Today, Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PL) face a great pressure in order to meet their clients’ needs: customers demand a high level of time and place value for their deliveries, at lower prices, making the last mile activity not only a challenge whilst meeting the clients’ requirements but likewise in managing the profitability and the financial balance of the operation. In order to meet the logistics’ operation efficiency, several 3PL monitor their activity assisted by a variety of ex-post systems of performance indicators that assess the quality and efficiency of the logistic process. However, most of the time 3PL do not fully exploit the potentiality of those performance systems. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and innovative performance measurement framework for a Third-Party Logistics Provider, transferable for other stakeholders. The framework is supported in a thorough revision of the existing literature regarding performance indicators systems, with particular significance in the field of logistics and freight transport. The rich variety of logistics performance indicators arrays frequently focus on a specific domain or follow a typical framework which includes metrics for cost and asset management, customer service, productivity and quality. In order to meet the specifics of a 3PL, the authors believe that a more detailed framework would be beneficial. The framework the authors propose is organized in three levels: the activities dimension (e.g. transport, warehousing, and customer service), the decision level dimension (operational, tactical and strategic) and the different actors dimension (e.g. carriers, 3PL and consolidation centers). A case study of Urbanos, a Portuguese 3PL firm, was used to validate the proposed framework.

http://web.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/~vascoreis/publications/2_Conferences/2015_EWGT.pdf

A Comprehensive Framework for Measuring Performance in a Third-party Logistics Provider

As progress towards globalisation continues, organisations seek ever better ways with which to configure and reconfigure their global production networks so as to better understand and be able to deal with risk. Such networks are complex arrangements of different organisations from potentially diverse and divergent domains and geographical locations. Moreover, greater focus is being put upon global production network systems and how these can be better coordinated, controlled and assessed for risk, so that they are flexible and competitive advantage can be gained from them within the market place. This paper puts forward a reference ontology to support risk assessment for product-service systems applied to the domain of global production networks. The aim behind this is to help accelerate the development of information systems by way of developing a common foundation to improve interoperability and the seamless exchange of information between systems and organisations. A formal common logic based approach has been used to develop the reference ontology, utilising end user information and knowledge from three separate industrial domains. Results are presented which illustrate the ability of the approach, together with areas for further work.

/pdf/an-ontology-supported-risk-assessment-approach-for-the-272oqm9qtd.pdf

An ontology supported risk assessment approach for the intelligent configuration of supply networks

Fuzzy-scorecard based logistics management in robust SCM

Although there is general understanding on the importance of supply chain integration (SCI), little is known regarding SCI operational issues and their impact on supplier commercial relationships and order fulfilment in public hospitals. In response, this thesis investigates the critical operational factors influencing the supply chain integration and their impact on supplier commercial relationships and order fulfilment in New Zealand public hospitals. This study explores critical SCI issues using the process-based management theory (approach) proposed by Lambert (2004, 2008). A new construct of focused SCI and a theoretical model have been developed for this study. A survey research approach was used to collect data. The results of empirical study are based on the responses from a survey with purchasing and supply personnel in public hospitals. This research tested eighteen hypotheses using multiple regression analysis. The results of this thesis support sixteen hypotheses proposed in the theoretical model and two hypotheses are not supported. The major findings of this research are that SCI operational issues in the hospitals, supplier commercial relationships, and focused SCI have positive influence on order fulfilment. Barriers to SCI (one of the operational issues) have negative influence on supplier commercial relationships, focused SCI, and order fulfilment. The results for two hypotheses not supported in this thesis show that organisation environmental forces (suppliers or customers have initiated integration effort) do not have significant influence on focused SCI (integrated service functions, following national procurement policies and procedures). Also, organisation environmental forces do not have significant influence on supplier commercial relationships (reliable suppliers and good process integration between suppliers, customers and the DHB). The results of the rejected hypotheses indicate that integration initiated by suppliers or customers do not have impact on the organisation's focused supply chain integration and supplier commercial relationships. Most of the critical barriers of supply chain integration identified in this study are consistent with the findings of Fawcett and Magnan (2001) and Fawcett, Magnan, and McCarter (2008). However, Fawcett and Magnan (2001) and Fawcett et al. (2008) found inappropriate information systems as the key barrier to effective SCI, whereas, this research identified lack of willingness to share information as the key barrier to effective SCI in the public hospitals. Overall, this research provides significant contributions to the SCI, supplier commercial relationships, and order fulfilment literature and the practices of SCI in New Zealand public hospitals. This research also contributes to theoretical and practical knowledge by providing a new model for enhancing SCI in an organisation. The model can help researchers and managers to focus on important SCI, supplier commercial relationships, and order fulfilment factors. The critical SCI operational factors…

Supply chain integration in New Zealand public hospitals: impact on supplier commercial relationships and order fulfilment

Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model is developed and maintained by the Supply Chain Council (SCC). The model is a reference model which can be used to map, benchmark and improve the supply chain operations. SCOR model provides companies with a basic process modeling tool, an extensive benchmark database and defines a set of supply chain metrics. Mobarakeh Steel Company (located in Isfahan, Iran) initiated the project of studying and analyzing its supply chain performance based on the SCOR model. This paper explains the steps and the results of the project. Interviews with the managers and considering the documents on the four major subjects of planning, logistics, information flow and relationships in the supply chain and comparing the current conditions of the supply chain with SCOR best practices, some improvement projects were proposed to improve the supply chain performance. The projects were then prioritized based on the supply chain strategy and the predecessor relationships.

Christof Schulte

Papers

10.2 Supply Chain Operations Reference-Modell