Abstract

The scientific monograph titled Logistics and Management – selected topics is the result of a bilateral project, lasting from 2013 to 2015 and titled “Preparation of a joint scientific monograph in the field of logistics and management issued at the Faculty of Logistics in Celje and the Maritime Faculty of Kotor”. The project was managed by Professor Maja Fošner, PhD, from the Faculty of Logistics at the University of Maribor, and Professor Veselin Draskovic, PdD, from the Maritime Faculty of Kotor, Montenegro. The main goal of the monograph is to give a comprehensive account of selected areas from the field of logistics and challenges in the development of logistics, such as risk management and supply chains, transport cost, competences in logistics, urban logistics, green logistics, seaport cooperation, logistics network optimisation, logistics in tourism, logistics in performance management, systemic logistics providers and solutions to problems of transportation task. Wishing to offer a comprehensive presentation of various areas in the field of logistics, the authors of the monograph contributions, who participated on the project (Maja Fošner, Bojan Rosi, Borut Jereb, Marjan Sternad, Veselin Draskovic (ed.), Mimo Draskovic, Sanja Bauk, Senka Sekulac-Ivosevic), invited to cooperation also other researchers from the Faculty of Logistics and the Maritime Faculty of Kotor (Irena Gorenak, Matjaž Knez, Matevž Obrecht, Sonja Mlaker Kač, Tina Cvahte, Darja Topolsek, Drago Pupavac, Zeljko Ivanovic, Oleksandr Dorokhov, and Ludmila Malyaretz) who enriched the present monograph with their contributions. The monograph is aimed at professional public and anyone interested in the field of logistics. It should also serve as a useful aid in the study of logistics.

Abstract

Central European inland waterways are presently utilized way below their theoretical carrying capacity. The economic situation of companies operating inland waterway fleets is, amongst other factors, characterized by an over aged fleet, eroding profit margins, a high dependency on fuel costs, and/or infrastructural bottlenecks causing delays in running-times. To support an increase of transport flows on inland waterways (especially container transport on the Danube) and to contribute to a significant modal shift, shipping companies and owner-operators have to be enabled to improve their economic position. There are several ways to meet this challenge, of course: One is to develop an innovative inland container vessel and logistics system which allows to meet operator's targeted costs, optimize time-management (reliability), answer to inland shipping-specific bottlenecks (e.g. low bridges, shallow waters), improve carbon footprints and thus successfully interact with road and railway transport.