Risk and Capacity Management in Logistics Networks: The Example of Global Container Operators

Capacity management modelling is a broad field with a huge number of discussion areas andcontributions. Though if applied towards service processes there are even smaller numbers ofmodels and contributions as e.g. gap and yield management models for service production. Furtheron such model descriptions for logistics services and networks are more seldom. And finally mostcapacity models focus solely on the use of given resources and assets assuming a demand situationbelow capacity restrictions and aiming at optimal use of given assets by increasing capacity usetowards an maximum of 100%. But very few models discuss situations of capacity demand beingconsiderably higher than capacity supply, especially in logistics services and networks – thoughthese situations are increasingly commonplace in international logistics networks as e.g. in globalcontainer line shipping. Therefore the authors of the following research contribution try toestablish relevant modelling assumptions for the specific situation of logistics services capacitiesfacing an unbearable demand and the choice of rejecting capacity requests by describing relevantpractical business situations, evaluating several business cases with online action research methodsand finally suggesting a game theory modelling of this specific capacity management situation.