ABSTRACT
In centrally planned economies, a knowledge of logistics and other modern management concepts and techniques was practically useless. The only exceptions were found in those companies whose export orientation exposed them to operations in the West. Overall, the 1990s found Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries with inefficient, fragmented and out-of-date logistics systems that did not meet their requirements as they moved towards market economies. At the beginning of reforms, all CEE countries suffered from similar problems–though on different scales. The major effort in the early 1990s concentrated on stabilizing the macroeconomic condition of these countries. Unfortunately, the shaky political situation in CEE countries coupled with the need to pursue tough financial policies were a major obstacle in implementing reforms. CEE countries are at different stages in their move towards market economies, but they are all still a long way from their desired targets. Logistics and the related infrastructure were the most neglected elements of the previous system.
