The first day of NOFOMA Conference ended rather festive. The cafeteria at the Molde University College was fancy as never before and provided a three course dinner and large amounts of beer and wine. Needles to say, the academic tension present the whole day dissolved very quickly.

Photo by KRYSTOF DIATKA

The quick initial speech given by Prof. Øyvind Halskau, the chair of the NOFOMA Conference, ensured everyone that there will be no other speeches until everyone ate at least two courses. This was welcomed with a round of applause. The guests enjoyed the menu consisting of garlic Bruschetta with Serrano ham for starters, main course of venison on bed of vegetables with a red wine butter sauce and a side of potatoes au gratin, and dessert of cheesecake with raspberry coulis.The credit for those dishes belongs to chef Matt Lunn and his team.

The break between main dish and desert was filled with another speech summing up the purpose and success of the NOFOMA Conference by Prof. Øyvind Halskau and Prof. Arnt Sture Buvik enlightened by a musical number and a little bit of comedy featuring themselves. This was an introduction to an award giving ceremony for the best papers at the conference both in PhD students and post PhD categories sponsored by DB Schenker, transportation and logistics company. The winners in post PhD category are Prof. Patrik Jonsson and Stig-Arne Mattsson with a paper Inventory Management Practices and Research Needs.

In the PhD- students category Kristina Laschinger and Corina Maas were the victors with their paper Flexible Container Filling Quantities- A Measure For Logistics Flexibility in The Automotive Industry.” The aim of the paper was to research if it is possible to balance the fluctuations of the assembly line in automotive industry by adjusting the container filling quantities  flexible to the demand for parts at the assembly line.” Claimed Kristina Laschinger. The main groundbreaking finding of this paper is that sometimes shipping not entirely full containers under carefull planning and scheduling,  in a complex automotive industry proves to be more efficient than entirelly full containers. The skills those PhD students have in the industry are undisputable since Kristina Laschinger is employed by BMW and Corina Maas ba MAN.

“PhD studies are challenging and wining an award like this is much appreciated boost of motivation”  Corina Maas summed up the importance of this victory.

The evening entertainment was finished with a quiz about the Molde area and after that the crowd dissolved into separated chatting groups and later to seek for a night’s rest before the last day of the NOFOMA Conference.

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