Appropriate logistics planning is a key factor influencing the quality and efficiency of processes in manufacturing companies. Logistics planning can be defined as the process of making significant decisions (concerning both logistics processes and resources) for the functioning of an organization. It is a process consisting of stages in which important decisions are made regarding the optimization of all activities of the company, including in the field of: production, supply, sales, distribution, transport. The main goal of logistics activities is to minimize the operating costs incurred, as well as to better manage human resources. The main aim of the article is to present the legitimacy of using selected simulation software as an actual tool in making logistic decisions in the field of order picking system (OPS) based on a case study. For research purposes, a model was prepared in FlexSim and there were applied S-shape and Return routing methods. Based on simulation results, an analysis of the selected process was carried out. The obtained results indicate possible directions of changes and allow to make the right decision in the field of planning logistics processes.

Appropriate management of energy sources is one of the basic undertakings in the energy sector. Climate policy changes and the development of technologies enabling the acquisition of energy in a way to reduce the negative impact on the natural environment lead to diversity in the structure of the energy sources being used. Therefore, it is important to assess the impact of these changes on the development of energy sectors by particular countries. The article contains the analysis of various energy sources utilization by European Union (EU) countries and the assessment of the energy production sector potential, and the development of this potential in relation to changes in the energy sources structure. For this purpose, a multidimensional comparative analysis was used. The data for the analysis are derived from the Eurostat database for the years 2017 and 2019 for 28 EU countries and they concern the use of energy sources such as combustible fuels, coal and manufactured gases, natural gas, oil and petroleum products (excluding biofuel portion), hydro/hydropower, wind power, solar photovoltaic, nuclear fuels and other fuels n.e.c. As a result of the research, it was proved that in most EU countries the changes introduced in the structure of the use of various energy sources, according to EU climate policy, have a positive impact on the development of particular energy sectors.

Saving energy and looking for alternative energy sources are both elements of energy efficiency management, which is still a significant challenge for many companies around the world. Unfortunately, energy efficiency in companies is often equated only with thermo-modernization or the replacement of lighting. However, one of the most important methods of improving energy use in manufacturing companies may be the modernization of the machine park. Therefore, the main purpose of the paper was to investigate the activities of enterprises in the field of the modernization of machines and the impact of this on the actual improvement of energy efficiency. The modernization of machines in production plants is understood as adapting new parts to the old device or rebuilding the machine in such a way that it can cooperate with its new subassemblies. Companies usually decide to modernize the machinery fleet, bearing in mind the benefits of production efficiency, and they do not always combine this modernization with energy efficiency improvement measures. This is confirmed by the presented results of a survey conducted with a group of 111 manufacturing companies. Several important statistical relationships in the studied area were indicated by conducting an analysis based on the chi-square test and, in some cases, by clarifying the results of the z-test with the Bonferroni correction.

European manufacturing companies are currently in a very difficult situation. On the one hand, they have to strive for sustainable development. On the other hand, they have to face problems related to the geopolitical situation and the pursuit of cleaner production (including restrictive regulations on emissions). A significant increase in electricity prices means that companies have to take steps to use electricity rationally without reducing the level of production or incurring other additional costs. In this study, attention was paid to the influence of quality tools (QTs) in production process (PP) management on increasing energy efficiency (EE). Based on the literature review, it was found that the most frequently described QTs, i.e., SMED, TPM, Six Sigma, SPC, FMEA, 5S, or Poka-Yoke, used to improve PP did not take into account their impact on the EE of the enterprises. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine this correlation and show that QTs can be helpful in shaping the energy management system (EMS). Achieving the research goal was possible thanks to surveys carried out among manufacturing companies. Using statistical tests, the existence of a statistically significant correlation was proved between QTs and EMS elements.

Nowadays, enterprises understand that the implementation and management of information technologies is a step towards improving not only the selected process (in the studied case in the area of production processes, logistics processes and auxiliary processes), but also the entire organization. Existing literature emphasizes the role of IoT in improving logistics efficiency, predictive maintenance and production automation. However, differences in IoT adoption in different countries and company sizes remain insufficiently researched. The research focused on countries that have not kept up with digital transformation trends in order to understand what are the main obstacles in their case. Addressing this research gap is essential for decision makers and business leaders who want to support digitalization strategies in the manufacturing sector. The following research problem was posed in the paper: What is the importance and impact of the use of IoT technology in selected processes on the development of enterprises in the economies of EU countries? The aim of the study was to determine the similarities in the development of EU member states in terms of the level of IoT technology use in logistics and production processes in small, medium and large enterprises of the manufacturing sector. The scope of the study includes the analysis of data on the use of IoT in production, logistics and auxiliary processes in small, medium and large enterprises in the EU. The results contribute to a better understanding of digital transformation trends and provide recommendations for increasing IoT implementation in industrial environments.

The metal industry is an important part of industrialized economies. It is not possible to imagine the development of such sectors as construction, automotive, or household appliance production without products of the metal sector. Moreover, metals are renewable raw materials, which is especially important for sustainable development. The main objective of the paper is to present management trends in metal market enterprises in Poland in the context of innovative activities. The paper characterizes this sector, presenting its importance for the Polish economy, and analyzes innovative activities of enterprises producing metals and metal products. To this end, domestic and international statistics were gathered and presented, supplemented with questionnaire surveys of a group of 112 enterprises from this sector. The presented results are broken down into small, medium-sized, and big enterprises, indicating differences in premises guiding enterprises when making managerial decisions in the field of innovation. Also, barriers to be overcome by metal sector enterprises differing in employment size are presented. The paper proves, e.g., that for all groups of surveyed enterprises, the process innovations are the most important, while product innovations are less important for small enterprises because this group of companies mostly manufactures very simple basic metal products.