Enhancing the ramp-up of a new contract logistics business by developing a workers requirements matrix

In contract logistics the ramp-up is very sensitive. This is due to the individual contracts, customized services, complex processes and especially those processes that are beyond transport, warehousing and handling - called Value Added Services. To fulfil those tasks, specific skills and qualifications, especially from workers, are required. On the one hand, if workers are under-qualified, the contractual agreements regarding level of service might not be reached. Then, penalties might get due. On the other hand, over-qualified workers might be more expensive than others and therefore, cause higher costs. To enhance the ability of contract logistics providers to select workers with the right qualifications and the right level of qualifications, an instrument for the structured analysis of necessary functions and qualifications of the human factor was developed. Thereby, the focus was on contract logistics in the automotive sector. The work will be described within this paper.