Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • March 2018
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

EKOL Logistics: Thinking Outside the Box

By: Willy C. Shih and Esel Çekin
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:28
ShareBar

Abstract

This case describes Ekol, an intermodal transportation and logistics company, and how it manages capacity planning. Its busiest routes linked motor vehicle assemblers in Germany and Turkey with many of their parts suppliers, but it had also developed key links in fast-fashion supply chains. It used combinations of land, short-sea, and rail routes to provide different levels of service. The challenge was maximizing utilization of its trucks and trailers, especially on key bottleneck links, in the face of unbalanced traffic. To address the issue Ekol developed a consolidation center in Turkey and a cross-dock deconsolidation center in Germany, its largest market. As Chairman Ahmet Musul and his team looked at ways to squeeze out more capacity, they reconsidered their planning model and whether they should build more consolidation/deconsolidation centers to optimize costs and wring out more efficiency in its operations.

Keywords

Growth And Development; Strategy; Intermodal Transportation; Short-sea Transportation; Capacity Management; Capacity Planning; Delivery Planning; Route Optimization; Car Spare Part; Auto Manufacturing; Automotive Supply Chain; Europe; Turkey; Service Design; Fast Fashion; Near-shoring; Supply Chain; Supply Chain Management; Operations; Performance Capacity; Performance Efficiency; Logistics; Transportation Industry; Auto Industry; Turkey; Germany; Spain; European Union; Europe

Citation

Shih, Willy C., and Esel Çekin. "EKOL Logistics: Thinking Outside the Box." Harvard Business School Case 618-037, March 2018.
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Willy C. Shih

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

Related Work

    • March 2018
    • Faculty Research

    EKOL Logistics: Thinking Outside the Box: Spreadsheet Supplement

    By: Willy C. Shih and Esel Çekin
Related Work
  • EKOL Logistics: Thinking Outside the Box: Spreadsheet Supplement By: Willy C. Shih and Esel Çekin
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College