Title: Operating as a third-party logistics integrator without any distribution operations ownership

Authors: Kerstin Jager, Sandor Ujvari, Olli-Pekka Hilmola

Addresses: School of Technology and Society, University of Skovde, P.O. Box 408, SE-541 28 Skovde, Sweden. ' School of Technology and Society, University of Skovde, P.O. Box 408, SE-541 28 Skovde, Sweden. ' Lappeenranta University of Technology, Kouvola Research Unit, Prikaatintie 9, FIN-45100 Kouvola, Finland

Abstract: Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers have usually developed themselves through transportation ownership (mainly road or sea), and/or warehousing/freight forwarding capability. However, among these actual operations, there exists a number of other routes, e.g. by offering administrative/indirect work of sales, purchasing, business control and inventory management. With increased service level expectations among OEMs, there is a clear need for these kinds of well-defined and performed non-tangible logistical services. In this paper three case studies are presented, which show that a 3PL integrator could arise from this new service context, and could operate all logistical issues, even without any distribution operations ownership.

Keywords: business models; services; standards; supply chain management; third-party logistics; 3PL; distribution operations; logistics integrators.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSS.2007.012926

International Journal of Services and Standards, 2007 Vol.3 No.2, pp.154 - 168

Published online: 29 Mar 2007 *

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