Do the Service Priorities of Companies Outsourcing to 3PL Providers Vary by Industry? loannis Manikas, University of Greenwich Business School, University of Greenwich, London, UK

摘要

This research looks into how well the priorities of third party logistics providers in the UK are aligned to that of their customers and how these priorities change dependent upon industry segment and size. Additionally, it looks into how the levels of information communication technology (ICT) employed by a supplier and their green profile could be affecting their ability to remain competitive. The research confirms previous work that a service gap exists between what clients want against what they are actually receiving. The results of this research present several key findings on logistics service quality priorities in the UK. The study demonstrates that 3PL providers in some cases are focusing on service quality areas which are not aligned to that of their customers. This could mean that currently precious capital is being invested in areas that will either do nothing to improve the service quality perception of their suppliers or worse, be invested in an area that is not significant to the client's competitive advantage.