Abstract
Packaging is a fundamental element in logistics systems. Packaging not only
affects every logistical activity; it is also recognised as having a significant
impact on logistics costs and performance. In order for logisticians and
packaging professionals to gain insight into packaging-dependent costs and
performance, the interactions between packaging systems and logistics systems
must be understood. This is instead of dividing packaging and logistics into
separate systems which are analysed on their own, and assuming that the
“whole” is the sum of the systems. Therefore, the overall purpose of this thesis
is to explore interactions between packaging and logistics.
The research is applied and interdisciplinary, and bases itself on inductive
reasoning. Methodologically, this thesis is qualitative, primarily using case
study as research strategy. A case study involving four retail supply chains is
conducted in this research to obtain insights into interactions between
packaging and logistics. A single case study is also conducted to explore the
packaging, logistics, marketing, and environmental consequences of
introducing an innovative unit load carrier. Moreover, two case studies are
conducted to study the use of RFID technology in managing and controlling
returnable transport packaging.
This research provides a comprehensive overview of the physical interactions
between packaging systems and logistics systems in retail supply chains. The
research serves as an elementary step towards understanding the role of
packaging in logistics, and as an aid in showing how packaging-related
decisions might impact on supply chains. This research implies that
understanding the interactions between packaging and logistics makes it
possible to make decisions, such as changing the packaging system or logistics
system, or both, based on a holistic packaging approach. Moreover, this
research provide insights into the cost and process of implementing radio
frequency identification (RFID) technology, and highlights significant savings
and benefits, as well as the potential benefits and risks of implementing RFID
in packaging systems. As a result, the research provides the means to bridge the
gap between packaging and logistics professionals and presents a model of the
impact of decisions on packaging and logistics systems. Moreover, a model of
the RFID implementation process is proposed, where implications for
management are identified to guide managers in the process of implementing
RFID.