Introduction – Supply chains increase in size and complexity, more actors are becoming involved and an increased collaboration among actors are a necessity. Still, undesired conflicts occurs and are unavoidable in a collaboration. There are ways to reduce the negative effects and improve management of conflicts provided by previous researchers focus on conflicts and conflict management in general. However, this thesis emphazises on investigating what conflicts that occur within different collaboration setups that can be attributed to the type of logistics company involved. Therefore, the following purpose is stated: Investigate what types of conflicts occurring during collaboration that can be attributed to the different roles of 3PL and 4PL companies. Methodology – To answer the purpose a single case study was conducted which involved a focal firm and its collaboration with two different logistics companies (a 3PL and a 4PL) within the same economical climate. Due to the uniqeness of the case, a multiple methods qualitative study was performed and to strengthen the validity of the data collected both documantary analysis as well as semi-structured interviews were conducted. Respondents were handpicked based on knowledge of both collaboration setups, to ensure quality of the data collected. Gathered data were sumarized and categorized using Mamad and Chahdi (2013) conflict factors, and later analyzed to accurately detect key points to generate a result and answer the research questions. Result – To summarize the result, findings of what we discovered through our data analysis generated similarites and differences in conflicts occurred within both collaboration setups. These conflicts are linked to Mamad and Chahdi (2013) conflicts factors regarding collaboration among actors, in order to clarify why and which conflict area these conflicts occurred in. Analysis – From the conflicts identified in the result, further analysis were conducted. Where, previous literature regarding logistics companies (3pl and 4PL) were applied in order to enable attribution of conflicts to company types. Conclusion – Through the analysis, many conflicts that occured are based on factors such as operational structure, problem solving and company policies which are not affected by the company type. However, three conflicts and problem areas can be connected to be generally more common either with 3PL companies or 4PL companies. The first lies within the commitment area where 3PL companies can generally be seen as less committed. The second area is communication were important information were more often late due to passing through more actors, causing more conflicts when collaborating with a 4PL. The last problem area were within formalization where findings suggests that there are conflicts caused by 4PLs using several carriers which causes problems such as varying regulations and truck dimensions from carriers.

This paper aims to analyze the potential future of the 4PL concept based on expert opinions with special regard to the influence of digitalization coming with a disruptive trans-formation of supply chains. Service arrangements, provider capabilities and benefits resulting from a 4PL partnership are compared in current and future configurations. The research follows an explorative mixed methods approach with semi structured interviews followed by an expert panel. This builds a basis for an online survey questionnaire to inquire on important future aspects for the 4PL concept by a sample of respondents from multinational companies. Our results show a clear trend away from simply organizing transportation and logistics activities towards the provision of an IT platform as well as further value-added service activities such as planning, analytics and monitoring. Along with this, IT capabilities appear to be an important differentiator for 4PL providers in the future. Moreover, relationships between 4PL providers and their clients become closer and more strategic, which leads to a customer valuing not only direct cost reductions but rather improvements resulting from optimized operations through superior analysis and planning functions.

<p><p>The business environment has changed tremendously in the last two decades. Corporations have been forced to realign their global strategies and in order to cut costs, they started to transfer activities which were previously performed in-house to the market (e.g. IT, manufacturing or logistics) focusing instead on their core competencies. Nowadays companies outsource several of their logistics activities to so-called third-party logistics (3PL) companies and thus from being centralized, vertically integrated and with single-sited manufacturing facilities, enterprises have their network of resources globally dispersed.</p><p>As a result corporate management has realized that the competitive vehicle is no longer the individual firm, with its own resources and competencies. Instead, in order to cope with shorter product life cycles and ever more demanding customers, both on industrial and consumer markets, individual firms need to strategically become part of ‘extended enterprises’; that is, networks of specialist providers of resources and competencies.</p><p>However, because the capabilities to manage the entire network do not exist in any one organization, a new business organization was needed to provide the strategic knowledge and competence that will enable the complete integration of the supply chain. This new sort of firm, with core competencies on logistics processes and supply chain IT integration, besides offering consulting services on implementation and development of logistics and supply chain solutions, manages through the use of logistics control towers “the best of breed” 3PL specialists, integrating the end-to-end supply chain so that superior customer value is delivered in the most cost effective way. But how does the use of a supply chain integrator help the supply chain as a whole to achieve competitive advantages that enhance end-customer service? This paper aims to answer the above question. I felt that in order to be able to do that the most appropriate research strategy would be a qualitative study. Hence, a multi-case study was performed on three Swedish companies which differentiate themselves from the more traditional third-party logistics providers. The study was conducted by performing a set of semi-structured interviews with these companies. In order to give the study some sort of structure, I used an interview guide which was divided into three different themes; a) Organizational Design, b) Enterprise Logistics Integration and c) Logistics and Competitive advantages.</p><p>Once the interviews were transcribed and summarized, the empirical findings were then analyzed in light of a theoretical framework chosen previously. These theories, which in general terms relate to organizational design, supply chain management and finance, were also divided in the same themes as above. Finally, conclusions were drawn by linking the results of the interviews with the theoretical framework. It became evident that the supply chain integrator can help the supply chain as a whole not only to reduce costs related to inventory holding but also to help its client to improve end-customer service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></p><p> </p>

The business environment has changed tremendously in the last two decades. Corporations have been forced to realign their global strategies and in order to cut costs, they started to transfer activities which were previously performed in-house to the market (e.g. IT, manufacturing or logistics) focusing instead on their core competencies. Nowadays companies outsource several of their logistics activities to so-called third-party logistics (3PL) companies and thus from being centralized, vertically integrated and with single-sited manufacturing facilities, enterprises have their network of resources globally dispersed. As a result corporate management has realized that the competitive vehicle is no longer the individual firm, with its own resources and competencies. Instead, in order to cope with shorter product life cycles and ever more demanding customers, both on industrial and consumer markets, individual firms need to strategically become part of ‘extended enterprises’; that is, networks of specialist providers of resources and competencies. However, because the capabilities to manage the entire network do not exist in any one organization, a new business organization was needed to provide the strategic knowledge and competence that will enable the complete integration of the supply chain. This new sort of firm, with core competencies on logistics processes and supply chain IT integration, besides offering consulting services on implementation and development of logistics and supply chain solutions, manages through the use of logistics control towers “the best of breed” 3PL specialists, integrating the end-to-end supply chain so that superior customer value is delivered in the most cost effective way. But how does the use of a supply chain integrator help the supply chain as a whole to achieve competitive advantages that enhance end-customer service? This paper aims to answer the above question. I felt that in order to be able to do that the most appropriate research strategy would be a qualitative study. Hence, a multi-case study was performed on three Swedish companies which differentiate themselves from the more traditional third-party logistics providers. The study was conducted by performing a set of semi-structured interviews with these companies. In order to give the study some sort of structure, I used an interview guide which was divided into three different themes; a) Organizational Design, b) Enterprise Logistics Integration and c) Logistics and Competitive advantages. Once the interviews were transcribed and summarized, the empirical findings were then analyzed in light of a theoretical framework chosen previously. These theories, which in general terms relate to organizational design, supply chain management and finance, were also divided in the same themes as above. Finally, conclusions were drawn by linking the results of the interviews with the theoretical framework. It became evident that the supply chain integrator can help the supply chain as a whole not only to reduce costs related to inventory holding but also to help its client to improve end-customer service.

Cieľom diplomovej práce je stanoviť aké je postavenie typického poskytovateľa služieb 4PL na príklade spoločnosti Allyn International Services Inc. vo vzťahu k jej klientom a k ostatným poskytovateľom logistických služieb, a to predovšetkým v prostredí Európskej Únie.

Die vorliegende Arbeit zur Logistik,verstanden als eine anwendungsorientierte Wissenschaftsdisziplin, verfolgt eine wissenschaftliche sowie praxisorientierte Zielsetzung. Als übergeordnetes Ziel ist die Feststellung des Status quo und der Entwicklungsperspektiven des 4PL-Ansatzes anzuführen. Durch die Verwendung von etablierten Forschungsmethoden wird die wissenschaftliche Rigorosität sichergestellt. Zur Erfüllung der praxisorientierten Zielsetzung wurden Fallstudien und Experteninterviews im Rahmen des Forschungsprozesses verwendet, um zum einen das Wissen aus der Praxis einzubinden und zum anderen eine Relevanz für die Praxis sicherzustellen. Für eine konsistente Praxis-Orientierung wurde die Branche der landwirtschaftlichen Schüttgutlogistik als exemplarisches Anwendungsfeld zur Untersuchung des 4PL-Ansatzes gewählt. Die Schüttgutlogistik beschreibt das Bindeglied zwischen der Landwirtschaft, dem Handel und der Ernährungsindustrie und somit einen Teil eines Netzwerkes. Das Transportvolumen betrug im Jahr 2010 ca. 3,5 Mrd. t, wobei 76 % (2,7 Mrd. t) auf den Straßenverkehr entfielen (Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz 2010). In Anlehnung an die Trends der Logistik konnten gefestigte und klassische Strukturen vorgefunden werden, weshalb der 4PL-Ansatz als wahre Innovation untersucht werden konnte. Dies ist dadurch begründet, dass die Branche über genossenschaftliche Strukturen verfügt und neue technologische Trends eher zurückhaltend verfolgt. Dennoch sind die logistischen Herausforderungen wie die Reduzierung von Leerkilometern, die Optimierung der Frachtraumkapazitäten sowie die CO2-Reduzierung laut den befragten Akteuren der Branche von hoher Bedeutung (Müller 2010). Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden daher Methoden, Modelle, Applikationen und Vorgehensweisen entwickelt, welche zur Beantwortung der folgenden übergeordneten Forschungsfragen herangezogen werden: 1. Was ist der Status quo des 4PL-Ansatzes sowie das Anforderungsprofil der landwirtschaftlichen Schüttgutlogistik an den 4PL? 2. Was sind die wichtigsten Diffusionsfaktoren des 4PL-Ansatzes in der deutschen landwirtschaftlichen Schüttgutlogistik? 3. Was sind die Potenziale innerhalb einer Branche durch Einführung eines 4PL? 4. Wie können eine Implementierung sowie die organisatorische Einordnung des 4PL-Ansatzes für eine Branche erfolgen? 5. Welche Trends der Zukunft zeigen Parallelen zum 4PL-Ansatz auf? Die vorliegende kumulative Dissertation zeigt Potenziale für die Branche auf und trägt zum Verständnis einer zukünftigen Entwicklung des 4PL-Ansatzes bei. Zur Zielerreichung wird ein Mixed-Methods-Ansatz verfolgt.

The main issue of this diploma thesis will be to introduce actual situation in maritime container shipping, which has been developing few last years. The biggest changes were in technologies, liability issues and documentation. These changes influenced every company at this maritime market, but the customer was influenced too. In the thesis there are analyses of 3PL and 4PL providers, who are cooperating with these customers the most. The SWOT analyses were used to compare the differencies or similarities between these companies. The objective of the thesis is to recommend the right type of provider to normal customer at the market, who wants to find some help with transportation of his products

No description available.

Dans les années 1990, une modification majeure s’est opérée dans le secteur de la prestation logistique. Le Prestataire de Services Logistiques «traditionnel» (3PL) s’est orienté vers une version plus moderne, le Fourth Party Logistics (4PL™), qui se distingue de ses prédécesseurs par son expertise en matière de conception et de pilotage opérationnel de la chaîne logistique d’un Chargeur.En nous intéressant à leur apparition, nous avons cherché à apporter des éléments de compréhension à l’émergence de nouvelles configurations organisationnelles dans le champ de la logistique. A l’origine, nous avons supposé que la dynamique innovation - apprentissage se situait au cœur du processus d’émergence des 4PL™. Afin de valider ou de réfuter cette hypothèse, nous nous sommes intéressé aux courants théoriques majeurs traitant de l’innovation et de l’apprentissage. Nous nous sommes aperçu que nous manquions d’un cadre théorique global qui nous permette d’appréhender l’influence de la dynamique innovation -apprentissage dans l’émergence d’une nouvelle configuration organisationnelle.Une étude exploratoire puis l’étude d’un cas unique nous ont permis de découvrir que le 4PL™concerné émerge progressivement grâce à un processus de propagation de la combustion associant les connaissances et les interactions des parties prenantes de la chaîne logistique étudiée. / In the 1990s, a major change occurred in logistics services. The «traditional» Third Party Logistics(3PL) moved towards a new version, the Fourth Party Logistics (4PL™), which differs from its predecessors by its expertise in design and operational management of supply chains. By focusing on their appearance, we sought to understand the emergence of new organizational configurations in the field of logistics. Originally, we assumed that the innovation - learning dynamic was the main reason for the emergence of 4PL™.To validate or refute this hypothesis, we were interested in relevant theories dealing with innovationand learning. We realized that we lacked a comprehensive theoretical framework that allowed us to discern the influence of innovation - learning dynamic.We found, after an exploratory study and the study of a single case, that the 4PL™ emerged gradually (in the supply chain under consideration) through a process of propagation of combustion involving knowledge and interactions of stakeholders.

Den här studien syftar till att undersöka serviceerbjudande för logistisk outsourcing genom 3PL och 4PL leverantörer och deras roll i leveranskedjor. Detta med bakgrunden för de trender som finns inom branschen gällande outsourcing, där företag efterfrågar nya smarta lösningar för deras verksamheter och för att bibehålla och stärka sin konkurrenskraft.  För att undersöka dessa förhållanden har en kvalitativ studie genomförts, där fyra informanter har deltagit i semistrukturerade intervjuer mot frågor som framtagits med grund i de teorier som presenteras. Informanterna som deltagit har bakgrund inom företag som tillhandahåller tjänster inom både 3PL och 4PL. Vad som konstaterats i analysen är hur de olika alternativen skiljer sig, främst i det fysiska resursutnyttjandet, men även de likheter i hur större värden kan ges till kundorganisationer. Av studien så kan ett vidare behov av både forskning och utveckling av tjänsterna ses för differentiera de två alternativen för logistisk outsourcing. / This study seeks to examine the different service offers for logistical outsourcing through 3PL and 4PL suppliers and their role in supply chains. This with the background of the trends within the industry regarding outsourcing, where companies are seeking new and smart solutions for their business, and to maintain and strengthen their competitiveness. To examine these relationships of the suppliers, a qualitative study has been conducted, where four informants have participated in semi structured interviews with questions that have their base in the presented theories. The informants that participated in the study have their background in supplier-companies with services of both 3PL and 4PL solutions. The analysis of the empirical material gathered through the interviews has shown how the solutions differ, primarily in regards to their physical resource utilization, but also the similarities in how greater values can be created for the customer organizations. Through the study the need for both research and development of services can be seen, to be able to differentiate the two alternatives for logistical outsourcing.