIIMA suggests the following links.
- https://www.abivin.com/post/what-are-1pl-2pl-3pl-4pl-and-5pl
- https://ithinklogistics.com/blog/logistics-and-its-types-difference-between-1pl-2pl-3pl-and-4pl/
Carrier companies challenges in digital transformation
- https://fleetroot.com/blog/top-10-challenges-facing-logistics-companies-in-2019/
- https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/top_8_logistics_challenges_facing_the_industry
- https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/reser_e/ruosi_zhangs_presentation_data_flow_in_transport_and_logistics_services.pdf
We encourage you to complement the information given by those links with literature from your domain that will inform you about this logistics world and what your field is addressing in this area. Please add in the report the references that you utilize.
2. Identify two carrier companies working in 2PL logistics. Report which companies you identify, a brief description of each company.
3. From each of the carrier companies identified in the previous question, distinguish three of their current challenges and three affordances. To obtain this information you will have to investigate more about these companies. Include in the report your findings.
Submit the report of your pre-assignment by September 16th to caisse [at] utu.fi