LOGISTICS PRACTICE AND THE NEED FOR LOGISTICS STUDIES - POLAND

The challenges of 1989-1990, which started in Poland, resulted in the disintegration of the so-called real socialism, and created a number of problems which had not been recognized previously in these countries. Since 1989, businessmen have come to realize that logistics costs had been neither properly analyzed nor coordinated. Transport proved to be the key factor contributing to the total costs. Since 1990, the privatization and deregulation of Polish transport opened new opportunities for dynamic practitioners and logistics firms. This paper describes the privatization and deregulation of the Polish transport industry. It presents the creation of "Spedpol", a newly established joint venture company as an example of a means to obtain needed logistics expertise. The paper also outlines the needs for trained staff in logistics.