Chris Clott and I just published a new article on Chicago freight transport supply chain integration in Journal of Transport Geography. There’s a link below to the PDF which can be accessed for a while.
In this article we look at six cases of infrastructure improvement in the Chicago mega region and how they have contributed (or failed to) to supply chain integration. Using a Pareto analysis we identify the major supply chain connections to Chicago both domestic and export-import. Our thesis is that regional planners for freight infrastructure should be focusing on the paths and modes to and from the region used by most supply chains. Political and pecuniary support for the improvements will come from stakeholders who are connected with these major supply chain routes. Knowing where they are helps find and convince partners to get involved and stay involved.
- Christopher Clott, Bruce C. Hartman. Supply chain integration, landside operations and port accessibility in metropolitan Chicago. Journal of Transport Geography, Volume 51, February 2016, Pages 130–139
The permanent DOI is doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.12.005
Link to PDF (available for a short time)
Abstract
Seaports have traditionally been the focus of maritime logistics supply chains. Changing production patterns demanding greater end to end visibility by customers and accessibility to key inland population centers assume greater importance in the organization and design of transport resources and cargo flows. While synchronization of all aspects of the supply chain has become an operational necessity for firms, it is often held hostage to the efficiency of hinterland networks who must respond to a large group of stakeholders with sporadic coordination. This is particularly true when looking at the central US city and region of Chicago, a critical intermodal exchange point for truck, air and river barge traffic domestic and global, as well as a major central distribution location. This paper analyzes supply chain integration (SCI) efforts in the metropolitan Chicago region and considers efforts by public and private actors to collaborate for region-wide SCI improvements. Pareto analysis suggests that concentrated freight corridors exist, influencing freight planning for regional transportation networks more directly than diffused regional freight movements. If the corridor service becomes less responsive or congested the corridor will move to different end nodes within the broad region. Regional planning must thus address national, regional, and local moves. Private/public sector infrastructure firms should address functional cooperation on SCI by focusing on corridors as well as local improvements.
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