4th party cyber logistics for air cargo (Q1886081)

Research performed in quantitative logistics during the last decade predominantly focuses on supply chain management. The models and algorithms developed in this field support decisions of a focal company running industrial production. Although related, the issues a logistics service provider is involved in are different. The individuality of shipments carried out demand integrative, cross-firm information systems in the first case. Quantitative methods require a proper fit into these systems, which is the main subject of the book in hand. Although one may be bothered by its buzz word overloaded title, the book covers important topics by describing an e-market portal for air cargo logistics. After an introductory chapter, the development of web technology and e-business is covered in chapter 2. Chapter 3 describes the players and activities of the air cargo business, before a conceptual framework for an integrated information system is outlined. Chapter 4 deals with evaluation techniques for such a system from the viewpoint of government, investors and users. The remaining chapters are devoted to operational issues, namely the implementation, optimization, and data mining. Probably most interesting for the readership of Zentralblatt MATH, Chapter 6 describes a main task of a 3rd party logistics provider in terms of an optimization problem: Logistic activities have to be assigned to sub-contractors such that the cost of an air cargo shipment is minimal while satisfying a given service level. The authors model this problem as an assignment problem and present a Tabu Search procedure. The book gives an anthology-like impression. Chapters 3 and 4 have already been published elsewhere and consequently come up with a reasonable scientific quality to be expected from a publication in the well reputed International Series in Operations Research \& Management Science. Chapters 1 and 6 are based on working papers, the remaining chapters contain loosely written genuine work. Summarizing, the book is neither aligned to a readership from academia nor from practice. In the preface the authors state that they ``are merely scratching the surface of this interesting and exciting subject''. Unfortunately, they are right.