Problem: Practical industry advancements associated with cloud computing in the contextof supply chain rapidly proliferate. However, there is a lack of academic research that investigatesthe application of this technology from a theoretical standpoint. A significantpart of the literature explores the perceived advantages and disadvantages related to the decision-making process of the adoption of the specific technology, rather than the perceivedbenefits and challenges when the cloud has been already adopted and used. Furthermore,absent from the literature is a thorough understanding of the cloud-based applications inthe industry of 3PLs, and the perceived benefits and challenges not only from the userχsside but from the supply side as well. The research is limited referring to critical aspects ofcloud computing applied on 3PLs within a theoretical basis. Thus, in this study, the authorsaim at filling these gaps by exploring what types of cloud-based services are applied on3PLs, what are the perceived benefits and challenges from the 3PLs perspective as well asfrom their cloud providers/IT companies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what cloud-based services are used inthe 3PL industry as well as the challenges and benefits perceived by the cloud providers of3PL firms and by the 3PL firms that use this technology. In order to gain a thorough understandingof this usage and grasp the full picture within the focal industry, the research isfocusing on the perspectives of three cloud providers and three 3PLs that use and/or providecloud based services. Method: : This is a qualitative study. The authors are making use of a case study strategywith six investigated companies. The majority of the data is gathered from semi-structuredinterviews, while documentary secondary data concerning basic companiesχ information,have been collected as well. The analysis of the findings is based on the revision of the settedapriori codes by the authors. A cross-analysis between 3PLs and cloud providers ofthose firms is being conducted in order to identify the perceived challenges and benefits ofcloud by both, within the 3PL industry. Conclusion: The findings of this thesis demonstrate Software as a Service (SaaS) and moreprecisely, transportation administration (TA) software, as the most prevailing cloud-basedsystem applied in the 3PL industry nowadays. It has been revealed that 3PLs benefit fromcloud technology in terms of cost savings, strategic flexibility, access to leading-edge IT resourcesand security, whereas the challenges faced are related to performance and strategicaspect. Furthermore, the authors identify and propose the different phases of cloud computingimplementation in the 3PL sector. Lastly, a model of perceived challenges and benefitsof cloud in 3PLs firms has been compiled and presented.

Modern logistics is strongly influenced by ongoing outsourcing. Numerous logistics service providers as stakeholders, as well as fragmented logistics networks and supply chains, result from this outsourcing and specialization on distinct core competencies. These stakeholders have to collaborate in order to enable complex supply chains. The collaboration is difficult with the inherent heterogeneity between stakeholders in terms of differing naming conventions and differing IT systems. An inadequate integration and poor communication as well as incorrect information lead to mistakes and inefficiency. One promising approach to solve these problems is the interdisciplinary paradigm of Cloud Logistics. Several parallels can be drawn between services of cloud computing and services of logistics. The paradigm of Cloud Logistics is based on these parallels and focuses on the adoption of the basic principles from cloud computing to logistics. These principles comprise the virtualization of all resources and their encapsulation within reusable modules, the so called cloud logistics services. The essential aspect of the cloud logistics paradigm is to bridge the logistics service providers' heterogeneity and differing naming conventions and IT systems with a semantic approach. The systematic literature review contained in the thesis reveals existing research gaps in the field of cloud logistics. Shortcomings are, next to others, basic aspects such as a definition and a conceptual framework to set the field of cloud logistics in context to both affecting disciplines - cloud computing and logistics. Essential explicit artifacts describing concepts and semantics of cloud logistics services are missing as well. Following a design oriented information systems research approach, the contribution of the cumulative thesis comprises the development of these mentioned essential artifacts. Especially the reusable generic ontology design patterns that semantically describe the cloud logistics services and their structuring are important contributions. Summarizing, the thesis contains a basic set of artifacts to enable the paradigm of cloud logistics. The development of a first prototype and the elaboration of an application example in the context of systematic engineering and evaluation of logistics process alternatives complement the course of the thesis.:Contents List of Figures III List of Tables V List of Abbreviations VI 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background and Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1.2 Objective and Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1.3 Reflections on Research in IS and Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 1.4 Outline and Structure of the Thesis’ Contributions - Included Publications 25 2 Landscape - Conceptual 33 2.1 'Go with the Flow - Design of Cloud Logistics Service Blueprints' . . . 33 2.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 3 Landscape - Technical 46 3.1 'LoSe ODP - An Ontology Design Pattern for Logistics Services' . . . . 46 3.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 4 Map - Conceptual 62 4.1 'Metamodel of a Logistics Service Map' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 4.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 5 Map - Technical 77 5.1 'Ontological Structuring of Logistics Services' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 5.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 6 Service Granularity Framework 88 6.1 'How Low Should You Go? - Conceptualization of the Service Granu- larity Framework' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 6.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 7 Prototype 108 7.1 'Logistics Service Map Prototype' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 7.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 8 Application 116 8.1 'Planning of Composite Logistics Services: Model-Driven Engineering and Evaluation' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 8.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 9 Consolidation and Research Roadmap 140 9.1 'Towards the Conception of Cloud Logistics - Engineering and Manage- ment of Modular Cloud Logistics Services in the Context of Flexible Future Supply Chains' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 9.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 10 Conclusion and Future Work 189 10.1 Developed Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 10.2 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 10.3 Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 10.4 Limitations and Threats to Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 10.5 Outlook and Subsequent Research Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Bibliography VIII Curriculum Vitae XXVIII Selbständigkeitserklärung XXIX / Logistik ist heutzutage durch eine wachsende Arbeitsteilung und von einem Outsourcing-Trend geprägt. Daraus resultieren fragmentierte Logistiknetzwerke und Supply Chains, welche durch eine Vielzahl von Logistikdienstleistern als Stakeholder geprägt sind. Diese Stakeholder müssen miteinander kollaborieren, um innerhalb der Supply Chains zusammen zuwirken. Die Kollaboration geht mit Herausforderungen einher, welche aus der inhärenten Heterogenität zwischen den Stakeholdern sowie abweichenden Namenkonventionen und IT-Systemen der beteiligten Stakeholder resultiert. Unzureichende Integration, mangelhafte Kommunikation sowie Fehlinformation führen zu Fehlern und Ineffizienzen. Ein vielversprechender Ansatz, um diese Probleme zu lösen, ist das interdisziplinäre Paradigma Cloud Logistics. Zwischen Diensten des Cloud Computing und Diensten der Logistik können diverse Parallelen gezogen werden. Das Cloud Logistics Paradigma basiert auf diesen Parallelen und überträgt die Grundprinzipien des Cloud Computing auf die Logistik. Zu diesen Grundprinzipien gehören unter anderem Aspekte wie die Ressourcenvirtualisierung und -kapselung in wiederverwendbaren Modulen, den so genannten Cloud Logistics Services. Essentieller Aspekt des Cloud Logistics Paradigmas ist die Überbrückung der Heterogenität der Logistikdienstleister und ihrer abweichenden Namenskonventionen und IT-Systeme mittels eines semantischen Ansatzes. Die vorliegende Dissertation deckt mit Hilfe einer systematischen Literaturrecherche bestehende Lücken innerhalb des Forschungsfeldes Cloud Logistics auf. Defizite bestehen, neben anderen Aspekten, vorallem in essentiellen Artefakten des Forschungsfeldes, wie bspw. einer angemessenen wissenschaftlichen Definition, und eines konzeptuellen Frameworks, um das Forschungsfeld in den Kontext der beiden tangierenden Disziplinen - Cloud Computing und Logistik - einzuordnen. Weiterhin mangelt es an essentiellen und explizit beschriebenen Artefakten, welche Konzepte und die Semantik des Engineering und Managements der Cloud Logistics Services beschreiben. Der Methodologie der gestaltungsorinetierten Wirtschaftsinformatik folgend, besteht der Beitrag dieser Dissertation in der Entwicklung der vorgenannten Artefakte. Besonders die wiederverwendbaren generischen Ontology Design Pattern zur semantischen Beschreibung der Cloud Logistics Services und ihrer Strukturierung stellen einen wichtigen Beitrag dar. Zusammenfassend enthält die Dissertation ein notwendiges Grundset an Artefakten für die Umsetzung des Cloud Logistics Paradigmas. Die Entwicklung eines ersten Prototypen, sowie die Erarbeitung eines Anwendungsbeispiels im Kontext systematischer Entwicklung und Evaluation von Prozessvarianten in der Logistik runden die Arbeit ab.:Contents List of Figures III List of Tables V List of Abbreviations VI 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background and Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1.2 Objective and Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1.3 Reflections on Research in IS and Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 1.4 Outline and Structure of the Thesis’ Contributions - Included Publications 25 2 Landscape - Conceptual 33 2.1 'Go with the Flow - Design of Cloud Logistics Service Blueprints' . . . 33 2.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 3 Landscape - Technical 46 3.1 'LoSe ODP - An Ontology Design Pattern for Logistics Services' . . . . 46 3.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 4 Map - Conceptual 62 4.1 'Metamodel of a Logistics Service Map' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 4.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 5 Map - Technical 77 5.1 'Ontological Structuring of Logistics Services' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 5.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 6 Service Granularity Framework 88 6.1 'How Low Should You Go? - Conceptualization of the Service Granu- larity Framework' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 6.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 7 Prototype 108 7.1 'Logistics Service Map Prototype' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 7.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 8 Application 116 8.1 'Planning of Composite Logistics Services: Model-Driven Engineering and Evaluation' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 8.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 9 Consolidation and Research Roadmap 140 9.1 'Towards the Conception of Cloud Logistics - Engineering and Manage- ment of Modular Cloud Logistics Services in the Context of Flexible Future Supply Chains' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 9.2 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 10 Conclusion and Future Work 189 10.1 Developed Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 10.2 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 10.3 Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 10.4 Limitations and Threats to Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 10.5 Outlook and Subsequent Research Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Bibliography VIII Curriculum Vitae XXVIII Selbständigkeitserklärung XXIX