Title: Setting up a production network of e-documents: a case of a shipping company

Authors: Walter W.C. Chung, Michael F.S. Chan, Stanley Y.C. Wong

Addresses: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong

Abstract: This paper proposes a concept of using a centralised documentation centre to produce shipping documents in a logistics shipping company. This centre is responsible for producing the bill of lading legal documents that were originally the responsibility of company|s various geographically dispersed offices. The aim is to enhance the cost of operations and the efficiency of the logistics and supply chain linkages. The centralisation of documentation activities will have to be carried in a way that simultaneously enhances cost and maintains/improves the customer service level (no late document delivery and no change to the document format), with the vision that the centre can in-source document production work from other shipping companies (or even competitors) for economy of scale. This could achieve a win-win situation amongst shippers, agents and customers and improve the competitiveness of the entire shipping line. A case study is used to describe an initiative in business process reengineering that transforms the operation of a third party logistics service provider to one of the fourth party logistics. The case articulates a system implementation project to manage the design and implementation of an inter-organisational information system to link disperse operations together to form a new logistics network to benefit multi-stakeholders within the group. This paper contributes knowledge towards building a theory in the development of a fourth party logistics operation from the multi-stakeholder perspective. This case provides a practical example of enterprise transformation in the real world.

Keywords: extended enterprise; inter-organisational information systems; logistics outsourcing; e-documentation; electronic documentation; shipping documents; documentation centre; third party logistics; fourth party logistics; supply chain; logistics networks; production networks; Hong Kong.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2005.005974

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2005 Vol.1 No.2/3, pp.279 - 295

Published online: 09 Jan 2005 *

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