This paper examines the process of employing four kinds of information systems in fourth-party logistics. The paper mainly tries to answer research questions: what is fourth-party logistics and information systems; what are benefits and barriers for using four kinds of information systems (RFID, WMS, EDI, Electronic marketplace) with the help of fourth-party logistics; what are unique benefits and barriers for fourth-party logistics to employ the four kinds of information systems and how to overcome the difficulties. To answer the research question, qualitative case study approach was employed and two case companies were chosen. Information in literature review was collected from secondary data for example scientific paper. Information in findings was collected from interviews of people in charge of the project and internal reports.   Definitions of fourth-party logistics and information system were reviewed in literature review. The differences between fourth-party logistics and third-party logistics were presented as well. In addition, categorization of various kinds of advanced information systems was also listed.   Benefits and barriers organized from literature and case studies were gathered and compared in discussion. Two significant benefits were identified: opportunities to do businesses with leading companies and improved efficiency. Two main barriers are confusion of the concept of fourth-party logistics and terminology of information system and financial justification. There are different opinions between the two case companies, literature review and empirical data, and between different literature. The paper concluded that there are many benefits and barriers for employing the four kinds of information systems in fourth-party logistics, and the future development of it is promising.

In an effort to reduce waste in construction projects, hence promoting value creation, the focus on the construction logistics becomes increasingly important, especially with increasing complexity of the project. This is in order to coordinate and effectively plan the routines and deliveries that occur regularly at the construction site. In an effort of becoming more efficient regarding this matter and to reduce the amount of waste, procurement of a third party logistics company that conducts all necessary logistical activities has become more and more recognized. The purpose of the master thesis is to analyze the procurement of a third party logistics company (3PL) and how it has been handled during a project life cycle and how to optimize this type of solution as a partnership and as a benchmarking method. Finally client perception and satisfaction of the executed work is analyzed, all of which are summarized in the research questions stated below: • How has the collaboration with the procured third party logistics company (3PL) been conducted during the project life cycle? • How is it possible to develop and optimize the collaboration with a 3PL in order to achieve better results in the future as a partnership and a benchmarking method? • What is the client perception and satisfaction of the executed work by the third party logistics company? The theoretical chapter will serve as a foundation of the thesis where the relevant concepts are described complemented with a comparative case study of two projects with relevance to the stated questions. The case study consists of documents and interviews with key participants. The result will show a holistic profitability with additional suggestions to further develop this type of collaboration as a benchmarking method, what is the next reasonable step of further optimization regarding 3PL procurement and what generalizations can be made.

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The purpose of the study is to: 1. develop a model for studying the strategies of third-party providers, and 2. preparing empirically supported hypotheses regarding the TPL providers strategies. Empirical data has been gathered from 21 Australian, European, and North- American targeted TPL providers, all recognized as large, innovative or influential industry representatives. The thesis propose an empirically supported model for studying positions or for positioning of TPL providers, based on both served markets and internal industry variables. Further, the TPL providers expected development, the values delivered to clients, and activity and capability for supply chain integration are explored. The results of the study indicate that the TPL providers in general have similar strategies, and expect to develop in similar ways. The main values provided to clients are Cost and the possibility to Focus on Core, and the main mechanisms for creating that value are Operative Competence and Systems Development.

[pt] A crescente necessidade de otimização de recursos e o maior nível de exigência dos clientes em termos de qualidade de serviço, custo e prazo tem influenciado na reconfiguração dos mercados globais. A fim de se manterem competitivas, as empresas têm sido obrigadas a investir principalmente em sua cadeia de suprimentos com intuito de garantir a sobrevivência no mercado cada vez mais competitivo. A terceirização é uma grande aliada à logística, mais especificamente o 3PL (Third Party Logistics), que tem sido apontado por diversos autores quando se fala em reduzir em custos, melhorar a qualidade de atendimento, aperfeiçoar controles, integrar os processos e implantar novas tecnologias sem impedir o foco da empresa no seu Core Business. O objetivo desta dissertação é realizar um estudo de caso na Petrobras a fim de identificar porque os Gestores optaram por migrar sua estrutura de terceirização de um 2PL para um 3PL. Os resultados demonstram 34 por cento de redução de custos, confirmando a proposição que a adoção do sistema de 3PL conduz a redução de custos logísticos; investimentos nas estruturas de governança implicam em redução de custo de transação e que controles, metas e indicadores contratuais possuem relação com o desempenho, além de contribuírem para gestão da cadeia de suprimentos. / [en] The growing need for resource optimization and the higher level of customer use in terms of quality of service, cost and time have an influence on the reconfiguration of global markets. To remain competitive, the companies have been forced to invest mainly in their supply chain in order to ensure survival in the increasingly competitive market. Outsourcing is a great ally to logistics, more specific to 3PL (Third Party Logistics), which was pointed out by several authors when talking about reducing costs, improving service quality, improving controls, integrating processes and implementing new technologies without prevent the company s focus on its Core Business. The objective of this dissertation is to conduct a case study at Petrobras in order to identify why the Managers chose to migrate their outsourcing structure from a 2PL to a 3PL. The results showed a 34 percent cost reduction, confirming a proposal to adopt the 3PL system that reduced logistical costs; investments in governance structures involved in reducing transaction and control costs, goals and indicators that are related to performance, in addition to the contribution to chain management.

<p><p>The globalization has increased the trade between different places and countries. Products are now available from all over the world, but this requires transports that have consequences in the environment as well as the economy. New professions are creates that do formality, organize, administrate and implement other businesses transports. Their operations are between the business and customer and they are called logistics companies. The purpose of this report was to study third-party logistics and why more and more companies use this logistics services. A literature study was done to research This. The study is based on a literature work in the field of logistics by using books, articles and the Internet. The report also studied whether there are differences between terms within third-party logistics from 1980-90s and today. In third-party logistics it is emphasize to there is focus on using a logistics company as a good alternative for the companies who aren´t able to have a high quantity in their own vehicle. The purpose with route planning is to use the availability in the vehicle and try to have as high filling degree as possible. The filling degree is usually calculated on how much of the total area, volume or weight that is used.</p><p>Since the origin of the term third-party logistics in the 80-90s, the positive and negative aspects have been the same. But during the years more positive aspects have appeared. There are more positive aspects about third-party logistics than negative. Companies’ use and dependence of what third-party logistics can offer, have provided the companies with mostly positive aspects.</p><p>The logistics concept is more complex today that it was at its origin and it includes more activities. In the 90s, the concept forwarder was used to describe a person who coordinated the transports while the transporter was the one who executed the transports. By looking at outdated literature, we can presume that the future will bring more changes and that the role of respective parties will become even more unclear than they are today.</p><p>From the theory a deeper analysis was done in form of interviews with four third-logistics companies, to find out how transports work out in real life. The questions were classified in three groups; routes, filling degree and environment. The four companies worked constantly to improve the filling degree by different types of coordination and better loading, but also to by having goods in the return transport. Three of four companies thought that the transports were too cheap. A large number of goods are transported long distances back and forth. The logistics companies tried to offer their customers good customers service with cheap, fast and close transports in order to be competitive. We think that the logistics companies must take more responsibility and shouldn’t drive empty trucks, no matter the price they get. By a high filling rate the environments can be saved, because it will take fewer transports and it improves the company’s economy. The logistics companies of tomorrow have big challenges to overcome if they should continue a sustainable development that benefits their economic situation and the environment.</p></p>

O estudo aborda as características de relacionamento entre empresas montadoras e operadores logísticos no Brasil, tendo em vista o caráter estratégico da prestação de serviços de logística integrada na indústria automobilística, setor que vem apresentando uma transformação muito grande em suas práticas e organização. O foco de análise é a logística de suprimento em montadoras de automóveis, não se abordando a distribuição de veículos prontos. O processo de globalização tem exigido a reestruturação das empresas para sua sobrevivência e desenvolvimento, a busca de vantagem competitiva, pela incorporação a seus produtos, da cadeia de valor dos clientes, e, no relacionamento interempresarial, novas formas de administração de suas cadeias de suprimentos. Os serviços de logística se mostram mais abrangentes, na estratégia e processo produtivos, numa nova caracterização da atuação de operadores logísticos. Na sua terceirização, tendência firme que se constatou, teoricamente, poderiam se apresentar alianças estratégicas entre empresas. As características de relacionamento nessa direção são abordadas nesta tese. O estudo foi conduzido com base em fontes secundárias e pela realização de entrevistas junto a montadoras e operadores logísticos. Metodologicamente, adotou-se o estudo de multicasos na identificação de arranjos institucionais da operação da logística por operadores especializados. Foi identificado um ambiente em transição, em que a terceirização é um fato, com operadores logísticos, assumindo, cada vez mais, parcelas importantes das atividades dos contratantes. No entanto, o relacionamento está longe de caracterizar verdadeiras alianças estratégicas, apresentando-se uma interação dinâmica e, muitas vezes contraditória, entre as empresas. A consciência mútua das interdependências, aceitação e entendimento de interesses individuais, a serem conciliados em alianças estratégicas, com o objetivo comum de melhor condição competitiva e compartilhamento justo de riscos, custos e recompensas, podem ser fundamentais na implantação de novas formas de produção na indústria e na adoção de operadores logísticos únicos. / This study analyses the relationship among automotive industries and third party logistics (3PL) providers in Brazil, regarding the strategic aspect of the integrated logistics service in that industry, which is showing a remarkable changing in its organization and production practices. This analysis focuses the inbound logistic in car assembling plants. The globalization process requires firms restructure to enable survival and development, the search for competitive advantages, reflecting in their products their clients value chain and, in the relationship among firms, innovative ways of supply chain management. Logistics services assume a broader scope in the production process and in the company strategy, reflecting their providing by 3PL firms in a new way. In this outsourcing, theoretically, strategic alliances among firms could take place. The relationships characteristics towards this direction are analyzed in this thesis. The study used secondary sources and interviews were conducted with automotive and logistic services providers executives. For identifying institutional arrangements in logistics services providing industry, the basic methodology adopted was multicase studies. This work identifies a transition environment with outsourcing as a fact and logistics providers increasingly assuming relevant portions of the automotive industry activities. Nevertheless, their relationships are far from actual strategic alliances, occurring a dynamic and, many times, contradictory interaction among the firms. Consciousness of mutual interdependence, agreement and understanding of individual interests to be conciliated for the achievement of the common objective of better competitive condition and fair risks, costs and rewards sharing are needed. This could be a sound basis for the new production ways and define solids fundamentals for the new trend of full logistic provider implementations, already seen in the industry.

O estudo aborda as características de relacionamento entre empresas montadoras e operadores logísticos no Brasil, tendo em vista o caráter estratégico da prestação de serviços de logística integrada na indústria automobilística, setor que vem apresentando uma transformação muito grande em suas práticas e organização. O foco de análise é a logística de suprimento em montadoras de automóveis, não se abordando a distribuição de veículos prontos. O processo de globalização tem exigido a reestruturação das empresas para sua sobrevivência e desenvolvimento, a busca de vantagem competitiva, pela incorporação a seus produtos, da cadeia de valor dos clientes, e, no relacionamento interempresarial, novas formas de administração de suas cadeias de suprimentos. Os serviços de logística se mostram mais abrangentes, na estratégia e processo produtivos, numa nova caracterização da atuação de operadores logísticos. Na sua terceirização, tendência firme que se constatou, teoricamente, poderiam se apresentar alianças estratégicas entre empresas. As características de relacionamento nessa direção são abordadas nesta tese. O estudo foi conduzido com base em fontes secundárias e pela realização de entrevistas junto a montadoras e operadores logísticos. Metodologicamente, adotou-se o estudo de multicasos na identificação de arranjos institucionais da operação da logística por operadores especializados. Foi identificado um ambiente em transição, em que a terceirização é um fato, com operadores logísticos, assumindo, cada vez mais, parcelas importantes das atividades dos contratantes. No entanto, o relacionamento está longe de caracterizar verdadeiras alianças estratégicas, apresentando-se uma interação dinâmica e, muitas vezes contraditória, entre as empresas. A consciência mútua das interdependências, aceitação e entendimento de interesses individuais, a serem conciliados em alianças estratégicas, com o objetivo comum de melhor condição competitiva e compartilhamento justo de riscos, custos e recompensas, podem ser fundamentais na implantação de novas formas de produção na indústria e na adoção de operadores logísticos únicos. / This study analyses the relationship among automotive industries and third party logistics (3PL) providers in Brazil, regarding the strategic aspect of the integrated logistics service in that industry, which is showing a remarkable changing in its organization and production practices. This analysis focuses the inbound logistic in car assembling plants. The globalization process requires firms restructure to enable survival and development, the search for competitive advantages, reflecting in their products their clients value chain and, in the relationship among firms, innovative ways of supply chain management. Logistics services assume a broader scope in the production process and in the company strategy, reflecting their providing by 3PL firms in a new way. In this outsourcing, theoretically, strategic alliances among firms could take place. The relationships characteristics towards this direction are analyzed in this thesis. The study used secondary sources and interviews were conducted with automotive and logistic services providers executives. For identifying institutional arrangements in logistics services providing industry, the basic methodology adopted was multicase studies. This work identifies a transition environment with outsourcing as a fact and logistics providers increasingly assuming relevant portions of the automotive industry activities. Nevertheless, their relationships are far from actual strategic alliances, occurring a dynamic and, many times, contradictory interaction among the firms. Consciousness of mutual interdependence, agreement and understanding of individual interests to be conciliated for the achievement of the common objective of better competitive condition and fair risks, costs and rewards sharing are needed. This could be a sound basis for the new production ways and define solids fundamentals for the new trend of full logistic provider implementations, already seen in the industry.

Competition in the logistics service industry has constantly increased over the last decades which has lead to the traditional services offered by third-party logistics (TPL) providers becoming commodities and no longer offering attractive profit margins. When the company’s core product becomes a commodity, the company’s performance of supplementary services becomes vital for competitive advantage. The term “value-added service” is defined as a service adding extra feature, form or functions to the basic service and stands for all types of activities which are not directly based on services traditionally offered by TPL providers, i.e., transportation and warehousing. The term value-added service is mainly used in the logistics literature while supplementary service is used in the service management literature. Although value-added services can offer obvious advantages in form of customer lock-in and improved competitive advantage, such services are still offered at a low level and there is much space for development. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how TPL firms develop value-added services and to investigate what the driving forces and barriers for developing and providing such services are. In the frame of reference, literature within service management, outsourcing, third-party logistics, value-added services, innovation and learning have been used. In the thesis, an inductive research approach is used and qualitative study has been carried out by applying multiple case studies as a research strategy. The empirical material is gathered from three TPL providers: Bring Logistics Solutions, Aditro Logistics and Schenker Logistics. Data was collected through several interviews conducted at the three target companies and the findings have been analysed using the existing theory stated in the frame of reference. The main conclusions from analysing the development process of value-added services are that this process in most cases is initiated by customer request and that development of value-added service can occur both in the beginning or during an ongoing relationship, though a lack of information about a customer’s business in the beginning of the relationship can hinder the TPL provider to develop value-added services. Apart from the TPL provider and the customer, firms such as IT companies, transport suppliers and other companies can be involved in the development process. No formal innovation process is applied for developing value-added services. The main driving force behind value-added services is meeting customer demands. Lack of proactiveness from the TPL provider’s side can be a barrier for developing value-added services, as well as problems with achieving successful organizational learning. The difficulty for the TPL firm to coordinate offering so many different services can be also seen as a barrier.

In this thesis 5 Swedish companies that use logistics service providers (LSPs: carriers, intermediaries and third party logistics providers) are interviewed to establish how Swedish LSPs fare in terms on coordination. More specifically, the research is focused on answering 3 questions: (1) what are users’ perceptions about their LSPs’ coordination, (2) what coordination behaviors are the LSPs most and least successful in, and (3) what factors are affecting LSPs’ coordination.