Articles

Logistics creates efficiency. Be it the globalization of material flow, the efficient use of infrastructural resources or the preservation of mobility – logistics and its application play a decisive role in organizing the movement of human beings and things. Logistics competences guarantee a smooth process in trade, service and production and secure the supply of our society with all vital things.

The industrial nation Germany and the German society are in a profound and constantly faster proceeding change. Until the end of the last century the maxim of industrial production determined the action. The increase in productivity of human beings and machines was the manifest aim. This was followed by the so-called risk society more severely considering the results of its action. Questions with respect to the future become more and more fundamental today. "Demographic change", "climate change" or "sustainability" and "resources efficiency" rank top as subjects of the future in manager surveys. This is particularly valid for logistics.

These questions of the future sound the bell for a paradigm shift in logistics. No longer are the objects which are moved through logistics to the fore. Yet, logistics focuses more on the know-how. Thus reflecting its own methods and instruments and quasi unlimitedly extendising its applications. It does not matter whether cars are built, human beings are moved or goods are transported: The optimal control and, wherever possible, self-control of all objects taking part in the process is the aim of a holistic view. For this, it is necessary to consider ecological, economic, social and human aspects.

At the same time, logistics became aware of its responsibility. It sees itself faced with big tasks and has to develop or continue to develop the right tools in order to solve those problems adequately while being aware of its own responsibility. The projects chosen for the annual report offer various perspectives to manage the questions of the future. The report contains aspects to sustainability and resources efficiency as well as the climate change e.g. through optimized transports and reduced emissions. The projects range from classic warehouse planning to modeling of companies and control of internal processes up to proceedings like the Carbon-Footprint with which the emission of greenhouse gases in entire lifecycles of products and logistics services is registered and documented. As wide is the range of the contents, as wide it is for the various industries and sizes of companies.

We thank our staff and partners for another exciting year which allowed us to push logistics forward. We hope for a thrilling, informative and revealing reading and wish you many forwardpointing ideas for your own work.