WHU
Welcome to the Chair in Logistics Management. The research is focused on the areas of sustainability and supply chain risk management.

In the context of sustainability, strategies for green house gas emissions are being developed and quantitatively, based on the real options method, assessed. Among the strategic approaches are fleet modernization, trade of emission certificates and redesign of the supply chain structure. Risk management comprises both operational risk as well as disruptive events such as natural disasters. A systematic approach towards identification, assessment and control of these risks is pursued together with risk modeling based on formal methods. All research activities are conducted with leading logistics service providers and industrial companies.

Our team

Linda Stein
Linda Stein
Personal Assistant
Honorary Professor Jürgen Ringbeck
Honorary Professor Jürgen Ringbeck
Honorary Professor
Lucas Clement
Lucas Clement
Research Assistant
Sophia Raaymann
Sophia Raaymann
Research Assistant
Patience Saungweme
Patience Saungweme
Research Assistant
Jan Sporkmann
Jan Sporkmann
Research Assistant
Gianfranco Aguirre
Gianfranco Aguirre
Research interests: Digital Transformation, Machine Learning, Investment Management
Ludwig Baunach
Ludwig Baunach
Research interests: Application and evaluation of machine learning methods in supply chain management
Lena Bell
Lena Bell
Dissertation project: Improving Urban Last Mile/Return Logistics to a greener, yet provitable Set-Up by using advanced Analytics and simulation-based Methods
Wallace Bowry
Wallace Bowry
Dissertation project: Digitalization in the logistics and supply chain management
Novi Dewan
Novi Dewan
Research interests: Supply Chain and Digitalization
Mariam Alvin James Furrer
Mariam Alvin James Furrer
Research interests: Supply Chain Management, Risk Management, Supply Chain Vulnerability and Resilience, Modular & Integrated Supply Chains
Frank Heimbürger
Frank Heimbürger
Dissertation project: “Transformation of business models based on digital ecosystems in the road transport industry”
Alexander Hess
Alexander Hess
Dissertation project: „Quantitative Models for Prediction, Optimization and Simulation in Urban Logistics“
Dmitry Karasev
Dmitry Karasev
Dissertation project: “Resilienz der globalen Wertschöpfungsketten in Zeiten der Pandemie”
Tonio Kawase
Tonio Kawase
Dissertation project: The future of sustainable logistics in a competitive environment: Outlining the value between environmental, social and economic/industrial interests of logistics as a central part of SSCM initiatives
Lisa Knörrer
Lisa Knörrer
Research interests: Digitization of supply chain management, data strategy, data-driven changes in companies
Tilmann Kramer
Tilmann Kramer
Dissertation project: "AI approaches in cardiovascular medicine"
Daniel Makowski
Daniel Makowski
Dissertation project: "Decision Criterions for Optimal Home Delivery Strategies in the E-Grocery Sector"
Alexander Rose
Alexander Rose
Dissertation project: Sustainable sourcing decisions – quantification of monetary carbon emission benefits when nearshoring suppliers
Lothar Weichert
Lothar Weichert
Research interests: Humanitarian Logistics, Robust Optimization, Transportation, Supply Chain Management
Jonas Winkelmann
Jonas Winkelmann
Dissertationsprojekt: „Improving sustainability in supply chains through simulation-based optimization of logistics fleets and network designs”
Dr. Anna Achenbach
Dr. Anna Achenbach
Dissertation: "Predictive Analytics in Airline Operations: Application of Machine Learning for Arrival Time and Fuel Consumption Prediction"
Dr. Vefa Alparslan
Dr. Vefa Alparslan
Dissertation: "Acquisitions in the logistics sector: A sustainable value creation or aware value destruction? - A case study based analysis"
Dr. Benedikt Anderhofstadt
Dr. Benedikt Anderhofstadt
Dissertation: "The transition of road transport toward autonomous and alternative fuel-powered heavy-duty trucks in Germany"
Dr. Reinhard Baller
Dr. Reinhard Baller
Dissertation: "Development and evaluation of a total landed costs Approach"
Dr. Judith Berndroth
Dr. Judith Berndroth
Dissertation: "Theorising institutional processes and strategies - Case studies of sustainability policies on the macro and micro levels"
Dr. Jasmin Bigdon
Dr. Jasmin Bigdon
Dissertation: "Customer Lifetime Value Growth and Sustainability in e-Commerce and Rail Last Mile Delivery"
Dr. Maximilian Burkhardt
Dr. Maximilian Burkhardt
Dissertation: "Three Essays on Decision Making in Operations Management"
Dr. Doreen Diehl
Dr. Doreen Diehl
Dissertation: "Supply chain risk management - A case study in the fast moving consumer goods industry"
Dr. Andreas Faber
Dr. Andreas Faber
Dissertation: "Data driven planning in e-Commerce supply chains"
Dr. Sven Falkenberg
Dr. Sven Falkenberg
Dissertation: Innovative ideas to deal with complexity in warehouse and distribution
Dr. Daniel Girardet
Dr. Daniel Girardet
Dissertation: "CO2-Hedging for airlines"
Dr. Benjamin Gürtler
Dr. Benjamin Gürtler
Dissertation: "Supply Risk Management - A network oriented Investigation of Supply Risk"
Dr. Daniel Hach
Dr. Daniel Hach
Dissertation: "Quantitative Assessments of Capacity Mechanisms in Electricity Markets with Rising Renewable Feed-In"
Dr. Christian Haehl
Dr. Christian Haehl
Dissertation: "A Real Options Approach to Ship Capacity Investments under Regulatory Uncertainty"
Dr. Robert Hein
Dr. Robert Hein
Dissertation: "Extracting value from used products by reuse and remanufacturing"
Julian Höhler
Julian Höhler
Dissertation: „Digitalisierung in der Energiewirtschaft“
Dr. Sebastian Huber
Dr. Sebastian Huber
Dissertation: "Pricing of full service repair and maintenance contracts - an analytical and sumulative approach"
Dr. Alexander König
Dr. Alexander König
Dissertation: "Supply Chain Risk Management of Logistics Service Providers"
Dr. Andreas Kretschmer
Dr. Andreas Kretschmer
Dissertation: "Supply Chain Management at Humanitarian Organizations - The Case of School Feeding"
Dr. Silke Malina
Dr. Silke Malina
Dissertation: "Supply Chain Complexity: A case study in the drive and control industry"
Dr. Andrei Neboian
Dr. Andrei Neboian
Dissertation: "Fleet renewal with electric vehicles"
Dr. Eike Nohdurft
Dr. Eike Nohdurft
Dissertation: "Three Essays on Decision Making in Health Care Operations"
Dr. Marcel Peppel
Dr. Marcel Peppel
Dissertation: “The Future of Last-Mile Delivery Focusing on Stationary and Mobile Delivery Technologies”
Dr. Nicolaus Preuss Neudorf
Dr. Nicolaus Preuss Neudorf
Dissertation: „The Application and Viability of Machine Learning Methods in B2B Environments”
Dr. Christian Rudolf
Dr. Christian Rudolf
Dissertation: "Supply Chain Risk Management in Large Scale Projects"
Dr. Philipp Rau
Dr. Philipp Rau
Dissertation: "Investment into ocean freight capacity - Development of a real options investment model in oligopolistic competition to evaluate investement decisions in shipping"
Dr. Ingmar Ritzenhofen
Dr. Ingmar Ritzenhofen
Dissertation: "Investments in Renewable Energy Sources under Market and Regulatory Uncertainty"
Dr. Martin Schlappa
Dr. Martin Schlappa
Dissertation: “Optimizing Production Processes via Improved Resilience and State-of-the-art AI Technologies”
Dr. Ulrike Schmalz
Dr. Ulrike Schmalz
Dissertation: „Tackling Trends of Door-to-Door Air Travel in the European Market“
Dr. Max Schöne
Dr. Max Schöne
Dissertation: "Operational and Financial Risk Management under Commodity Price Uncertainty"
Dr. Stefan Schulze-Schwering
Dr. Stefan Schulze-Schwering
Dissertation: "Supply Network Management - Managing Suppliers Beyond Tier 1"
Dr. Christian Soyk
Dr. Christian Soyk
Dissertation: "The economics viability of long-haul point-to-point airline business models and their competition to full-service network carriers"
Dr. Sebastian Theißen
Dr. Sebastian Theißen
Dissertation: "Collaborative CO2 Reduction Management in FMCG Supply Chains"
Dr. Adrian Viellechner
Dr. Adrian Viellechner
Dissertation: “The New Era of Predictive Analytics in Container Shipping and Air Cargo”
Dr. Simone Vogel
Dr. Simone Vogel
Dissertation: „Customer Integration in the Development of Commercial Vehicles”
Dr. Katharina von Boch-Galhau
Dr. Katharina von Boch-Galhau
Dissertation: "Issues of Competitiveness in Intermodal Freight Transportation - En Route to a Modal Shift"
Dr. Martin Vu
Dr. Martin Vu
Dissertation: "Risk Management in Complex New Product Development Projects - the Automotive Industry Perspective"
Dr. Philipp Nicolas Weil
Dr. Philipp Nicolas Weil
Dissertation: “Airport Slot Allocation - From the development of criteria to allocation in an airport network”
Dr. Jennifer Weingarten
Dr. Jennifer Weingarten
Dissertation: “The Value of Customer Behavior in Supply Chain Management: Predictive Analytics Applications in Demand Forecasting”
Dr. Jan Philipp Werning
Dr. Jan Philipp Werning
Dissertation: “The Transition from Linear towards Circular Economy Business Models: Theoretical and Empirical Study of Boundary Conditions and Other Effects on the Value Chain”
Dr. Matthias Winkenbach
Dr. Matthias Winkenbach
Dissertation: "Quantitative Models for Optimization and Simulation in Urban Logistics"

Our teaching

Introduction to Python and Programming – held by Alexander Hess

The main purpose of this course is to make the student familiar with basic concepts of programming and Python (one of the most important languages used at the moment). This prepares the student for further courses, for example, in Data Science, Machine Learning, or Web Development.

Students taking this course in the past reported that they could use what they learned in summer internships as well, in particular when they worked in start-ups.

Seminar Smart Cities

This seminar deals with various aspects of smart cities: deployment of sensor technology, policy design, city logistics concepts. Students analyze benchmark studies such as Singapore and examine to what extent the smart city concept can contribute to the benefits of the ongoing urbanization.

Sustainable Urban Transport

In this course, we will explore modern means of transport for both people and goods. Recent examples include the somewhat controversial e-scooter, the Berlkönig, a ride sharing service which is being offered in Berlin or Moia, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, which is currently active in Hamburg. We will assess these modes of transport in terms of their contribution to sustainability, operationalized as the triple bottom line (planet / people / profit). Transport is among the biggest emitters of CO2 and particulate matter, therefore solutions to curb these emissions are urgently needed. We will study international developments to understand the driving forces behind innovative transportation technology; for instance, it will be interesting to learn why Norway has, globally, the biggest share of electric vehicles.

Transportation Management – held by Honorary Professor Jürgen Ringbeck

Transportation is one of the fastest growing global industries. Travel and logistics are the major backbone of our global business and a core element of private life. The objective of this course is to give a comprehensive introduction into the challenges and best-practices of management and principles of global industry players like passenger airlines or logistics companies. Such management best-practice includes a deeper understanding of the underlying industry dynamics, and the outline of superior strategies as well as commercial and operational management methods of selected industry segments. The course will also highlight some specific management approaches which illustrate a way to a long-term sustainable industry.

Designing and managing the global supply chain

Logistics has grown from a purely functional orientation to become a key enabler of global supply chains. To achieve this, logistics needs to be integrated within the firm as well as across boundaries from suppliers to manufacturers to customers. As companies tend to focus on their core competencies, deverticalization of the value chain entails which necessitates coordination of logistics activities. Logistics is not only concerned with flows of goods and cash, but also – to an ever increasing degree – with the flow of information. Hence it is natural that IT systems play a crucial role to achieve what has been called the 4Rs – that is, the right product at the right place and the right time at the right price.

Sustainable Operations Management

Sustainability is emerging as a key concern for businesses, not least because of the agreement which was reached in the COP21 meeting in Paris in 2015. Thus, it is imperative that students are familiar with sustainability assessment tools. Case studies on successful sustainable companies highlight key challenges and solution concepts.

Operations Management

Operations management is about designing, managing, and improving the activities involved in creating products and services and delivering them to customers. A great workshop offered by Porsche Consulting introduced the students to the importance of quality management in a very hands-on fashion: the process of assembling a pocket lamp was improved step-by-step along the lines of the Toyota Production System principles. Gregory Bryan, Director Operations at Amazon, illustrated why Amazon is so successful and how that relates to operations and supply chain management.

The Analytics Edge

Through analytics companies can improve their competitive positioning. With big data emerging in many areas, new tools based on statistics and machine learning become a necessity. In this course, we will use R to employ these tools and discuss the respective benefits.

Both The Analytics Edge and the Operations Management courses which are popular in the full-time MBA program are offered in the part-time MBA program, too.

The Analytics Edge

Through analytics companies can improve their competitive positioning. With big data emerging in many areas, new tools based on statistics and machine learning become a necessity. In this course, we will use R to employ these tools and discuss the respective benefits.

Data Analytics

This course provides an overview of modern machine learning methods such as regression, tree-based methods, artificial neural networks and support vector machines. Unsupervised learning such as clustering and principal component analysis are also discussed. Lastly, visualization techniques are introduced as a useful means of communication.

Get in touch with us –

We look forward to hearing from you