<p><strong>Purpose</strong> – The purpose of our thesis is to introduce a new approach to help small and medium third party logistics service providers (3PLs) to develop and improve their Reverse logistics.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach</strong> – A case study was adopted, and a qualitative questionnaire and face-to-face interview were used to collect the fundamental data. In addition, the multi-criteria decision-making tool-AHP and the Reverse Logistics audit model were used to analyze the case and to solve the problem of 3PLs in Reverse Logistics improvement.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Findings</strong> – Under the fierce competition and in today’s volatile market, the Reverse Logistics is considered as a new competitive advantage to many 3PLs. However, the effective solutions in instructing 3PLs how to develop and improve their Reverse Logistics competence are still very scarce. Based on these, a new approach will be presented in this thesis to help 3PLs to solve problem.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Limitations – </strong>There are two main limitations in our paper, which emerge in the two models we adopted. Regarding the Reverse Logistics audit model, we need more data of the case company to support our research. For the AHP method, the limitation is:  the fact that general assumptions were used to provide correlative data in computation, and complex computation was simplified in order to show calculative processes clearly.<strong></strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Practical implications – </strong>FLB, the case company will be researched to verify the practical implication of our new approach. We believe through our approach, lots of small and medium size 3PLs will find it easier to get a holistic view of their RL competence, and know how to develop or improve it.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Originality/value</strong> – How to evaluate and assess the RL competence will be presented separately from inside view of 3PLs and outside view of their customers. AHP and self-made RL audit model will be used to achieve then respectively.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Keywords</strong> Reverse logistics, Analytic hierarchy process, Assessment tool, and 3PLs </p><p> </p><p><strong>Paper type</strong> Case study/ Research paper</p>

Purpose – The purpose of our thesis is to introduce a new approach to help small and medium third party logistics service providers (3PLs) to develop and improve their Reverse logistics.   Design/methodology/approach – A case study was adopted, and a qualitative questionnaire and face-to-face interview were used to collect the fundamental data. In addition, the multi-criteria decision-making tool-AHP and the Reverse Logistics audit model were used to analyze the case and to solve the problem of 3PLs in Reverse Logistics improvement.   Findings – Under the fierce competition and in today’s volatile market, the Reverse Logistics is considered as a new competitive advantage to many 3PLs. However, the effective solutions in instructing 3PLs how to develop and improve their Reverse Logistics competence are still very scarce. Based on these, a new approach will be presented in this thesis to help 3PLs to solve problem.   Limitations – There are two main limitations in our paper, which emerge in the two models we adopted. Regarding the Reverse Logistics audit model, we need more data of the case company to support our research. For the AHP method, the limitation is:  the fact that general assumptions were used to provide correlative data in computation, and complex computation was simplified in order to show calculative processes clearly.   Practical implications – FLB, the case company will be researched to verify the practical implication of our new approach. We believe through our approach, lots of small and medium size 3PLs will find it easier to get a holistic view of their RL competence, and know how to develop or improve it.   Originality/value – How to evaluate and assess the RL competence will be presented separately from inside view of 3PLs and outside view of their customers. AHP and self-made RL audit model will be used to achieve then respectively.   Keywords Reverse logistics, Analytic hierarchy process, Assessment tool, and 3PLs    Paper type Case study/ Research paper

Problem: Practical industry advancements associated with cloud computing in the contextof supply chain rapidly proliferate. However, there is a lack of academic research that investigatesthe application of this technology from a theoretical standpoint. A significantpart of the literature explores the perceived advantages and disadvantages related to the decision-making process of the adoption of the specific technology, rather than the perceivedbenefits and challenges when the cloud has been already adopted and used. Furthermore,absent from the literature is a thorough understanding of the cloud-based applications inthe industry of 3PLs, and the perceived benefits and challenges not only from the userχsside but from the supply side as well. The research is limited referring to critical aspects ofcloud computing applied on 3PLs within a theoretical basis. Thus, in this study, the authorsaim at filling these gaps by exploring what types of cloud-based services are applied on3PLs, what are the perceived benefits and challenges from the 3PLs perspective as well asfrom their cloud providers/IT companies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what cloud-based services are used inthe 3PL industry as well as the challenges and benefits perceived by the cloud providers of3PL firms and by the 3PL firms that use this technology. In order to gain a thorough understandingof this usage and grasp the full picture within the focal industry, the research isfocusing on the perspectives of three cloud providers and three 3PLs that use and/or providecloud based services. Method: : This is a qualitative study. The authors are making use of a case study strategywith six investigated companies. The majority of the data is gathered from semi-structuredinterviews, while documentary secondary data concerning basic companiesχ information,have been collected as well. The analysis of the findings is based on the revision of the settedapriori codes by the authors. A cross-analysis between 3PLs and cloud providers ofthose firms is being conducted in order to identify the perceived challenges and benefits ofcloud by both, within the 3PL industry. Conclusion: The findings of this thesis demonstrate Software as a Service (SaaS) and moreprecisely, transportation administration (TA) software, as the most prevailing cloud-basedsystem applied in the 3PL industry nowadays. It has been revealed that 3PLs benefit fromcloud technology in terms of cost savings, strategic flexibility, access to leading-edge IT resourcesand security, whereas the challenges faced are related to performance and strategicaspect. Furthermore, the authors identify and propose the different phases of cloud computingimplementation in the 3PL sector. Lastly, a model of perceived challenges and benefitsof cloud in 3PLs firms has been compiled and presented.