1,721,114 research outputs found
Fostering the Diffusion of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in Intermodal Logistics in Italy
No full textIntelligent Transport Systems (ITS) relying on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been recognised as important enablers of efficient intermodal logistics processes and are therefore receiving attention from EU policy makers. ITS can indeed boost performances and facilitate the development of the intermodal logistics industry itself. ITS could be particularly important for countries with a good potential for the implementation of intermodal logistics. Italy is among these, being the second-largest market in Europe for domestic rail-road transport. Moreover, it is accessible via sea due to its strategic positioning in the Mediterranean area and is closely connected with Central and Northern Europe markets. Still, there are many barriers to a broader spread of ITS in Italy, such as the high fragmentation of the freight transport chain, the limited vertical integration among the players and the reluctance to embrace change when outcomes are uncertain and difficult to assess. This paper provides an overview of the barriers to ITS adoption in intermodal logistics, maps the operative needs of Italian companies in this regard, and presents some of the results of a funded project aiming at fostering ITS adoption in intermodal logistics in Italy
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Cross-border B2C e-commerce to China: An evaluation of different logistics solutions under uncertainty
Full text linkPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to support companies’ risk-informed selection of a logistics solution to operate in China via cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). Design/methodology/approach: Decision theory is applied to the recent field of CBEC. This theoretic setup involves a decision maker who must choose among a set of alternatives, whose consequences depend on uncertain factors (Savage, 1954). The study develops an activity-based model to calculate logistics costs in a deterministic setting. Simulations and probabilistic sensitivity analyses are later performed to evaluate the impact of uncertainty. Findings: There are four main solutions to enter China, determined by the adopted international transport mean and the presence of a local warehouse. The most important risk factors affecting the choice of the logistics solution are change of CBEC regulation, product value, expected service level and demand level. Originality/value: From a theoretical perspective, this study improves CBEC literature, so far characterised by descriptive papers, often lacking industry focus or empirical exploration. It also provides new application opportunities for decision theory, whereas previous contributions have proposed different theoretical approaches, such as transaction cost or institutional theory. From a practical viewpoint, the paper is the first to compare the costs of the main logistics solutions to sell online to China, by taking uncertainty into account. The results can be used to better understand the differences among solutions and identify the most critical parameters. Finally, this research provides some observations for policy implementation
Developing a Prototype Platform To Manage Intelligent Communication Systems in Intermodal Transport
Full text linkDue to the collective attention towards global environmental challenges, the rise in fuel prices, the risk of drivers' shortage, and the new legal developments limiting the hours of service on frequently congested roads, developing efficient and effective intermodal freight transport networks is becoming an increasingly important success factor for companies to manage their supply chains. However, many factors hinder the smooth implementation of intermodal systems, such as the high number of operators to be involved, the duplication of handling activities and transit times at the intersection of each transport mode, and the lack of information sharing among the different transport modes and companies. To overcome such barriers, Intelligent Communication Systems (ICS) have increasingly been applied to activities within the nodes (warehouses, transit points) and arches (transport routes) of distribution networks, providing several benefits, such as real-time visibility and tracking, more precise, reliable and efficient data collection, and document exchange. One of the key elements that can guarantee the successful design and implementation of an intermodal transport system is the integration of the various systems and actors involved along the process. This paper aims to contribute to this issue by presenting some of the results of the "ITS Italy 2020" project, an applied research initiative financed by the Italian Government to foster the diffusion of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). More specifically, we illustrate a prototype solution, based on a software that allows managing and monitoring freight transport along an intermodal network, thus overcoming some barriers currently limiting intermodal transport implementation. The prototype can communicate with devices and sensors put on board the vehicle or load, and track sensors positioned along the road. The solution integrates all the other systems involved by collecting and publishing information, managing events, and sending messages
Home delivery vs parcel lockers: an economic and environmental assessment
No full textThe past few years have been characterised by the emergence and the growth of B2C e-commerce in both developed and emerging countries (eMarketer, 2015). This phenomenon has highlighted the importance of conceiving new delivery strategies in order to deal with the increasing challenges of an internet-driven society. In this context, last mile logistics, i.e. the concluding distribution process to the end customer is particularly critical (Wang et al., 2014). One of its biggest problems is related to missed deliveries. The authors aim to analyse one of the solutions recently introduced to minimise missed deliveries, i.e. Parcel Lockers (PLs). More in detail, our objective is to develop an analytical model to assess the costs and the environmental impact of the distribution process based on the use of PLs and compare them with the ones of traditional Home Delivery (HD). The paper adopts a quantitative approach. The core of the research is represented by an Activity-based estimation model, which was developed and verified by following a three-step methodology: (i) Description of the last mile delivery phases in the two considered shipment options, (ii) Modelling of the environmental impact and costs produced by the two alternative processes, (iii) Application of the model to a base case, performance of sensitivity analyses and validation of results. We find that PLs generally cause less operational costs and carbon emissions than HD, although benefits are not homogeneously split among couriers and customers. The paper represents a starting point to bridge the gap found in the extant literature regarding the combined evaluation of e-commerce delivery processes from a financial and environmental perspective. The paper is also relevant for practice as it provides couriers with a reliable tool to support their decision-making activities and benchmark their environmental and economic performances
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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