Material Economy and Logistics 3/2020

Currently, the processing and transmission of the vast amount of information accompanying material
flows are performed using modern computer and telecommunications technologies. However, the
achieved results differ depending on the company's preparation to receive a specific information
technology (IT).
One of the main problems, that need to be solved before starting the implementation of an
integrated management system, is to set up all the rules for indexing and labeling information
contained in databases. This issue is of key importance because it unifies records in databases
making them unique based on their features and/or parameters, furthermore it enables qualification
and selection of information according to specific criteria. Moreover, it facilitates data accumulation
process.
The research conducted on the content of databases showed items inactive for over 5 years, in an
amount of 28% to 45%, in the majority of the surveyed enterprises. This situation requires database
cleaning and only active index files can be used for generating a new database.
The database cleaning process should aim to organize information in current materials management
databases for present data processing needs, furthermore it should also prepare existing resources
for transfer to the new IT system

Supply chains are complex structures full of paradoxes that can be understood in different ways.
Thus, many concepts related to supply chain formation and operation originate from specific
metaphors. Some of them lead to well-known ways of thinking, whereas others contribute to the
development of new ideas and interpretations of supply chain. Certain metaphors may refer to an
entire organization, while others may emphasize one of its components, or concern a specific
operational aspect. Metaphors may also be a useful instrument for learning about complex and
multi-dimensional problems of resilient supply chain, i.e. supply chain that maintains operational
continuity thanks to its ability to handle uncertainty, and thus is characterised by the capability of
achieving a new status in consequence of disruptions.
The paper attempts to identify the operational mechanism of resilient supply chain, using the multi-
metaphor approach. For this purpose, metaphors characteristic for the neopositivist paradigm were
applied. Following the summary, the paper depicts the interpretative fields of resilient supply chains,
the role of metaphors in explaining the organizational reality, and then explains particular elements
of reality of a resilient supply chain through the metaphor of organization as an organism, flux and
transformation, dissipative structure and brain.

Managers of the public sector are increasingly looking for new opportunities to offer residents a
larger package of benefits that contribute to improving the quality of life. One of them is public
logistics, which has the potential to integrate and coordinate activities in the implementation of
public tasks. However, public sector concerns regarding private performance of benefits are still
relatively high. This is due not only to the lack of confidence in the external performance of tasks, but

also to the lack of transparency in the relationship between the public and private sectors. This is
justified by agency theory. A way to improve relations and optimize the offer in the city can be
blockchain technology, which is a revolutionary and ground-breaking technology that promises to
change the way interactions between city stakeholders. It offers new alternatives not only to shape
city-society relations, increase public sector transparency, but also to facilitate the transmission of
confidential data without compromising privacy and security. In the article I will attempt to assess
the possibilities of using blockchain technology in the implementation of public tasks and in everyday
contacts of the public sector with stakeholders. I tried to show the possibilities of blockchain
technology in shaping the relationship between the public sector and society and entities from the
non-public sector involved in the implementation of public services.

The dynamic development of the logistic market in Poland has influenced the development of
numerous logistic centers that perform complex functions and tasks. Logistic centers have become a
relatively new but important element of the national economic industrial landscape. The location and
development of these facilities are related to specific conditions. The aim of the paper is to present
the essence of logistic centers as special economic facilities and their functions and tasks, as well as
locations related conditions and factors favouring their set up. Based on these, a comparative
analysis has been carried out focusing on three selected logistic centers located in the Poznań
agglomeration but of varied characteristics in order to verify previous theoretical considerations. The
results and conclusions from the analysis are of an utilitarian nature. They also point to the important
role played by logistic centers, in strengthening the market position of companies.

The main aim of this paper is to identify changes in the working capital management of enterprises in
the transport and storage sector in Poland in the years 2013–2018. This problem is considered taking
into account the level of gross and net working capital, changes in the cash conversion cycle and its
components as well as net trade credit position. The above issues are of particular interest due to the
increase in the number of insolvent companies in Poland for three years, especially in the case of
transport enterprises.
The attention was driven at the changes in the environment of the analysed sector — GDP growth,
gross value added of transport and warehouse, number of enterprises and sales in this sector in
2017–2019, i.e. during the period of increased growth of insolvent enterprises. The research included
literature review and statistical data analysis in selected periods.

The aim of the work is to present the nature of early warning systems in project management in the
context of achieving project goals. The need to use early warning tools in project management is

justified primarily in the fact that, as a rule, (apart from extraordinary events) enterprises show
symptoms of crisis situations in the implementation of projects undertaken long before the project
fails. Early identification of signals of the impending crisis should therefore be one of the basic tasks
in project management. The article discusses the role of the early warning system and its functions.
The applications of early warning systems in practice have been pointed out. An example of an early
warning system is presented on the example of the ELOshield system in the field of logistics
processes.