The carbon market is now global, despite large reserves more closely than ever before, and the price of raw material high. Two important factors signal a continuation of this trend: first, the sharp rise in coal consumption, especially in China and India, and secondly, infrastructure problems in key producing countries. The main reason for the structural tightness in the coal market is continually rising energy demand that is met increasingly from coal power plants. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast in its World Energy Outlook 2007, that coal will experience under all primary energy sources the most significant increase in demand.

Asia’s energy demand rises sharply
The strong economic growth, industrialization and urbanization, together with a higher standard of living are driving demand for energy in India and China into the air. Under the baseline scenario of the IEA in 2030 will account for around 60 percent of global coal demand in China and India – on the basis of 45 percent in 2005. To meet the significant growing demand for energy, China has to rely increasingly on coal imports, especially as we have in our own country to cope with major challenges on the supply side. Thus, coal production is increasingly concentrated on the mining areas in the north, which lie in a clear distance of the major consuming regions to the south coast. Innovative coal tranport contracts do become of interes here. The increased demand for transport bottlenecks on the rail and ports, which results in addition to a limitation of the internal supply and an increase in the cost of domestic transport. As a result, the attractiveness of imported coal. China was already the beginning of 2007 a net importer of coal, while the country is traditionally one of the main exporters of coal was transported by sea.

India relies on coal imports
The energy demand in India, according to the IEA in the period 2000-2005 increased by around 3.2 percent. Here, the per capita consumption are equivalent to one-tenth of the OECD contracts average and is therefore still extremely low. India also is designed to meet their energy needs increasingly dependent on imports. This is particularly true for coal, as the Indian economy is highly dependent on this energy source – 2005 39 percent of total primary energy demand was attributable to coal. The Indian production is sufficient quantity and quality are not sufficient to meet domestic demand, so the import has increased significantly in recent years. India does have large coal reserves. However, these have usually have a high ash content, so imported coal to be added to reduce the contaminants.

Australia is a large coal supplier in the business
While these facts support the supply side, prices in the long run, is the recent strong rise in coal prices due to a number of short supply outages in China, Australia and South Africa. The three most important events in early 2008 were floods and rains in Australia, which led to export disruptions, loss of production in South Africa and heavy snow storms in China, which also attracted to the export bottlenecks. These short-term supply failures are all symptoms of inadequate infrastructure for coal transportation, and it will take years to remedy this serious deficiency. Australia is one of around 112 million metric tons (mt) of the largest coal exporters. Given strong increases in coal transport export volumes, the capacity limit of the Australian coal transport system is almost reached. The infrastructure for transporting coal from the Hunter Valley mining area is likely to remain inadequate until at least 2010, because only then will the port of Newcastle completed a third coal terminal.

Transport bottlenecks resolve
Even South Africa can not operate because of the limited capacity of rail and ship transport, the growing global coal demand is sufficient. Capacity constraints in the coal terminal at Richard’s Bay should have caused a slight decline in exports in 2007 to 67.2 million MT. From the end of 2009 should see some recovery use when another expansion project will be completed. As Australia and South Africa export its short notice but can not increase greatly, the increase in coal demand met by increasing production from Indonesia, the United States and Russia. This should be sufficient but not enough to keep up with the demand growth. Coal will play in our view, an important role in helping to meet the increasing global demand for energy. A major challenge, however, is to reduce the use of greenhouse gases and other emissions through technological innovations, such as clean coal and zero emission technologies.

A new approach to the organization of container ports based on the behavior of ants. The animals are governed in their activities largely self-control and no need from the top.

This principle took on Albert Douma from the Dutch University of Twente, and developed a system to speed up the port of Rotterdam in the clearance of container shipping. Accordingly, each ship’s container loads at various terminals in the order up or down, which takes the least time.

Waiting time in port can also be availed useful for other tasks, was trailing in simulations of the method.

Doumas approach is based on many self-organizing actors, similar to an anthill. A software program handles the usual negotiations in the harbor. Like ants, the program is severely limited in the number of erledigbaren tasks. It calculates the best options for the ships, but otherwise no overview of the whole. The vessels and terminals as actors in this program discuss the interaction of the order of release. They consider both the time necessary for maintenance of the ships and the total waiting time and handling time on all terminals that are currently available.

Simulations of the program for realistic situations port showed a significant reduction of the required residence time of the ships in port. The shipping agent said on the operating profile of the terminal and was able to quickly determine what order is the controlling terminal is the best. The ships came before a specified time in the terminals, this could turn the execution of steps within a guaranteed maximum. The total waiting time decreased, with about a ship could take in terms of waiting times during the negotiations with the terminals at the same time negotiations with other terminals. This was made possible by a certain margin, makes the terminals for changed circumstances, the inclusion of other ships.

Currently used in the major container ports an appointment system that shows a high degree of uncertainty regarding the waiting times and therefore error-prone. In a more dense use port it can come across in unnecessary delays. A central control is not popular in the port as the ships pass reluctantly information that the competition could be beneficial.

Hansgrohe AG is embarking on its Kanban processes in logistics and warehousing. With the help of RFID technology, the company can control its production better, reduce inventories and optimize the delivery.

Clear design: The valve series is among the best sellers by Hans Grohe.
The taps and shower manufacturer Hansgrohe has collected since 2003, experience with Kanban, a late 40s Toyota’s advanced production method. Now the company has accelerated the processes by using RFID on.

In a first step, the project team focused on existing kanban processes between the production at its headquarters in Schiltach and logistics center in Offenburg – located about 50 kilometers. From here Hansgrohe sent its products all over the world.

Every morning the ship trucks and bathroom fittings and in special containers to Offenburg. Each box comes with a fitted with an RFID chip Kanban card and points from which goods, materials and products are transported. If the empty shipping box in the mail, walk back to their card Schiltach.

There had been The cards are read manually. Despite a barcode error-prone process because sometimes cards have been overlooked. As a safe speed and above all has proved here the automatic import of radio chips. In a few seconds, a tunnel reader reads the cards and passes the data to SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure (AII) on. The software transmits the information directly to the production planning, which can directly trigger orders or reorders. At Hansgrohe, it is estimated that this operation will save two to three hours of daily work. Then at least have the first experience out on the prototype.

Another step of the project is to use RFID in the warehouse. For storage, the pallets are routed via conveyor belts with readers. Again, the necessary data to flow immediately to the camp management and allow for streamlined and up-held information system.

RFID in warehouse
Semling Frank, head of business processes / IT at Hansgrohe sees a benefit of the fact that the processes themselves were untouched. “Get with the integration of RFID into our SAP production and logistics planners now all production data in real time without the need to remodel our business processes,” he says.

The company Hansgrohe was founded in 1901. Today, the Black Forest in his employ 28 offices worldwide more than 3200 employees. Production takes place in ten plants in Germany, China, France, the United States and the Netherlands. In fiscal year 2007, the company generated sales of 661 million euros. The company is among 68 percent of Masco Corporation, Taylor / Michigan (USA) and 32 percent of Schiltach Klaus Grohe family.

Here is what the future look of logistics. Containers are automatically controlled via so-called software agents. This may be the selection of bearings, used in their respective goods, or even the selection of transport there. Car, truck or barge, whichever is cheaper.

And for the software agent of the individual containers also communicate with each other. Because the means of transport must be yes or not filled as possible. With methods of artificial intelligence Arne Schuldt has the technology center computer science and Information Technology (TZI), University of Bremen in cooperation with Tchibo developed a solution that automates such standard cases of the disposition.

The resulting from this case study dissertation “Multiagent Coordination Enabling Autonomous Logistics” has been honored with the prestigious Science Award for Logistics. The ceremony took place at the German Logistics Congress of the Federal Logistics Association (BVL) in Berlin. The prize is worth € 10,000 each for the winners and the sponsoring institution and in 2010 by Oskar Schunck AG & Co. KG in Munich sponsored.

The intelligent IT system has about determined that it could be useful to have the containers are still a few more days at the terminal. That would save about large-scale storage capacity of pallets and considerable costs.

And another advantage is that the dispatchers could be targeted in a company take care of the special cases, such as when a container is stuck in customs. Arne Schuldt has created his work at the Bremen International Graduate School for Dynamics in Logistics and the Collaborative Research Centre “Autonomous Cooperating Logistic Processes” (SFB 637) of the University of Bremen. Doctoral adviser was Professor TCI Otthein Duke.

As the Magdeburger Volksstimme reported, the satellite surveillance of cargo containers not only the exact location of the program can display. It will also display may have to withstand shocks which containers on their journey. The experimental project in the port of Magdeburg is one of a series of experiments about the European Galileo satellite program. In Magdeburg research with a focus on logistics.

The new project was the logistics specialist Eddie Stobarth with the railway operator DB Schenker as “Together We strips a green world” will begin to offer an innovative environmental and sustainable transport.

The service, which is the longest train ride in Europe, which is offered by a single service provider, is the annual road transport, which is set aside for commercial purposes, reduce by 13.7 million km and eliminate 8625 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Capespan uses the service since its launch last week and has already received some citrus containers for The Co-operative of producers and Torres Schuback.

The service, appropriate containers, each brings up to 20 pallets, travel from Valencia Wednesday at midnight and comes on Friday at 6 clock in the morning on the Ford Dagenham Motors site. On the way back to Spain, the train is loaded with pallets, which are intended for CHEP, so no empty miles will be driven. The logistics provider Stobart expected to further expand the service soon.

12,000 employees, the U.S. logistics company Bax Global, which is incorporated into the train.

12,000 employees, the U.S. logistics company Bax Global, the einverleibt.BERLIN the train. Right aptly is the company name any more. The German Railway has long since large parts of their business beyond the rail tracks – with rental bikes, rental cars or on the 1,100 points of forwarding subsidiary Schenker worldwide. The freight business Bahn CEO Hartmut Mehdorn will now expand vigorously: The supervisory board gave the green light on Saturday for a purchase of U.S. logistics company Bax Global. The acquisition could cost up to one billion euros.
If the deal is sealed soon, the train will strengthen the position of Schenker in the global competition between the carriers. The rivals are called Kuehne + Nagel and German Post. The U.S. is among the strategic objectives for Schenker, according to the track. Bax Global, based in California has 12 000 employees, a worldwide network of 500 locations and is established in particular aviation and maritime transport.

The fact that the web is not limited to switches and more cars, is declared strategy. The national railway traffic remained although the basis of the business. But that is not in itself be unable to achieve the necessary financial capacity to invest, said Mehdorn. The purchase of the Schenker Stinnes parent for 2.5 billion euros in 2003 signaled the shift to a “mobility and logistics service providers”. Meanwhile, 40 percent of sales come not from the rail. Here, the course is controversial. The Greens warned before an expansion in “seemed distant markets overseas” at the expense of the German railway network. The path refers to the fact that just Schenker (39 000 employees / eight billion euros) reliable income source. And will also interest investors Mehdorn for the planned initial public offering are expected to follow closely with the strategy. His supervisory boards signaled Mehdorn any case, the business was “on course”. When profit is to succeed at the end of the jump to 400 million euros. Then there is also a surprising change in its board, the checkers with absegneten. For marketing and political relations Bavaria’s Economics Minister Otto Wiesheu to be responsible.

In the company name the managers, meanwhile, have for months to respond to the changing activities found. Except in the passenger presents itself, the Group no longer under the brand “The track” but with “DB” along with the addition of “Mobility Logistics Networks’.

Explore the logistics service provider e-commerce. They attract potential customers with services that go far beyond traditional transport services, and up to taking over entire business processes ranging. Lack of data exchange formats that make it difficult not only to connect to virtual marketplaces put, but enormous demands on IT resources of the logistics company.

Despite the recent dot-com failures to market researchers and analysts largely agree that the electronic trading of goods and services listed in the coming years of high growth. IDC projects such as an increase in sales to 1.6 trillion dollars in 2003, where it accounts for 1.4 trillion dollars in transactions between companies. The resulting turmoil in global markets can also search the logistics provider for new concepts, to participate in the Internet boom.

On the one hand, the industry has had the good fortune to transport tangible goods that are not split into bits and bytes and send it over the Web. On the other hand, logistics companies use the Internet even more, they want to be their increasing importance within the supply chain, new German supply chain called justice. Reason enough to hold Germany to € Forum GmbH, based in Dusseldorf, a two-day conference on “Challenges of e-business and e-commerce for logistics”. Sees opportunities Susanne Frank, project manager at Euro-tech industry forum, abound: “It is no longer just about the physical transport from A to B, but rather to additional services such as the complete order fulfillment.”

Speakers on side prevailed over the odds for the transport industry wide agreement. For example, predicts KPMG Consulting in the years to a “dramatic” increase in package volume, particularly triggered by the business-to-consumer (B-to-C) range. But the business-to-business (B-to-B) want to take logistics sector companies with a range of value added services tasks currently covers mainly the classical (interim) trade. Ranging from warehousing to the billing, the transfer of accounts to the complete order processing. Interest for such a comprehensive service packages were loud Axel Meier of Inet-Logistics not only start-up companies that have such structures do not, but brick-and-mortar companies, the new products marketed on the Internet do without their existing distribution channels to scare.

Even Michael Schueller, Consultant, Lufthansa Systems AS GmbH, represents the position, which could through direct sales resulting gap to be closed by the manufacturers and logistics service providers. While the producers would have to take the customers with advice, the carriers could handle tasks in order processing, warehousing and distribution, billing and collection.

Among the additional skills to complement the transport companies have their core logistics skills, IT know-how is particularly important. The front-runner have reached the courier, parcel and express services. While traditional carriers for smaller orders or the consignor of the goods, shippers in the industry jargon, manually created and sent by fax bills and loading lists to enter into their software systems, it runs from contemporary package of innovative services. Here, the physical transport related information electronically and shared largely without media breaks. The associated IT costs is very difficult. United Parcel Service (UPS), for example, with 27 billion sales in 1999 an industry leader, claims to be infected per year, about one billion dollars in IT investments and maintains the second largest after the United Nations here.

Tracking relieved Call Center

UPS uses the DV technology, not only for optimization of internal processes, but also provide better information for shippers and their customers. The term “tracking and tracing, the company – as is now the most package services – the ability to determine via the Internet, where there are the posted packages. This online shipment tracking is the latest advance in the next year a standard feature of the industry. This would be attending a conference, according superfluous if the receiver could rely on the adherence to agreed delivery times. De facto relieved tracking the call center of the consignor. Turn this way 30 percent of all customer inquiries at Cisco Systems for information on whereabouts of ordered goods, Steffen Müller, e-commerce manager at UPS reported.

For companies that send large amounts of packets over different parcels, but it is too costly to gather up the data on the various websites of the suppliers. To avoid this, the carrier to be able to display the tracking information in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system of the customer. The “Express Package Carrier Interface” UPS has an interface that allows direct access from SAP systems to such status data.

Even for the traditional logistics industry is the variety of data formats and the absence of comprehensive standards is a high hurdle is the case of medium-sized and large cargo forwarding agents and transporters of hazardous goods and goods beyond the 30-pound limit to EDIFACT as the standard for the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI ) widely adopted. Smaller carriers but is already the programming of an EDI interface with problems. Here, logistics portals to help.

One of these marketplaces are operated by Axit AG, headquartered in Frankenthal. “MyLogistics” since September of this year online and offers an industry information service with “Weborder” an order entry form on the internet. Shippers can enter their data via Web browser here. For agents who want to participate in Weborder programmed Axit the interface so that data can be transferred directly into their shipping program. Frauke Heistermann, Managing Director at Axit but hopes to be able to inspire even more Transporters for the portal: “They are now woke up, there’s a lot of catching up.”

Shippers, where it is too expensive to send each shipping order by fax or individually entered in the entry screen of the carrier or portal need also an interface to their ERP system. For the industry heavyweights include the programming interfaces to the appropriate service for large customers. Smaller freight forwarders have however not have the appropriate IT resources, especially since such adaptation projects take up to one year.

Much more complex, the demands on IT, if the electronic integration of logistics service providers in multi-company supply chains or virtual marketplaces in the industry is to be realized. Here defined compounds and standards must emerge from the capital goods to the logistics marketplace. As in many other industries, here are great hopes on the Extensible Markup Language (XML): “When interfacing is currently all in search of the penny! We believe that XML can play this role.” Said Andreas Topp, UPS senior Engineer-Electronic-commerce for the region Europe. Several logistics companies and the transportation of specialized software companies are working on appropriate specifications. UPS has submitted claims to be the first carrier a document type definition in the standards bodies, the BizTalk Initiative (Microsoft) and Rosetta Net. Rosetta Net is an industry organization that has been written on the flags, uniform standards for online information exchange between suppliers, manufacturers and buyers to develop. UPS is sitting here as well as competitor Federal Express (FedEx) in addition to many IT heavyweights (including Cisco, IBM, HP, Compaq, Intel, Toshiba, Microsoft, Netscape, Oracle and SAP) in the Managing Board. Topp is confident: “I am confident that we will be there to see something within the next year.”

For logistics providers who do not share this optimism, the E-Commerce nevertheless provided interesting perpective, they have the appropriate IT know-how, or appropriate partnerships. A carrier can anvancieren with comparatively little effort to supply chain master, if he can cover except marketing and sales activities over the handling of business process. An example is presented Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: In partnership with the Bundesliga club Werder Bremen in the Swiss Schindellegi Headquartered provider is currently next to the storage and the operation of the call center, dispatch, billing and accounting. The “Fan Service GmbH” must in future only the more than 100 Fanartikel for producers to commission. This, combined Hellmann its IT infrastructure with the football club set up business software “Navision Financials”.

Availability of goods online queries

The Swiss put it in a programmed Pearl module with the cryptic name “V1.2″ one that provides the necessary links between the ERP system and its storage management software, and databases. This enables customers to check the proposed Werder Internet shops in the future availability of goods ordered online. This check represents for each supply chain management project, a critical factor: Only by the availability of audit work across the entire supply chain, can be determined accurate delivery dates for the final product.

Remains to be seen whether the price for such a complete package is far below the profit margins that in the old economy, once enough of the classic commercial. The question is whether and how quickly it is possible the carriers to develop the necessary concepts and services available to take over the role of traditional wholesalers and distributors in whole or in part. At least at concepts prevailed at the Euro Forum event is no shortage. Their digital implementation, the industry, however, remain significant tasks. In addition to flexibility, cooperation and integration is therefore of the IT literacy is an essential part in e-commerce success of the transport industry. The bulk of the market participant has the “E” in the new fashion term “e-Logistics” has yet to earn any rate.

E-Logistics e-collection needs

The problem is almost as old as trade itself: the customer is afraid, not to get their goods – the seller fears for his payment. Since it is close to logistical services to collect as the bearer of the goods for cash due amounts. The German Post AG is taking its portal “Evita” (www.evita.de) back on the services of the Postal Bank. Most logistics companies have not connected via a financial services and are therefore dependent on cooperation. Kuehne and Nagel, for example, that as a global logistics company, also want financial services as an integral part of their service and share offer, here on a strategic partnership with Chase Manhattan Corp.. In the e-payment, pay via internet cooperate further with the Swiss Tele Cash, a company specializing in electronic payment system providers.

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AP BONN. After the takeover by Deutsche Post AG Danzas remained an independent company under the umbrella of Deutsche Post World Net. In view of the IPO post on 20 November also spread the subsidiary companies are positive numbers.
Sales at Danzas rose in the first six months rose 137% to 3.8 billion euros. For high growth, the integration of acquired companies – the Dutch Nedlloyd of the Swedish ASG to the American air freight company AEI – at. Crucial is also the world’s favorable economic situation have been reported Wagner. Return on sales rose by around 10%, although no synergies from the acquisitions could be mobilized.

Danzas fit for assessment of his boss very well in the German postal group, which wants to become a leading provider of mail, express, logistics and financial services. In any event, from a simple forwarder Danzas has transformed into a logistics company. Previously the emphasis was on the Danzas transportation of goods, total logistics solutions offered today. These start with the storage, go about picking the product to help with financing. In relation to the IPO post in the logistics sector plays a growing role.

For Wagner, it is clear that the trend to global mergers. The decisive factor is the globalization. Some obstacles that had previously opposed such a development had fallen. Outsourcing, ie the outsourcing of entire departments to take. From manufacturing companies outsourced their logistics, as it no longer belongs to its core tasks.

For Danzas, the goal is one-stop shopping. This means Wagner’s offer logistics services from a single source. Danzas recently received the largest contract in the history of the Deutsche Telekom. The company should take over the entire logistics services. The contract has a volume of 400 million DM Danzas is now the leading air cargo companies globally. In land transport, the company is in Europe at the top. In the ocean, it comes on the fifth.