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Paper info: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR INTERMODAL TRANSPORT: THEORETICAL TOOLS FOR PRACTICAL BREAKTHROUGHS?

Title


PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR INTERMODAL TRANSPORT: THEORETICAL TOOLS FOR PRACTICAL BREAKTHROUGHS?

Authors


Anu H. Bask, Jari Juga and Jouni Laine

Place of Publication


The paper was published at the 17th IMP-conference in Oslo, Norway in 2001.

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Abstract


Standardised cargo units, such as the container, have been a great technical invention for improvingthe efficiency and effectiveness of international transport chains. Maybe the biggest advantage ofthese units comes from their modularity. Modularisation can also be seen as a prerequisite for futuretransport systems while integrating the physcial cargo flows and related information more closelywith each other. This paper describes the development and future prospects of three fundamentalfactors in intermodal transport: (1) modular service offerings, (2) transport chain coordination, and(3) enabling network technologies. The focus of service offerings is on the match between customerneeds and different type of transportation services. Transport chain coordination concentrates on theservice production perspective, and the coordination of activities in transportation chains. Theenabling technologies focus on the developments regarding electronic information sharing andphysical distribution.