Journal of Business Logistics, 2016, 37(2): 80–81 doi: 10.1111/jbl.

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© Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals

Editorial
Technology Innovation and New Business Models: Can Logistics
and Supply Chain Research Accelerate the Evolution?
Thomas J. Goldsby and Walter Zinn
The Ohio State University

usinesses today are facing an unprecedented rate of change by virtue of disruptive technologies – many of which are focused on achieving
B “reach” efficiently in the marketplace. Organizations must evolve their business models to leverage the opportunities presented with the
advent of these technologies, yet the pathways to success and failure remain unclear. Researchers of logistics and supply chain management find
themselves on the front lines for these exciting developments. As editors, we encourage the research community to “get ahead” of business
actions, inform strategy, and shape the next generation of competition.
Keywords: logistics; supply chain management; innovation; disruptive technology; simulation

How often is it observed that we are living in a time of “un- gained access to automobiles and to refrigerators, as was increas-
precedented change,” suggesting that the frequency and magni- ingly the case at that time. The advent of supermarkets forever
tude of change are increasing at levels never before witnessed? changed supply chains, as stores could receive larger and less
Perhaps it has become clich
e, but the observation has merit in frequent orders and deliverers had to make fewer stops.
the logistics and supply chain domains. The late Professor Don- The number of technologies impacting logistics and supply
ald J. Bowersox remarked that the 1990s presented businesspeo- chain management today is significant. We comment on a few
ple with a “Logistical Renaissance,” asserting that “there have such advents here. First, transportation technology is being
been more changes in the process of logistics during the past affected in multiple ways by lower oil prices, increased supply
10 years than in all the decades since the industrial revolution.” of natural gas and by, simultaneously, the driver shortage and
Commerce was becoming truly global, with large corporations the development of driverless vehicles. As we know, transporta-
seeking distant markets for both supply and demand. Computeri- tion decisions do not impact the cost of transportation, alone;
zation was sufficiently widespread such that intra- and intercom- these decisions affect the logistics network, associated costs, and
pany communication and knowledge sharing became strategic customer service as well.
imperatives. And, this thing called the Internet was connecting Networks, costs, and customer service will also be impacted
people and organizations in ways that we had never imagined. It by 3D Printing, or additive manufacturing. As this technology
would have been hard to believe that the rate of change could evolves and increasingly sophisticated parts can be produced at
continue at that pace . . . but here we are some 20 years later lower costs, opportunities arise to change inventory strategies
and the Renaissance proceeds unabated. and warehouse management. For instance, what would be the
Innovation in technology continues to drive immense change impact on supply chains if “C” parts could be produced on-
in logistics and supply chain management—making today, per- demand and no longer require long-term warehousing? Will we
haps, the most exciting time in a generation to be a researcher of witness a deluge of fake parts if they can be easily produced by
logistics or supply chain phenomena. Technological innovation anyone with a CAD design and access to a printer?
leads to new ways of doing business as well as entirely new A third development already making significant changes in
business models. Take, for instance, the time around the develop- consumer behavior is omni-channel distribution. Omni-channels
ment of supermarkets in the United States around 1930. Super- improve service to customers, yet challenge managers to compete
markets were revolutionary because they were larger stores than under growing pressure to cut delivery times, adopt new tech-
the mom-and-pop and small chain stores with which they com- nologies and, because there is little time to make corrections
peted. Their size allowed consumers to buy a wider assortment when delivery time is so short, reduce error rates. Amazingly,
of goods and to save money by buying larger quantities in each major retailers are engaged in these strategies today out of com-
shopping trip. However, because larger stores are typically fur- petitive necessity—yet they openly admit to not knowing how to
ther apart than smaller ones serving the same market and because yield profits providing such services!
larger purchases have to be stored for longer periods of time, Finally, to this short list we could add a few more, such as
supermarkets only became economically viable when consumers increased visibility in supply chains, the increased usage of
robots in warehouses, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Together,
these and other technological developments point to major
Corresponding author: changes in supply chains, logistics systems, and the skills needed
Thomas J. Goldsby, Department of Marketing & Logistics, Fisher to operate in this new environment. The opportunities to do
College of Business, The Ohio State University, 2100 Neil Avenue, meaningful research are endless. We urge our community to con-
Columbus, OH (USA) 43210; E-mail: Goldsby.2@[Link] sider them. Yet, logistics and supply chain scholars must do
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Editorial 81

more than merely chronicle these advances. Can we be so bold bringing together multiple perspectives to address complex prob-
and adventurous as to take on these challenges—to illuminate lems. The authors further compare the behavioral view of the
the path forward and accelerate the evolution? firm with the traditional economic perspective to underscore the
If we are to do so, we must embark on new research orienta- imperative for research that explores “real decision making”
tions. Such investigations will require the researcher to step along the lines found in supply chain management. They con-
beyond observation of existing phenomena. How are we to clude with a survey of the five papers accepted for publication in
examine these impending phenomena, however, when they are this special topic forum, including the works of Stindt et al.
far short of widespread adoption and, often, direct observation? (2016), Stolze et al. (2016), Wowak et al. (2016), Zaremba et al.
We see research intent on devising or assessing new business (2016), and Murfield et al. (2016).
practices presenting opportunity for exploratory research—coin- We close this editorial with reminders of two STFs with open
ciding with the growing body of inductive inquiry conducted in calls for papers:
the logistics and supply chain fields. As a first step, in-depth Big Data Management, Modeling, and Prescriptive Analytics,
interviews of supply chain experts and decision makers would guest edited by Elliot Bendoly (submission deadline: September
help to elucidate the ways in which commerce would function 30, 2016); and Sustainable Supply Chains in a Digital Inter-Con-
differently, as well as the prospects for how its actors would nected World, guest edited by Nada Sanders, Tonya Boone, Ram
think and behave in an altered business landscape. The identifica- Ganeshan, and John Wood (submission deadline: December 31,
tion of key variables and specification of their operating parame- 2016).
ters, then, would serve as instrumental in framing conceptual Enjoy the issue!
models of these new realities. Conceptual models, alone, are not
enough, though. Once devised, the conceptual models should be
converted into operational models, validated, and compared REFERENCES
across key performance criteria for their prospective adoption.
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with a thought leadership article by Professor W. David Kelton Kelton, W.D. 2016. “Methodological Expectations for Studies
(2016). Professor Kelton has been at the forefront of computer Using Computer Simulation.” Journal of Business Logistics
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high-quality, impactful papers accepted for publication. The Information Ambiguity.” Journal of Business Logistics 37
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