Competition amongst companies in the global market has resulted in increased production of goods and services. Enterprises are now faced with the challenges of shipments of raw materials, spare parts from vendors, and the finished goods to consumers. Logistics companies are springing up to tackle transportation and other logistics problems. There are various logistics companies such as logistics intermediaries, carriers and third party logistics service providers in the market which are in one way or the other competing and at the same time cooperating within the supply chain in order to fulfill their assignments to their customers. Third party logistics service providers are experiencing rapid growth because of the advanced demand of services such as the desire to reduce lead time, inventory management, outsourcing, and a host of other functions. Not much has been written on the logistics firms. Besides, most studies on logistics firms and the third-party logistics providers focus more on such aspects like their skills, services, and their relationships with their customers. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the logistics service providers’ roles within the logistics firms’ supply chain by identifying how the expected roles are performed. In the frame of reference, the author searched several books and articles that are relevant within the scope of the thesis topic. Both qualitative and explorative data collection methods are used in the thesis and these involve conducting interviews, and reading the accounts of other people concerning the thesis topic. The conclusion shows that logistics service providers are able to perform their roles through vertical and horizontal cooperation with other firms and with other logistics firms respectively. Besides, logistics firms do live up to their roles. Carriers and the logistics intermediary now perform more roles than what people think they do, because networks connection and the urge to remain competitive make them to take up value-added services. Third-party logistics service providers add values for their customers through their value-added services in various ways such as time and place utility including tracking and tracing the goods to ensure that they are delivered.

Background:                 The development of recent means of transportation, information has increased opportunities for global business and it is very common that the companies involved in global business often need to outsource logistic function, as they cannot perform global logistics on their own. The need of service effectiveness for companies and operations efficiency from logistics service providers involves the minimization of the uncertainties associated with logistics outsourcing, therefore risks reduction measures must be implemented using logistics outsourcing. Research questions:     ­-    How do the Pakistani manufacturing and exporting companies currently outsource their logistics function in their downstream supply chain? -           What benefits they seek with respect to 3PL and 4PL? -           What factors they consider for outsourcing logistics? Purpose:                       To investigate the current logistics outsourcing situation of the Pakistani Manufacturing and Exporting Companies. What logistics functions they outsource, and the focus of the study is downstream supply chain. To study application of logistics outsourcing concepts i.e. 3PL and 4PL, services provided by these providers, and what benefits companies seek. What factors are important for them for logistics outsourcing and what fectors they consider for logistics outsourcing, what factors among these are important for them, who make the decision for logistics outsourcing? Method:                        The empirical data and the conclusions made from it are based on quantitative facts and figures collected through an e-survey. Results are drawn from responses of manufacturing companies that all outsource logistics. This thesis is written from a positivistic perspective with a deductive approach. Conclusions:                 The current logistics outsourcing situation in Pakistan is found to be uneven companies majorly concerned in textile manufacturing and are not in knowledge of the newer logistics outsourcing 4PL. Downstream supply chain is followed by cross-docking shipments. Cost factor is not that much important for companies but the timely delivery is more important.

The outsourcing of the business logistics activities have became a trend. The goals of my research want to understand that: (1) The outsourcing extent of the logistics activities. (2) The logistics outsourcing considered factors. (3) How the firm size affect the (1) and (2). (4) How the logistics network complexity affect the (1) and (2). The research¡¯s samples are the PC and peripheral equipment companies in Taiwan. The capital, the revenue, and the number of the employee measure the size of a firm. The logistics network complexity is measured by the number of the customers, the number of the suppliers, the number of the countries that customers in, and the number of the countries that the suppliers in. The result shows that the companies think the cost saving factors is most important when they decide to outsource the activity. The great extent of the traffic transportation, salvage and scrap disposal and return goods handling are outsourced. The companies whose sizes are small put great emphasis on the ¡°logistics information systems¡± factors. The big companies have a tendency to outsource the physical moved activities like traffic transportation, salvage and scrap disposal. The small companies are apt to outsource the process handling activities. In the logistics network complexity, the suppliers make greater difference in the outsourcing logistics activities than the customers. The numbers of the countries affect the logistics outsourcing considered factors.

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Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In a ground-based air defense (GBAD) military environment, defended assets on the ground require protection from enemy aircraft entering the defended airspace. These aircraft are detected by means of a network of sensors and protection is afforded by means of a pre-deployment of various ground-based weapon systems. A fire control officer is responsible for deciding upon an assignment of weapon systems to those aircraft classified as threats. The problem is therefore to find the best set of weapon systems to assign to the threats, based on some pre-specified criterion or set of criteria. This problem is known as the weapon assignment problem. The conditions under which the fire control officer has to operate are typically extremely stressful. A lack of time is a severely constraining factor, and the fire control officer has to propose an assignment of weapon systems to threats based on his limited knowledge and intuition, with little time for analysis and no room for error. To aid the fire control officer in this difficult decision, a computerised threat evaluation and weapon assignment (TEWA) decision support system is typically employed. In such a decision support system a threat evaluation subsystem is responsible for classifying aircraft in the defended airspace as threats and prioritising them with respect to elimination, whereas a weapon assignment subsystem is responsible for proposing weapon assignments to engage these threats. The aim in this thesis is to model the weapon assignment problem as a multiobjective decision problem. A list of relevant objectives is extracted by means of feedback received from a weapon assignment questionnaire which was completed by a number of military experts. By using two of these objectives, namely the cost of assigning weapon systems and the accumulated single shot hit probability, for illustrative purposes, a bi-objective weapon assignment model is derived and solved by means of three multiobjective optimisation methodologies from the literature in the context of a simulated, but realistic, GBAD scenario. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is implemented by means of assessments carried out in conjunction with a military expert. The assignment of weapon systems to threats is achieved by means of a greedy assignment heuristic and an AHP assignment model. Both these methods provide plausible results in the form of high quality assignments achieving an acceptable tradeoff between the two decision objectives. However, a disadvantage of the AHP approach is that it is inflexible in the sense that a large portion of its pre-assessments have to be reiterated if the set of weapon systems and/or threats is adapted or updated. A bi-objective additive utility function solution approach to the weapon assignment problem is also developed as a result of various assessments having been carried out in conjunction with a military expert. The assignment of weapon systems to threats is again achieved by means of a greedy assignment heuristic and a utility assignment model. Both these methods again provide high quality assignments of weapon systems to threats, achieving an acceptable trade-off between the two decision objectives. However, a disadvantage of the utility function approach is that if additional weapon systems are added to the current set of weapon systems, which achieve objective function values outside the current ranges of the values employed, new utility functions have to be determined for the relevant objective function. Moreover, both the AHP and utility function approaches are also constrained by generating only one solution at a time. A final solution approach considered is the implementation of a multiobjective evolutionary metaheuristic, known as the Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA II). This approach provides very promising results with respect to high quality assignments of weapon systems to threats. It is also flexible in the sense that additional weapon systems and threats may be added to the current sets without the need of considerable additional computations or significant model changes. A further advantage of this approach is that it is able to provide an entire front of approximately pareto optimal solutions to the fire control officer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ’n militêre grond-gebaseerde lugafweeromgewing vereis bates op die grond beskerming teen vyandelike vliegtuie wat die beskermde lugruim binnedring. Hierdie vliegtuie word deur middel van ’n netwerk van sensors waargeneem en deur middel van ’n ontplooing van ’n verskeidenheid grond-gebaseerde wapenstelsels afgeweer. ’n Afvuur-beheer operateur is verantwoordelik vir die besluit om wapenstelsels aan vliegtuie wat as bedreigings geklassifiseer is, toe te wys. Die onderliggende probleem is dus om die beste stel wapens, volgens ’n voorafbepaalde kriterium of ’n stel kriteria, aan die bedreigings toe te wys. Hierdie probleem staan as die wapentoewysingsprobleem bekend. Die toestande waaronder die afvuur-beheer operateur besluite ten opsigte van wapentoewysings maak, is besonder stresvol. ’n Gebrek aan tyd is ’n uiters beperkende faktor, en die afvuurbeheer operateur moet gevolglik binne ’n tydspan wat weinige analise en geen ruimte vir foute toelaat, wapentoewysings volgens sy beperkte kennis en intuïsie maak. ’n Gerekenariseerde bedreigingsafskatting-en-wapentoekenningstelsel kan gebruik word om die operateur met besluitsteun te bedien. In sò ’n besluitsteunstelsel is ’n bedreigingsafskattingdeelstelsel verantwoordelik om vliegtuie wat die beskermde lugruim binnedring as bedreigings of andersins te klassifiseer en ten opsigte van eliminasie te prioritiseer, terwyl ’n wapentoewyingsdeelstelsel verantwoordelik is om wapentoewysings aan die bedreigings voor te stel. Die hoofdoel in hierdie tesis is om die wapentoewysingsprobleem as ’n multikriteria-besluitnemingsprobleem te modelleer. ’n Lys van relevante doelwitte is met behulp van ’n wapentoewysingsvraelys verkry wat aan militêre kenners vir voltooing uitgestuur is. Twee van hierdie doelwitte, naamlik toewysingskoste en geakkumuleerde enkelskoot-trefwaarskynlikheid, is vir illustratiewe doeleindes gebruik om ’n twee-doelwit wapentoewysingsprobleem te formuleer wat met behulp van drie multikriteria-besluitnemingsmetodologië uit die literatuur in die konteks van ’n realistiese, gesimuleerde grond-gebaseerde lugafweerscenario opgelos word. Die analitiese hiërargiese proses (AHP) is met behulp van assesserings in samewerking met ’n militêre kenner geïmplementeer. Die toewysing van wapenstelsels is met behulp van ’n gulsige toewysingsheuristiek asook aan die hand van ’n AHP-toewysingsmodel bepaal. Beide hierdie metodes is in staat om resultate van hoë gehalte te behaal wat ’n aanvaarbare afruiling tussen die twee doelwitte verteenwoordig. ’n Nadeel van die AHP is egter dat dit onbuigsaam is in die sin dat ’n groot hoeveelheid vooraf-assesserings herhaal moet word indien meer wapenstelsels en/of bedreigings by die huidige sisteem gevoeg word. ’n Twee-doelwit additiewe nutsfunksiebenadering tot die wapentoewysingsprobleem is ook met behulp van velerlei assesserings in samewerking met ’n militêre kenner ontwikkel. Die toewysings is weereens met behulp van ’n gulsige wapentoewysingsheuristiek asook ’n nutstoewysingsmodel bepaal. Beide hierdie metodes is ook in staat om resultate van hoë gehalte te behaal wat ’n aanvaarbare afruiling tussen die twee doelwitte verteenwoordig. ’n Nadeel van die nutsfunksiebenadering is egter dat indien addisionele wapenstelsels by die huidige stel wapenstelsels gevoeg word, en indien die waardes van hierdie addisionele wapenstelsels buite die grense van die doelfunksiewaardes van die huidige wapenstelsels val, daar ’n nuwe nutsfunksie vir die relevante doelwit van voor af bereken moet word. Beide die AHP- en die nutsfunksiebenaderings is verder tot die lewering van slegs een oplossing op ’n slag beperk. Laastens is ’n multikriteria evolusionêre metaheuristiek (die NSGA II) geïmplementeer wat ook goeie resultate in terme van hoë-gehalte toewysings van wapenstelsels aan bedreigings lewer. Die voordeel van hierdie benadering is dat dit buigsaam is in die sin dat die getal wapenstelsels en bedreigings in die huidige sisteem aangepas kan word sonder om noemenswaardig meer berekeninge of groot modelveranderinge teweeg te bring. ’n Verdere voordeel is dat die metaheuristiese benadering daartoe in staat is om ’n front van benaderde pareto-optimale oplossings gelyktydig te lewer.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Order picking is the most important activity in distribution centres. It involves the process of retrieving products from storage in response to a speci c customer request. The order picking system in a distribution centre used by Pep Stores Ltd. (Pep), located in Durban, South Africa, is considered. The order picking system in Pep utilises picking lines. The system requires that the pickers move in a clockwise direction around the picking line. The planning of picking lines may be divided into three tiers of decisions. The rst tier determines which Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) should be allocated to which picking line and is known as the SKU to Picking Line Assignment Problem (SPLAP). The second tier, the SKU Location Problem (SLP), considers the positioning of the various SKUs in a picking line. The nal tier considers the sequencing of the orders for pickers within a picking line and is referred to as the Order Sequencing Problem (OSP). Collectively, these three tiers aim to achieve the objective of picking all the SKUs for all the orders in the shortest possible time. The decisions associated with each tier are made sequentially during the planning of a picking line. Each problem therefore relies on the information generated by its predecessing tier(s). Initially the OSP is addressed. A number of heuristic and metaheuristic approaches are presented, together with an exact formulation to solve this tier. The size of the problem is reduced by using a relaxation of the problem that may be solved exactly. A number of greedy tour construction heuristics, a scope and ranking algorithm, methods based on awarding starting locations with respect to preference ratios and a modi ed assignment approach was used to solve the OSP. Furthermore, a tabu search, simulated annealing, genetic algorithm and a generalised extremal optimisation approach are used to solve the OSP. The solution quality and computational times of all the approaches are compared for the data provided by Pep, with the generalised extremal optimisation approach delivering the best solution quality. Two methods from the literature was used to model the SLP, whereafter an ant colony system was used to maximise the number of orders in common between adjacent SKUs. A number of agglomerative clustering algorithms were used from which dendrograms could be constructed. Two novel heuristic clustering algorithms were considered. The rst heuristic calculates a distance between two clusters as the set of orders that have to collect all the SKUs in both clusters, whereas the second method is based upon the frequency of SKUs within a cluster. Little or no improvement was achieved in most cases. The SPLAP was introduced by means of a number of possibilities of how to formulate objectives. A possible exact formulation is presented, followed by a nearest neighbour search, which was initially used to construct new picking lines based on all data sets. A di erent approach was then taken by means of a tabu search where the waves of two or three picking lines were altered. Signi cant savings may be incurred for large data sets. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die opmaak van bestellings is die belangrikste aktiwiteit in 'n distribusiesentrum. Dit behels dat geskikte hoeveelhede produkte uit stoorplekke opgespoor en herpak moet word om aan kleinhandeltakke gestuur te word. Die bedrywighede binne een van Pep Stores Ltd. (Pep) se distribusiesentrums in Durban, Suid-Afrika, word beskou. Die sisteem vereis dat die werkers in 'n kloksgewyse rigting om 'n uitsoeklyn beweeg. Die beplanning van die uitsoeklyne kan verdeel word in drie besluite/probleme. Die eerste besluit is watter voorraadeenhede (VEs) toegewys moet word aan watter uitsoeklyn. Die tweede besluit is in watter vakkies in die uitsoeklyn die VEs geplaas moet word, en word die VE-plasings probleem (VLP) genoem. Die nale besluit is in watter volgorde bestellings opgemaak moet word in 'n uitsoeklyn, en staan bekend as die volgorde-van-bestellings-probleem (VBP). Die doel van al drie hierdie probleme is om al die bestellings in 'n uitsoeklyn in die kortste moontlike tyd af te handel. Die besluite wat verband hou met elke vlak van besluit word opeenvolgend gedoen tydens die beplanning van 'n uitsoeklyn. Die oplossing van elke subprobleem berus op die inligting van die voorafgaande probleme. Aanvanlik word die VBP beskou. 'n Aantal heuristiese en metaheuristiese benaderings word aangebied saam met 'n eksakte formulering om die derde vlak op te los. Die grootte van die probleem is verminder deur die gebruik van 'n verslapping van 'n eksakte formulering. 'n Aantal toerkonstruksie heuristieke, 'n omvang en rangorde algoritme, metodes wat gebaseer is op die toekenning van beginpunte met betrekking tot voorkeurverhoudings en 'n veralgemeende toewysingsprobleem is gebruik om die VBP op te los. 'n Tabu-soektog, gesimuleerde tempering, genetiese algoritme en 'n veralgemeende-ekstreme-optimering-benadering word ook gebruik om die VBP op te los. Die oplossingsgehalte en berekeningstye van al die benaderings word vergelyk vir werklike data wat verskaf is deur Pep. Die veralgemeende-ekstreme-optimering-benadering lewer die beste oplossingsgehalte. Twee metodes uit die literatuur is gebruik om die VLP te modelleer, waarna 'n mier kolonie stelsel gebruik word om die aantal bestellings wat aangrensende VEs in gemeen het te maksimeer. 'n Aantal groeperingsalgoritmes word gebruik wat dendrogramme kan lewer. Twee heuristiese groeperingsalgoritmes word oorweeg. Die eerste heuristiek bereken die afstand tussen twee groepe as die aantal bestellings wat al die VEs in beide groepe moet versamel, terwyl die tweede metode gebaseer is op die frekwensie van VEs binne 'n groep. Min of geen verbeterings is in die meeste gevalle gevind. Die eerste besluit word bekend gestel na aanleiding van 'n aantal moontlike maniere om die doelwitte te formuleer. 'n Moontlike eksakte formulering word aangebied. 'n Alternatiewe benadering is geneem deur middel van 'n tabu-soektog waar die golwe van twee of drie uitsoeklyne gewysig word. Beduidende besparings word gerealiseer vir groot datastelle.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main aim in blending problems is to determine the best blend of available ingredients to form a certain quantity of product(s). This product should adhere to strict speci cations. In this study the best blend means the least-cost blend of ingredients (input) required to meet a minimum level of product (output) speci cations. The most prevalent tools to solve blending problems in the industry are by means of spreadsheets, simulators and mathematical programming. While there may be considerable bene t in using these types of tools to identify potential opportunities and infeasibilities, there is a potentially even greater bene t in searching automitically for alternative solutions that are more economical and e cient. Heuristics and metaheuristics are presented as useful alternative solution approaches. In this thesis di erent metaheuristic techniques are developed and applied to three typical blending problems of varied size taken from the petrochemical industry. a fourth instance of real life size is also introduced. Heuristics are developed intuitively, while metaheuristics are adopted from the literature. Random search techniques, such as blind random search and local random search, deliver fair results. Within the class of genetic algorithms the best results for all three problems were obtained using ranked tness assignment with tournament selection of individuals. Good results are also obtained by means of tabu search approaches - even considering the continuous nature of these problems. A simulated annealing approach also yielded fair results. A comparison of the results of the di erent approaches shows that the tabu search technique delivers the best result with respect to solution quality and execution time for all three the problems under consideration. Simulated annealing, however, delivers the best result with respect to solution quality and execution time for the introduced real life size problem. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoelwit met die oplos van mengprobleme is om die beste mengsel van beskikbare bestandele te bepaal om 'n sekere hoeveelheid produk(te) te vervaardig. Die produk moet aan streng vereistes voldoen. Die beste kombinasie is die goedkoopste kombinasie van bestandele (toevoer) wat aan die minimum produkvereistes (afvoer) voldoen. Die algemeenste benaderings waarmee mengprobleme in die industrie opgelos word, is met behulp van sigblaaie, simulasies en wiskundige programmering. Hierdie metodes is baie nuttig om belowende oplossings of ontoelaatbaarhede te identi seer, maar dit kan potensieel meer voordelig wees om metodes te gebruik wat sistematies meer ekonomiese en e ektiewe oplossings vind. Heuristieke en metaheuristieke word as goeie alternatiewe oplossingsbenaderings aangebied. In hierdie tesis word verskillende metaheuristiekbenaderings toegepas op drie tipiese mengprobleme van verskillende groottes wat vanuit die petrochemiese industrie spruit. 'n Vierde geval met realistiese (regte wêreld) grootte word ook aangebied. Heuristieke word volgens intuïsie ontwikkel terwyl metaheuristieke aangepas word vanuit die literatuur. Lukrake soektegnieke soos die blinde lukrake soektegniek en die plaaslike lukrake soektegniek lewer redelike resultate. Binne die klas van genetiese algoritmes word die beste resultate gelewer wanneer die algoritme met 'n kombinasie van rangorde ksheidstoekenning en toernooiseleksie van individue geïmplimenteer word. Goeie resultate word ook verkry met behulp van tabusoektogbenaderings ten spyte van die kontinue aard van hierdie probleme. Gesimuleerde tempering lewer ook redelike resultate. 'n Vergelyking van die resultate van die verskillende tegnieke toon dat die tabusoektogtegniek die beste resultate met betrekking tot die kwaliteit van die oplossing sowel as uitvoertyd lewer. Gesimuleerde tempering lewer egter die beste resultate met betrekking tot die kwaliteit van die oplossing sowel as uitvoertyd vir die voorgestelde realistiese grootte probleem.

The target and aim of this diploma thesis was the optimization of the waste management reverse logistics system in the framework of FAST Kovošrot, Ltd. as a provider of waste management services. It is a company engaged in the purchase, processing and subsequent sale of metal waste mainly on the territory of the South Bohemian Region and Vysočina. It is therefore obvious that reverse logistics is the mainstay of almost all the company's activities. As part of the study of the backlog logistics flows of the selected company, the necessary amount of information and data was obtained for the subsequent optimization of the system. All data was obtained through managed interviews, direct attendance observation, and the study of available in-house statements. On the basis of such documents, the area of data exchange was designated as an area with potential for streamlining the overall process and introducing an electronic communication system. A thorough study of the current communication system between the business and its business partners was followed by which the individual data and values were sorted out. It has been found that the company uses classical data exchange, type of invoices and orders, that is, their receipt and distribution in paper form, which results in individual costs of postage, printing and others, as explained in the practical part of the thesis. At present, it is a rather outdated and ineffective system that can be innovated in spending. As another area with potential for improvement in terms of logistics technology operation, RFID tagging has been selected. The implementation of this method would require an initial investment, but would mean a significant increase in the efficiency of the registration and order picking for the company. The third proposed option for improving the functioning of the company's reverse logistics is to modify existing containers that would be equipped with ultrasonic sensors to capture their capacity.

Nas últimas décadas a atividade logística vem recebendo status estratégico como sendo uma variável importante para a obtenção de vantagem competitiva por parte das empresas. Dessa forma, as organizações vêm investindo significativamente no desenvolvimento de sistemas logísticos ágeis e na coordenação eficiente das cadeias de abastecimento nas quais estão inseridas. No entanto, para não perderem competitividade e realmente agregar valor ao seu negócio, muitas dessas empresas estão se focando cada vez mais em seu core business e, consequentemente, transferindo para terceiros algumas ou todas as suas atividades logísticas como forma de reduzir custos e aumentar a eficiência de sua operação. Assim, este trabalho trata do problema de tomada de decisão de terceirização das atividades logísticas e de como viabilizar a seleção de um provedor de serviços logísticos (PSLs). Para isto, foi elaborada e proposta uma sistemática de apoio à análise e seleção de um PSL que agrega conceitos gerais de gestão de projetos e de análise multicriterial para embasar a escolha pelo PSL mais adequado. Nesse particular, foi utilizado o método AHP – Analytic Hierarchy Process - que permite tratar aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos, tendo sido aplicado a problemas que envolvem a tomada de decisão em segmentos distintos. Como forma de validação da sistemática proposta, ela foi aplicada parcialmente em uma empresa fabricante de motores diesel com forte viés na logística de abastecimento e que estava em processo de terceirização de parte de suas atividades logísticas. Como principais resultados, encontrou-se que a sistemática foi aderente ao ambiente empresarial encontrado, auxiliando a análise e compreensão das oportunidades e riscos relativos à terceirização das atividades logísticas e dos atributos importantes a serem considerados no processo de seleção e escolha do PSL que mais esteja adequado à realidade da empresa contratante; e mostrando adicionalmente que o preço não é o fator mais importante no momento da decisão. / In recent decades the logistics activity has received strategic status as an important factor for gaining competitive advantages for businesses. Thus companies have been investing significantly in the development of agile logistics systems and efficient coordination of the supply chains, in which they operate. However, to avoid losing competitiveness and really add value to their business, many of these companies are increasingly focusing on their core business and thus transferring to others some or all of their logistics activities as a way to reduce costs and increase efficiency of their operation. This work addresses the problem of decision-making on outsourcing of logistics activities and how to facilitate the selection of a Third-Party Logistics (3PL). For this, it was developed and proposed a system to support the analysis and selection of a 3PL that combines general concepts of project management and multicriteria analysis to base the choice of the 3PL that better fits the current needs. In particular, we used the AHP - Analytic Hierarchy Process - which could handle qualitative and quantitative aspects, since it has been applied to many decision-making problems in different segments. As a way of validating the proposed methodology, it was partially applied to a manufacturer of diesel engines with a strong bias in its supply chain logistics, which was in process of outsourcing part of their logistics activities. As the most important results, it was found that this methodology adhered to the business environment, supporting the analysis and understanding of the opportunities and risks for the outsourcing of logistics activities, as well as important attributes to be considered in the selection process and choice of a 3PL that is more appropriate to the reality of the contracting company. In addition, it showed that the price is not the most important factor for this decision.