Strategic Development Plan for Ontime Courier GmbH
Herzog, Heidi (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024060420758
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024060420758
Tiivistelmä
Ontime Courier GmbH is a medium-sized courier company that specialises in the organisation and implementation of transport services in the field of pharmaceutical and life science logistics worldwide. One mission of this German-based company is accompanied transports of stem cell and bone marrow donations for transplant purposes. This so-called onboard courier business refers to several commercial onboard courier service providers who provide clients with high-end logistic solutions with suitable, dedicated, trained, and well-briefed human couriers. The onboard courier is responsible for the global door-to-door delivery of the shipment.
Ontime Courier GmbH is the commissioner of this study. The clientele of this company is predominantly from Europe, North and South America as well as South Africa. The company faces normal business risks that arise from competitors' activities. However, the situation is moderate, as the barriers to entry into the market for the transport of transplants remain very high. Ontime Courier GmbH is experienced in expanding its market area with the support of organic and inorganic growth strategies in other life science logistic fields. Now, the company targets new clientele exclusively from stem cell and bone marrow registries that are located outside of Europe and North America. This clientele has different needs.
This thesis aimed to identify new logistic markets for transporting donated stem cells and bone marrow for cellular therapy and to analyse whether these markets provide new clientele for Ontime Courier GmbH. The study aimed to answer the question: Where, and under which conditions, can Ontime Courier GmbH find new market potential to grow outside of Europe and North America? Moreover, it was crucial to understand the characteristics and needs of these markets.
This study has a mixed-method approach, and the research strategy of this study is a case study. The data was collected through a market research survey using a questionnaire as the measurement instrument. The survey respondents were selected based on their active membership in the World Marrow Donor Association. Quantitative data collected through the survey was analysed by descriptive analysis. Further, a semi-structured stakeholder interview was arranged to gain diverse perspectives, validate the findings of the questionnaire results, understand the company’s internal position, and identify possible unexplored areas or biases. Interviewed persons are selected based on their important role in the logistic value chain and present onboard couriers, staff of Ontime Courier GmbH and HLA laboratories as well as collection and transplant centres. Content analysis was utilised to analyse all the interview answers as well as qualitative data from the survey. PESTEL and SWOT analyses provided support to create a strategic development plan for the commissioner.
The output of this thesis is a strategic development plan for Ontime Courier GmbH. It provides several development suggestions to adjust one part of the commissioner’s strategy to better suit the requirements of registries and transports outside of Europe and North America.
Ontime Courier GmbH is the commissioner of this study. The clientele of this company is predominantly from Europe, North and South America as well as South Africa. The company faces normal business risks that arise from competitors' activities. However, the situation is moderate, as the barriers to entry into the market for the transport of transplants remain very high. Ontime Courier GmbH is experienced in expanding its market area with the support of organic and inorganic growth strategies in other life science logistic fields. Now, the company targets new clientele exclusively from stem cell and bone marrow registries that are located outside of Europe and North America. This clientele has different needs.
This thesis aimed to identify new logistic markets for transporting donated stem cells and bone marrow for cellular therapy and to analyse whether these markets provide new clientele for Ontime Courier GmbH. The study aimed to answer the question: Where, and under which conditions, can Ontime Courier GmbH find new market potential to grow outside of Europe and North America? Moreover, it was crucial to understand the characteristics and needs of these markets.
This study has a mixed-method approach, and the research strategy of this study is a case study. The data was collected through a market research survey using a questionnaire as the measurement instrument. The survey respondents were selected based on their active membership in the World Marrow Donor Association. Quantitative data collected through the survey was analysed by descriptive analysis. Further, a semi-structured stakeholder interview was arranged to gain diverse perspectives, validate the findings of the questionnaire results, understand the company’s internal position, and identify possible unexplored areas or biases. Interviewed persons are selected based on their important role in the logistic value chain and present onboard couriers, staff of Ontime Courier GmbH and HLA laboratories as well as collection and transplant centres. Content analysis was utilised to analyse all the interview answers as well as qualitative data from the survey. PESTEL and SWOT analyses provided support to create a strategic development plan for the commissioner.
The output of this thesis is a strategic development plan for Ontime Courier GmbH. It provides several development suggestions to adjust one part of the commissioner’s strategy to better suit the requirements of registries and transports outside of Europe and North America.