CLOUD COMPUTING

Analysis of the Role and Impact of Cloud in Logistics Management in DHL

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ABSTRACT

Ever since its emergence the internet has facilitated the business operations and strategies through enabling some logistic computing technologies to be leveraged and outsourced. Specifically, the technology of cloud computing, cloud computing has provided various opportunities and value added capabilities that are essential for the logistics organizations for maintaining their competitiveness over their competitors in the market. Through the use of cloud solutions worldwide, operating a supply chain participants can easily and completely transparent access to shared data. Cloud computing plays an important role in the interoperability of systems. However, currently there are conflicting viewpoints of people working in the logistics industry concerning the implementation of cloud computing in their business. The purpose of this research study is to briefly analyze the role and impact of cloud computing in DHL.

ABSTRACT1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION3

Background of the Study3

Statement of the Problem5

Aims and Objectives of the Research Study5

Purpose of the Research Study6

Research Questions6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW8

Cloud Computing in the Logistics Industry9

Cloud Computing and Supply Chain Management of DHL10

Flexibility and Cloud Computing11

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY12

Research Methodology12

Data Collection13

Interview Design13

Data Analysis14

REFERENCES16

APPENDIX18

DHL Profits World Wide18

DHL Supply Chain Process19

Research Ethics Checklist20

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Cloud computing is commonly described as a cluster of distributed computers providing on-demand resources and services over the Internet (Sultan, 2010). Cloud computing offers the business and non-business sectors information technology capabilities such as database management and mining, storing and sharing of information, and web services. Cloud computing is a paradigm that has already conquered almost all B2C services on the web. This revolution started in

California there a decade ago and now it has affected

almost all the sectors of the industry. Logistics is one of the areas where the contribution of the cloud is potentially the strongest. The cloud offers unique opportunities "to scale" some difficult aspects of logistics.

In this research study the researcher is going to conduct a case study analysis of DHL to analyze the impact of cloud computing on the organization. DHL is an international subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL. DHL was formed originally as a courier company that delivered letters and packages from one place to another. The founders of the company were Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn, few months in the year 1969, after the first steps of Neil Armstrong on the moon, under the very eyes of the world, the three partners decided to embark on adventure that would profoundly change the way we design business in the world. They began by personally delivering documents by air transport, San Francisco to Honolulu, so as to forestall the customs clearance of goods carried by the ship before their arrival at the port of destination, accelerating significantly the time and import procedures. With this new and unique concept introduced by DHL a new industry came into existence, which delivered packages through international air express flights. The network of DHL continued to grow ...