Identification and Evolution of Future (Mega-) Trends in Logistics

Strategic Relevance for Logistics Service Providers

Master's Thesis from the year 2009 in the subject Business economics - Supply, Production, Logistics, grade: 1,0, European Business School - International University Schloß Reichartshausen Oestrich-Winkel, language: English, abstract: The objective of this thesis is to get an overview of the status quo of logistics service providers' future orientation and their exposure to corporate foresight thinking and methodologies of futures studies as well as to identify specific future challenges in an attempt to comprehensively investigate how service providers prepare for upcoming challenges. An important managerial implication of the study is to create awareness among the participating companies of the potential of foresight and its various methods for applications in the ever more complex and rapidly changing logistics industry. The underlying assumption is that logistics service providers are heavily impacted by their external context. Moreover, foresight activities and methodologies are, in accordance with the title of the thesis, assumed to be of benefit for the identification and evolution of future trends and their corresponding strategic relevance. In line with the mentioned research goals, the benefits of this thesis are twofold: First, it contributes to the emerging discussion on foresight activities in corporations by adding an industry-specific analysis. Second, this thesis can help draw the attention of decision-makers to the fact that foresight might become one of the most important sources of competitive advantage in tomorrow's economy.