M. Azmat | Vienna University of Economics and Business (original) (raw)
Papers by M. Azmat
Inaccurate forecasts can cause severe financial consequences and disrupt supply chain operations ... more Inaccurate forecasts can cause severe financial consequences and disrupt supply chain operations for organisations. This study focuses on the pharmaceutical industry, renowned for its complex supply chain and diverse data attributes. It proposes a novel approach to identify the optimal combination of demand forecasting models that enhance accuracy by leveraging deterministic factors using Mode and PERT. By refining model selection in the pharmaceutical industry, this research aims to improve both forecasting precision and supply chain efficiency. A four-level framework based on deterministic factors is proposed to evaluate the extent of hybrid modelling in demand forecasting, empowering practitioners to make informed decisions even in challenging circumstances. The findings offer decision-makers flexibility in selecting suitable forecasting models and assist in tailoring methods to specific conditions. Furthermore, this research highlights the industry's ability to leverage digital technologies and transform existing forecasting methodologies, ensuring uninterrupted business operations during disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, 2020
The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles... more The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles and drones to present innovative and sustainable solutions for traditional transportation and logistical challenges. Similarly, in this study, we propose using autonomous cars and drones to resolve conventional logistics and transport challenges faced by international humanitarian organizations (IHOs) during a relief operation. We do so by identifying, shortlisting, and elaborating critical success factors or key transport and logistics challenges from the existing humanitarian literature and present a conceptual model to mitigate these challenges by integrating unmanned ground (UGVs) and aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the humanitarian supply chain. To understand how this novel idea of using UGVs and UAVs could help IHOs, we drafted three research questions, first focusing on the identification of existing challenges, second concentrating on remediation of these challenges, and the third to ...
Logistics, 2019
Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous veh... more Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous vehicles. Some manufacturers are claiming to launch their first self-driving cars as early as 2020. Which all sounds very good and futuristic; however, the question arises, are customers even ready to adopt this new technological advancement? Therefore, this pilot study is aimed at finding out the answer to this question in the Austrian market. This study discovers the standpoint of Austrian consumers concerning the acceptance of self-driving cars for daily usage and gives an overview of the current point of view regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs). The data for this study was collected using an online, user-friendly, Likert scale survey. The collected data were processed and analyzed for empirical significance in SPSS using Spearman’s rank correlation and the Mann–Whitney U test supported by descriptive analysis. The results of the study indicate that Austrian consumers are well aware of a...
Logistics, 2019
In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can ... more In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can afford motorized vehicles. This is increasing the number of vehicles on roads at an alarming rate and existing infrastructure and conventional methods of traffic management are becoming inefficient both on highways and in urban areas. It is very important that our highways are up and running 24/7 as they not only provide a passage for human beings to move from one place to another, but also are the most important mode for intercity or international transfer of goods. There is an utter need of adapting the new world order, where daily processes are driven with the help of innovative technologies. It is highly likely that technological advancements like autonomous or connected vehicles, big data and the Internet of things can provide highway operators with a solution that might resolve unforeseeable challenges. This investigative exploratory research identifies and highlights the impact of...
Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, 2020
The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles... more The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles and drones to present innovative and sustainable solutions for traditional transportation and logistical challenges. Similarly, in this study, we propose using autonomous cars and drones to resolve conventional logistics and transport challenges faced by international humanitarian organizations (IHOs) during a relief operation. We do so by identifying, shortlisting, and elaborating critical success factors or key transport and logistics challenges from the existing humanitarian literature and present a conceptual model to mitigate these challenges by integrating unmanned ground (UGVs) and aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the humanitarian supply chain. To understand how this novel idea of using UGVs and UAVs could help IHOs, we drafted three research questions, first focusing on the identification of existing challenges, second concentrating on remediation of these challenges, and the third to understand realization timeline for UGVs and UAVs. This lead to the development of a semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire to record the respondents' perspectives on the existing challenges and their potential solutions. We gathered data form, ten interviewees, with substantial experience in the humanitarian sector from six IHOs stationed in Pakistan and Austria. In light of the feedback for the second research question, we present a conceptual model of integrating UAVs and UGVs in the relief chain. The results of the study indicate that technological advancement in mobility withholds the potential to mitigate the existing challenges faced by IHOs. However, IHOs tend to be reluctant in adapting UGVs compared to UAVs. The results also indicate that the adaptation of these technologies is subject to their technical maturity, and there are no significant differences in opinions found between the IHOs from Pakistan and Austria.
Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 2019
In the last few decades, an exponential increase in the number of disasters, and their complexity... more In the last few decades, an exponential increase in the number of disasters, and their complexity has been reported, which ultimately put much pressure on relief organizations. These organizations cannot usually respond to the disaster on their own, and therefore, all actors involved in relief efforts should have end-to-end synchronization in order to provide relief effectively and efficiently. Consequently, to smoothen the flow of relief operation, a shared understanding of critical success factors in humanitarian supply chain serves as a prerequisite for successful relief operation. Therefore, any member of the humanitarian supply chain might disrupt this synchronization by neglecting one or several of these critical success factors. However, in this study, we try to investigate how faith-based and non-faith-based relief organizations treat these critical success factors. Moreover, we also try to identify any differences between Islamic and Christian relief organizations in identifying and prioritizing these factors. To achieve the objective of this study, we used a two-stage approach; in the first stage, we collected the critical success factors from existing humanitarian literature. Whereas, in the second stage, using an online questionnaire, we collected data on the importance of selected factors from humanitarian relief organizations from around the world in collaboration with World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO). Later, responses were analyzed to answer the research questions using non-parametric Binomial and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests. Test results indicate that for RQ1, two but all factors are significant for successful relief operation. For RQ2, we found significant differences for some CSF among faith-based and non-faith-based relief organizations. Similarly for RQ3, we found significant differences for some CSF among Islamic and Christian relief organizations.
Logistics, 2019
Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous veh... more Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous vehicles. Some manufacturers are claiming to launch their first self-driving cars as early as 2020. Which all sounds very good and futuristic; however, the question arises, are customers even ready to adopt this new technological advancement? Therefore, this pilot study is aimed at finding out the answer to this question in the Austrian market. This study discovers the standpoint of Austrian consumers concerning the acceptance of self-driving cars for daily usage and gives an overview of the current point of view regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs). The data for this study was collected using an online, user-friendly, Likert scale survey. The collected data were processed and analyzed for empirical significance in SPSS using Spearman's rank correlation and the Mann-Whitney U test supported by descriptive analysis. The results of the study indicate that Austrian consumers are well aware of autonomous vehicles and their technology. However, they have specific concerns about reliability, cybersecurity, and futuristic car-sharing models. Therefore, these concerns about AVs should be addressed by auto manufactures in order to gain consumers' trust and sell them a new form of mobility.
LogForum, 2019
Background: Local and international non-governmental organizations play a pivotal role in a relie... more Background: Local and international non-governmental organizations play a pivotal role in a relief operation. However, as the number of disasters and their complexity is increasing, the challenges these organizations face during a relief operation are also growing exponentially. It is crucial for relief organizations to not only understand but also to prioritize the factors, which can make their supply chain work better. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the relationship between the key success factors, which can dramatically enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the relief operation. Moreover, this study also highlights how LNGOs and INGOs differentiate between these KSFs and how they rank them.
Methods: To address the objective of this study, the Likert scale style questionnaire was developed and distributed online to all such NGOs (worldwide), which take part in the relief operation. The collected data was then tested for its empirical significance on SPSS using Spearman's Rho, Pearson Chi-square, to understand the relationship and importance of these factors. Whereas, the odds ratio was calculated to rank each KSF.
Results: The results of the study indicate that there exist strong correlation among all selected factors and all KSFs affect INGOs supply chain at least twice as much as they do of LNGOs.
Conclusion: According to our findings and in the light of literature discussed in this research, a successful relief supply chain depends not only on greater and stronger coordination & collaboration but also on sharing information and resources among LNGOs and INGOs.
Logistics 3 (15), 2019
In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can ... more In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can afford motorized vehicles. This is increasing the number of vehicles on roads at an alarming rate and existing infrastructure and conventional methods of traffic management are becoming inefficient both on highways and in urban areas. It is very important that our highways are up and running 24/7 as they not only provide a passage for human beings to move from one place to another, but also are the most important mode for intercity or international transfer of goods. There is an utter need of adapting the new world order, where daily processes are driven with the help of innovative technologies. It is highly likely that technological advancements like autonomous or connected vehicles, big data and the Internet of things can provide highway operators with a solution that might resolve unforeseeable challenges. This investigative exploratory research identifies and highlights the impact of new technological advancements in the automotive industry on highways and highway operators. The data for this research was collected on a Likert scale type online survey, from different organizations around the world (actively or passively involved in highway operations). The data was further tested for its empirical significance with non-parametric binomial and Wilcoxon signed rank tests, supported by a descriptive analysis. The results of this study are in line with theoretical and conceptual work done by several independent corporations and academic researchers. It is evident form the opinions of seasoned professionals that these technological advancements withhold the potential to resolve all potential challenges and revolutionize highway operations.
Highways play a vivacious role in a country's economic growth, by facilitating movement of both g... more Highways play a vivacious role in a country's economic growth, by facilitating movement of both goods and people from one place to another. Over a short period of time, innovation in automobile and information technology has seen an unprecedented growth and this exploratory research highlights the impact of advent of innovative technologies like Autonomous and Connected Vehicles, Internet of Things applications and Big Data analytics on highway operators, as reflected in the opinions of organizations around the world (highway operators, toll agencies, suppliers, consultants and associations). The opinions were collected on a Likert scale type online survey, which was later tested for its empirical significance with non-parametric Binomial and Wilcoxon signed rank tests, supported by descriptive analysis. The research results clearly indicate that these technologies and products are not far from realization and while on one hand they would facilitate highway operations on the other hand they may pose some serious challenges for operators.
Brand positioning is considered to be the most sensitive element to take the brand to the sky or ... more Brand positioning is considered to be the most sensitive element to take the brand to the sky or nowhere the marketers try hard to come up to the mark of the consumers because every consumer is different and have a different mindset and contains different perceptions and different value. This research is conducted to see an impact of brand positioning strategies on consumer’s perception. The research basically revolves around 3 strategies of positioning i.e. beneficial positioning, surrogate positioning (Psychological) , Competitive positioning the impact of these strategies being checked by showing 250 consumers random brands in television commercials which contains the above said positioning strategies the questionnaires has been designed in a way that tells the responsiveness of different consumers by watching the ads of the brands and what they feel and what is their perception about the particular brand whether highly negative, negative, neutral, positive or highly positive. The outcome of the research revealed that surrogate positioning by the brands showed the highest positive response, while the other two positioning strategies came out more or less on the negative side in terms of consumer perception. The analysis technique used is one sample t test and the software used is SPSS.
In today’s globalized world, with always increasing competition between firms, it is ever more es... more In today’s globalized world, with always increasing competition between firms, it is ever more essential to use resources in an optimal way. Still today, when deciding about the acquisitions of a new asset, it is widespread to concentrate only or mostly on the initial procurements cost, be it a singles product or a system. The principle of life cycle costing (LCC) offers a more comprehensive and transparent view of the overall costs related to the purchase and operation of assets, as it considers all expenses incurred through the entire life cycle, from the initial investment, though ownership and operation to eventual disposal.
Conference: iinovationsfördernder öffentlicher Beschaffung – 4.0 Platform innovation to e-mobilit... more Conference: iinovationsfördernder öffentlicher Beschaffung – 4.0 Platform innovation to e-mobility, Vienna Austria.
This paper reviews the Czech Republic‟s National Transport and Logistics Policy, as it is underst... more This paper reviews the Czech Republic‟s National Transport and Logistics Policy, as it is understandable that all domains of public and private life as well as the business sphere are being virtually and physically influenced by the transport and logistics sector that is why it is one of the most important areas of national economy. This review paper details the Czech Republic‟s geographic and strategic importance in the Central Eastern Europe and also explains the transportation related infrastructure of the country. Further more the paper also highlights the conceptual goals of logistics and transportation till 2050, divided into two levels, which are national and regional. Moreover, it entails explanation on actors that should be involved in policy making and for the implementation. The paper concludes number of the loopholes in the transport and strategy policy, which should be reconsidered by the authorities. The imbalanced distribution of investment and funds in road infrastructure has created a significant difference in the development of alternative routes of transportation. The most affected and least bothered route is Air transportation and the growth of this sector is declining steeply and things are not too different with railway networks either.
Commercial logistics has become more unstable and volatile to man-made disasters due to the globa... more Commercial logistics has become more unstable and volatile to man-made disasters due to the globalization of supply chains. Supply chains are becoming leaner and leaner every day to enjoy economics of scale and low cost. The leaner the supply chains are becoming the more exposed they are to the risks of man-made disasters. Just-in-Time (JIT) systems making supply chains even more exposed. Big companies are losing millions of dollars even some case billions due to issues occurred from man-made disasters. This paper is a qualitative review of impacts of man-made disasters on commercial logistics particularly focusing on supplier flow, warehousing, distribution and transportation. Illustrations from 9/11 terrorist attack, Ericsson supplier fire break, Toyota supplier fire break and many more are engrossed from the logistics and supply chain point of view.
People in Pakistan are increasingly becoming health conscious and this is one of the reason for h... more People in Pakistan are increasingly becoming health conscious and this is one of the reason for healthy growth of mineral water industry in Pakistan in very short time span. This research explored the consumer response on quality, pricing and logistics with respect to mineral water industry; the research investigated consumer response on the basis of different demographic, psychographic and socio-economic factors. The main purpose of the study was to determine the role of logistics (which includes accessibility, packaging, handling convenience and transportation) in increased sale / growth of any particular mineral water company. And the researcher also wanted to compute if there are some visible signs of customers brand switching just on the basis of excellent logistical services. To calculate the best results, cousumers who use mineral water were targeted and the procedure adopted to extract the relative data out of these respondents was set to be a survey questionnaire. The extracted data was then processed under one sample T test computation on SPSS and the results derived explained that the consumer’s characteristics does have an impact on consumer’s response towards pricing, quality and logistics. However, the research could not find any strong evidence of brand switching due to excellent logistical services without keeping the price constant and same is the result for any augmentation in growth of any mineral water company.
Inaccurate forecasts can cause severe financial consequences and disrupt supply chain operations ... more Inaccurate forecasts can cause severe financial consequences and disrupt supply chain operations for organisations. This study focuses on the pharmaceutical industry, renowned for its complex supply chain and diverse data attributes. It proposes a novel approach to identify the optimal combination of demand forecasting models that enhance accuracy by leveraging deterministic factors using Mode and PERT. By refining model selection in the pharmaceutical industry, this research aims to improve both forecasting precision and supply chain efficiency. A four-level framework based on deterministic factors is proposed to evaluate the extent of hybrid modelling in demand forecasting, empowering practitioners to make informed decisions even in challenging circumstances. The findings offer decision-makers flexibility in selecting suitable forecasting models and assist in tailoring methods to specific conditions. Furthermore, this research highlights the industry's ability to leverage digital technologies and transform existing forecasting methodologies, ensuring uninterrupted business operations during disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, 2020
The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles... more The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles and drones to present innovative and sustainable solutions for traditional transportation and logistical challenges. Similarly, in this study, we propose using autonomous cars and drones to resolve conventional logistics and transport challenges faced by international humanitarian organizations (IHOs) during a relief operation. We do so by identifying, shortlisting, and elaborating critical success factors or key transport and logistics challenges from the existing humanitarian literature and present a conceptual model to mitigate these challenges by integrating unmanned ground (UGVs) and aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the humanitarian supply chain. To understand how this novel idea of using UGVs and UAVs could help IHOs, we drafted three research questions, first focusing on the identification of existing challenges, second concentrating on remediation of these challenges, and the third to ...
Logistics, 2019
Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous veh... more Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous vehicles. Some manufacturers are claiming to launch their first self-driving cars as early as 2020. Which all sounds very good and futuristic; however, the question arises, are customers even ready to adopt this new technological advancement? Therefore, this pilot study is aimed at finding out the answer to this question in the Austrian market. This study discovers the standpoint of Austrian consumers concerning the acceptance of self-driving cars for daily usage and gives an overview of the current point of view regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs). The data for this study was collected using an online, user-friendly, Likert scale survey. The collected data were processed and analyzed for empirical significance in SPSS using Spearman’s rank correlation and the Mann–Whitney U test supported by descriptive analysis. The results of the study indicate that Austrian consumers are well aware of a...
Logistics, 2019
In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can ... more In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can afford motorized vehicles. This is increasing the number of vehicles on roads at an alarming rate and existing infrastructure and conventional methods of traffic management are becoming inefficient both on highways and in urban areas. It is very important that our highways are up and running 24/7 as they not only provide a passage for human beings to move from one place to another, but also are the most important mode for intercity or international transfer of goods. There is an utter need of adapting the new world order, where daily processes are driven with the help of innovative technologies. It is highly likely that technological advancements like autonomous or connected vehicles, big data and the Internet of things can provide highway operators with a solution that might resolve unforeseeable challenges. This investigative exploratory research identifies and highlights the impact of...
Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, 2020
The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles... more The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles and drones to present innovative and sustainable solutions for traditional transportation and logistical challenges. Similarly, in this study, we propose using autonomous cars and drones to resolve conventional logistics and transport challenges faced by international humanitarian organizations (IHOs) during a relief operation. We do so by identifying, shortlisting, and elaborating critical success factors or key transport and logistics challenges from the existing humanitarian literature and present a conceptual model to mitigate these challenges by integrating unmanned ground (UGVs) and aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the humanitarian supply chain. To understand how this novel idea of using UGVs and UAVs could help IHOs, we drafted three research questions, first focusing on the identification of existing challenges, second concentrating on remediation of these challenges, and the third to understand realization timeline for UGVs and UAVs. This lead to the development of a semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire to record the respondents' perspectives on the existing challenges and their potential solutions. We gathered data form, ten interviewees, with substantial experience in the humanitarian sector from six IHOs stationed in Pakistan and Austria. In light of the feedback for the second research question, we present a conceptual model of integrating UAVs and UGVs in the relief chain. The results of the study indicate that technological advancement in mobility withholds the potential to mitigate the existing challenges faced by IHOs. However, IHOs tend to be reluctant in adapting UGVs compared to UAVs. The results also indicate that the adaptation of these technologies is subject to their technical maturity, and there are no significant differences in opinions found between the IHOs from Pakistan and Austria.
Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 2019
In the last few decades, an exponential increase in the number of disasters, and their complexity... more In the last few decades, an exponential increase in the number of disasters, and their complexity has been reported, which ultimately put much pressure on relief organizations. These organizations cannot usually respond to the disaster on their own, and therefore, all actors involved in relief efforts should have end-to-end synchronization in order to provide relief effectively and efficiently. Consequently, to smoothen the flow of relief operation, a shared understanding of critical success factors in humanitarian supply chain serves as a prerequisite for successful relief operation. Therefore, any member of the humanitarian supply chain might disrupt this synchronization by neglecting one or several of these critical success factors. However, in this study, we try to investigate how faith-based and non-faith-based relief organizations treat these critical success factors. Moreover, we also try to identify any differences between Islamic and Christian relief organizations in identifying and prioritizing these factors. To achieve the objective of this study, we used a two-stage approach; in the first stage, we collected the critical success factors from existing humanitarian literature. Whereas, in the second stage, using an online questionnaire, we collected data on the importance of selected factors from humanitarian relief organizations from around the world in collaboration with World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO). Later, responses were analyzed to answer the research questions using non-parametric Binomial and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests. Test results indicate that for RQ1, two but all factors are significant for successful relief operation. For RQ2, we found significant differences for some CSF among faith-based and non-faith-based relief organizations. Similarly for RQ3, we found significant differences for some CSF among Islamic and Christian relief organizations.
Logistics, 2019
Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous veh... more Automotive manufacturers are competing to be the first to introduce customer-ready autonomous vehicles. Some manufacturers are claiming to launch their first self-driving cars as early as 2020. Which all sounds very good and futuristic; however, the question arises, are customers even ready to adopt this new technological advancement? Therefore, this pilot study is aimed at finding out the answer to this question in the Austrian market. This study discovers the standpoint of Austrian consumers concerning the acceptance of self-driving cars for daily usage and gives an overview of the current point of view regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs). The data for this study was collected using an online, user-friendly, Likert scale survey. The collected data were processed and analyzed for empirical significance in SPSS using Spearman's rank correlation and the Mann-Whitney U test supported by descriptive analysis. The results of the study indicate that Austrian consumers are well aware of autonomous vehicles and their technology. However, they have specific concerns about reliability, cybersecurity, and futuristic car-sharing models. Therefore, these concerns about AVs should be addressed by auto manufactures in order to gain consumers' trust and sell them a new form of mobility.
LogForum, 2019
Background: Local and international non-governmental organizations play a pivotal role in a relie... more Background: Local and international non-governmental organizations play a pivotal role in a relief operation. However, as the number of disasters and their complexity is increasing, the challenges these organizations face during a relief operation are also growing exponentially. It is crucial for relief organizations to not only understand but also to prioritize the factors, which can make their supply chain work better. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the relationship between the key success factors, which can dramatically enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the relief operation. Moreover, this study also highlights how LNGOs and INGOs differentiate between these KSFs and how they rank them.
Methods: To address the objective of this study, the Likert scale style questionnaire was developed and distributed online to all such NGOs (worldwide), which take part in the relief operation. The collected data was then tested for its empirical significance on SPSS using Spearman's Rho, Pearson Chi-square, to understand the relationship and importance of these factors. Whereas, the odds ratio was calculated to rank each KSF.
Results: The results of the study indicate that there exist strong correlation among all selected factors and all KSFs affect INGOs supply chain at least twice as much as they do of LNGOs.
Conclusion: According to our findings and in the light of literature discussed in this research, a successful relief supply chain depends not only on greater and stronger coordination & collaboration but also on sharing information and resources among LNGOs and INGOs.
Logistics 3 (15), 2019
In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can ... more In the last couple of decades, there has been an unparalleled growth in number of people who can afford motorized vehicles. This is increasing the number of vehicles on roads at an alarming rate and existing infrastructure and conventional methods of traffic management are becoming inefficient both on highways and in urban areas. It is very important that our highways are up and running 24/7 as they not only provide a passage for human beings to move from one place to another, but also are the most important mode for intercity or international transfer of goods. There is an utter need of adapting the new world order, where daily processes are driven with the help of innovative technologies. It is highly likely that technological advancements like autonomous or connected vehicles, big data and the Internet of things can provide highway operators with a solution that might resolve unforeseeable challenges. This investigative exploratory research identifies and highlights the impact of new technological advancements in the automotive industry on highways and highway operators. The data for this research was collected on a Likert scale type online survey, from different organizations around the world (actively or passively involved in highway operations). The data was further tested for its empirical significance with non-parametric binomial and Wilcoxon signed rank tests, supported by a descriptive analysis. The results of this study are in line with theoretical and conceptual work done by several independent corporations and academic researchers. It is evident form the opinions of seasoned professionals that these technological advancements withhold the potential to resolve all potential challenges and revolutionize highway operations.
Highways play a vivacious role in a country's economic growth, by facilitating movement of both g... more Highways play a vivacious role in a country's economic growth, by facilitating movement of both goods and people from one place to another. Over a short period of time, innovation in automobile and information technology has seen an unprecedented growth and this exploratory research highlights the impact of advent of innovative technologies like Autonomous and Connected Vehicles, Internet of Things applications and Big Data analytics on highway operators, as reflected in the opinions of organizations around the world (highway operators, toll agencies, suppliers, consultants and associations). The opinions were collected on a Likert scale type online survey, which was later tested for its empirical significance with non-parametric Binomial and Wilcoxon signed rank tests, supported by descriptive analysis. The research results clearly indicate that these technologies and products are not far from realization and while on one hand they would facilitate highway operations on the other hand they may pose some serious challenges for operators.
Brand positioning is considered to be the most sensitive element to take the brand to the sky or ... more Brand positioning is considered to be the most sensitive element to take the brand to the sky or nowhere the marketers try hard to come up to the mark of the consumers because every consumer is different and have a different mindset and contains different perceptions and different value. This research is conducted to see an impact of brand positioning strategies on consumer’s perception. The research basically revolves around 3 strategies of positioning i.e. beneficial positioning, surrogate positioning (Psychological) , Competitive positioning the impact of these strategies being checked by showing 250 consumers random brands in television commercials which contains the above said positioning strategies the questionnaires has been designed in a way that tells the responsiveness of different consumers by watching the ads of the brands and what they feel and what is their perception about the particular brand whether highly negative, negative, neutral, positive or highly positive. The outcome of the research revealed that surrogate positioning by the brands showed the highest positive response, while the other two positioning strategies came out more or less on the negative side in terms of consumer perception. The analysis technique used is one sample t test and the software used is SPSS.
In today’s globalized world, with always increasing competition between firms, it is ever more es... more In today’s globalized world, with always increasing competition between firms, it is ever more essential to use resources in an optimal way. Still today, when deciding about the acquisitions of a new asset, it is widespread to concentrate only or mostly on the initial procurements cost, be it a singles product or a system. The principle of life cycle costing (LCC) offers a more comprehensive and transparent view of the overall costs related to the purchase and operation of assets, as it considers all expenses incurred through the entire life cycle, from the initial investment, though ownership and operation to eventual disposal.
Conference: iinovationsfördernder öffentlicher Beschaffung – 4.0 Platform innovation to e-mobilit... more Conference: iinovationsfördernder öffentlicher Beschaffung – 4.0 Platform innovation to e-mobility, Vienna Austria.
This paper reviews the Czech Republic‟s National Transport and Logistics Policy, as it is underst... more This paper reviews the Czech Republic‟s National Transport and Logistics Policy, as it is understandable that all domains of public and private life as well as the business sphere are being virtually and physically influenced by the transport and logistics sector that is why it is one of the most important areas of national economy. This review paper details the Czech Republic‟s geographic and strategic importance in the Central Eastern Europe and also explains the transportation related infrastructure of the country. Further more the paper also highlights the conceptual goals of logistics and transportation till 2050, divided into two levels, which are national and regional. Moreover, it entails explanation on actors that should be involved in policy making and for the implementation. The paper concludes number of the loopholes in the transport and strategy policy, which should be reconsidered by the authorities. The imbalanced distribution of investment and funds in road infrastructure has created a significant difference in the development of alternative routes of transportation. The most affected and least bothered route is Air transportation and the growth of this sector is declining steeply and things are not too different with railway networks either.
Commercial logistics has become more unstable and volatile to man-made disasters due to the globa... more Commercial logistics has become more unstable and volatile to man-made disasters due to the globalization of supply chains. Supply chains are becoming leaner and leaner every day to enjoy economics of scale and low cost. The leaner the supply chains are becoming the more exposed they are to the risks of man-made disasters. Just-in-Time (JIT) systems making supply chains even more exposed. Big companies are losing millions of dollars even some case billions due to issues occurred from man-made disasters. This paper is a qualitative review of impacts of man-made disasters on commercial logistics particularly focusing on supplier flow, warehousing, distribution and transportation. Illustrations from 9/11 terrorist attack, Ericsson supplier fire break, Toyota supplier fire break and many more are engrossed from the logistics and supply chain point of view.
People in Pakistan are increasingly becoming health conscious and this is one of the reason for h... more People in Pakistan are increasingly becoming health conscious and this is one of the reason for healthy growth of mineral water industry in Pakistan in very short time span. This research explored the consumer response on quality, pricing and logistics with respect to mineral water industry; the research investigated consumer response on the basis of different demographic, psychographic and socio-economic factors. The main purpose of the study was to determine the role of logistics (which includes accessibility, packaging, handling convenience and transportation) in increased sale / growth of any particular mineral water company. And the researcher also wanted to compute if there are some visible signs of customers brand switching just on the basis of excellent logistical services. To calculate the best results, cousumers who use mineral water were targeted and the procedure adopted to extract the relative data out of these respondents was set to be a survey questionnaire. The extracted data was then processed under one sample T test computation on SPSS and the results derived explained that the consumer’s characteristics does have an impact on consumer’s response towards pricing, quality and logistics. However, the research could not find any strong evidence of brand switching due to excellent logistical services without keeping the price constant and same is the result for any augmentation in growth of any mineral water company.