Logistics Service Providers Research Articles

Consumer’s Adoption of Last Mile Logistics Innovation: A Systematic Literature Review

Last mile logistics refers to the final stage of the delivery process where products are transported from a distribution center to the end customer. In recent years, advancements in technology and changes in consumer behavior have led to an increased focus on last mile logistics. However, last mile logistics pose challenges due to its complexity and uncertainty affecting both the firms or logistics service providers and the customers. Studies focusing on achieving efficient last mile logistics have gained attention from scholars while research discussing factors affecting customer’s adoption on last mile logistics innovation remain scant. This conceptual paper aims to explore the factors that influence customer adoption of last mile logistics through a systematic literature review of selected 21 papers from reputable journals. The papers were analyzed and resulted in three broad categories of perspectives discussing factors considered by customers to adopt last mile logistics innovation. Future studies are recommended to address issues not covered in this study.

Contribution of Logistics Cooperation to Effective Disaster Relief Operations in Addressing Pandemics in Tanzania

The research aimed to identify the crucial aspects of humanitarian organizations that can improve the effectiveness of disaster relief operations. The study involved 150 participants from Tanzanian humanitarian organizations and used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including questionnaires and interviews. The researchers employed multiple regressions to examine the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The findings indicated that coordination among stakeholders and vertical logistics cooperation can enhance the effectiveness of disaster relief operations. The study concluded that the efficiency of humanitarian logistics is crucial for disaster relief operations and recommended that the government prioritize public-private partnerships, develop reliable infrastructure, and empower logistics service providers and humanitarian organizations. The study could guide policymakers in developing frameworks to improve cooperation among stakeholders and logistics systems in disaster relief operations. Additionally, it adds to the existing knowledge on stakeholder theory and strengthening the humanitarian logistics systems.

Managing disruptions and strategy development during Covid-19 pandemic: the perspective of third-party logistics service providers (3PLs)

ABSTRACT The Covid-19 pandemic forced many companies to alter and improve their logistics activities as part of their business logistics strategies, to obtain cost and service advantages. In this regard, to lessen the detrimental effects on the business environment, it is critical to develop different strategies according to the nature of the disruptions and uncertainties. This paper explores uncertainty sources confronted by third-party logistics service providers (3PLs), identifies disruptions, reveals the resources used to cope with these and develops strategies for the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing upon Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT), we reveal the important role of resource allocation in logistics and supply chains (SCs). This study proposes a conceptual framework that describes resources which can be used for strategy development in the face of uncertainties. In terms of managerial implications, this study extends knowledge in the field by providing insights enabling 3PLs to improve their capabilities and increase their performance.

Upcoming drone delivery services: A perceptions-based clustering of citizens in Lisbon

Drones are an emerging technology that promises numerous benefits for delivery services. As e-commerce evolves and citizens become more familiar with parcel delivery services to their homes, drone services could become an alternative for last-mile logistics service providers. However, the potential diffusion of drone services will also be influenced by the public opinion. This study addresses the issue of citizens' perceptions of drone delivery services and uses the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon as a case study. Data was collected though a survey and analysed using a clustering approach. Six citizen clusters were identified: the drone-service supporters, the concerned about the package, the concerned with legal aspects, the drone-service neutrals, the likely supporters, and the non-supporters. The clusters vary according to socio-economic characteristics and members’ current satisfaction with the home delivery services. Logistics stakeholders can use the results of this study to successfully introduce drones into their logistics systems and benefit from the added value to the public.

The Efficiency of the Logistics Global Supply Chain Activities and Analysis of Related Rules and Regulations

Purpose: This research paper aims to determine the factors affecting the efficiency and logistics performance index (LPI) of Vietnam's exports to foreign partners during 2018-2022 are due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical Framework: Based on the primary factors affecting the efficiency and performance of global supply chain activities in logistics for Vietnam's exports, including practical impact and logistics results of enterprises in Vietnam. Based on the primary factors affecting the efficiency and performance of global supply chain activities in logistics for Vietnam's exports, including (1). Customs efficiency (speed, simplicity and predictability of customs clearance procedures) (2). Quality of infrastructure related to trade and transport, including Roads, railways, ports, airports, warehouses and information technology ...(3). The level of ease when arranging to transport import and export goods with competitive prices (costs such as warehousing fees, port fees, tolls ... ) (4). Capacity and quality of logistics service providers ... (5). Ability to track and trace shipments. (6). Timeliness of the shipment to the destination within the specified time limit. The practical impact and logistics results of enterprises in Vietnam. Method: The panel approach allows the authors to explore the heterogeneity in data across countries. Fixed effects (FE) and random effects (RE) models were used to estimate the model. Then, the Hausman test is carried out to decide which model is appropriate. The data were collected from 240 observations from Vietnam and 80 major export partner countries of Vietnam. Findings: The research results show that the cost, time and capacity of providing logistics services have the most significant impact on Vietnam's exports. Practical & social implications: Overall, to increase the efficiency and logistics efficiency of enterprises. The Vietnamese Government needs to cooperate and propose ideas to partner countries to improve logistics activities for exports from Vietnam. Logistics is beginning to play an increasingly important role in the competitiveness of economies. Originality values: This study also confirms the sustainability of the extended gravity model using OLS and RE methods by substituting different variables for the country's logistics efficiency and solving the endogenous problem in the model while applying the regression method to industrial variables. We find that an 1% improvement in Vietnam's logistics would increase Vietnam's exports by 1.443%, and an 1% improvement in a partner country’s performance would help promote Vietnam's exports to this country by 0.546%.

Evaluation of container port sustainability using WASPAS technique using on type-2 neutrosophic fuzzy numbers

According to the common opinion in the literature, the sustainability of container ports is a tremendously complex topic owing to the maritime sector's excessively dynamic form and many highly complex, predictable and unpredictable uncertainties in this industry. The current paper proposes two powerful, practical, inspiring approaches to fill these gaps. It proposes a novel type-2 neutrosophic fuzzy numbers (T2NFNs) based Delphi method to determine the criteria logically and optimal and extends the WASPAS technique based on the T2NFNs for evaluating the alternatives. The current paper presents practical managerial implications that many stakeholders can consider, such as port authorities, ship owners, logistics service providers, governments, and local authorities, when making strategic and managerial decisions. In addition, the results of a comprehensive sensitivity analysis performed to test the robustness and applicability of the model approve the validity of the proposed T2NFN-based integrated approach.

LINKING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND DEMAND FOR HALAL LOGISTICS — EVIDENCE FROM BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

This study aims to investigate elements associated with consumer behavior towards the demand for halal logistics, namely concern about halal (COHA), knowledge of halal (KNHA), awareness of halal logistics (AWHL), and perceptions of halal logistics (PEHL). This research applied a quantitative methodology that gathered primary data from Muslim consumers residing in Brunei Darussalam. Data were collected using an online self-administrated survey questionnaire, and regression and correlation analyses were tested to investigate the proposed hypotheses. The result demonstrates that COHA, KNHA, AWHL, and PEHL constructs significantly influence demand for halal logistics (DEHL). All four elements show a medium to strong positive correlation with the dependent variable, inferring that the independent variables and the DEHL construct are closely related or associated — suggesting that an increase in the independent variables will increase DEHL and vice versa. This research does not fully represent the general consumers in Brunei markets as this research solely focuses on Muslims. Future research on non-Muslim consumers might be an option to give a bigger picture of the need for halal logistics in Brunei Darussalam. This study is beneficial to relevant stakeholders such as halal businesses, logistics service providers (LSP), policymakers, and consumers to reconsider the extent of halal logistics in not only safeguarding halal integrity across the logistics chain but also its significance in shaping continuous and viable demands in the pursuit of competitive advantage. This paper is among the first attempts to investigate Muslim consumer demand for halal logistics in Brunei, considering that past research focused heavily on Malaysian and Indonesian markets. This paper could contribute to future theoretical and empirical studies and suggest practical initiatives towards relevant stakeholders.

Ketahanan Industri Logistik dalam Keadaan Darurat Nasional

This research is conducted to comprehensively understand the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the Indonesian logistics service industry, which has created the economic downturn worldwide. The response and adaptation of the logistics service providers and the intervention and strategies needed to preserve the Indonesian logistics industry were observed. The adaptation plan was carried out in various sectors such as the business sector, information and communication technology, information and communication technology infrastructure, and organizational infrastructure. Using questionnaire to survey and doing an in-depth interview to 30 logistics service providers from associations and logistics business entities, it is found that most of the logistics service industry experience a decline in activities as the result of the movement restrictions. There is still a challenge; unpredictable span time of pandemic, despite the spontaneous adaptations made to maintain operations. Therefore, the role of policy makers in the industry is needed to propose various adaptation and intervention strategies to maintain the Indonesian logistics services industry.

통합물류 서비스 품질이 중국 소비자 고객 재이용의도에 미치는 영향

Purpose: This study proposes a consumer-relevant evaluation system for the quality of consolidation logistics services based on the four qualities of timeliness, dependability, economy, and convenience. It also investigates the relationship between these aspects and consumers' intentions to reuse in order to increase their intentions to reuse.
 Research design, data, and methodology: This paper collects the opinions of 514 customers of consolidation logistics services, and employs structural equation modeling to examine the influence of service quality on consumers' reuse intentions across four dimensions.
 Results: Consolidation logistics ser vice providers that demonstrate punctualit y, dependability, economical approaches, and convenience are better able to entice clients to employ their services regularly.
 Conclusions: Consolidation logistics service providers that demonstrate punctuality, dependability, economical approaches, and convenience are better able to entice clients to employ their services regularly.

Factors influencing the decision to outsource logistics services of SMEs in Vietnam

This study examines the factors influencing the decision to outsource logistics services of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Cronbach’s Alpha test, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze data collected from 204 Vietnamese SMEs in the export of agricultural products, seafood, and textile industries. The results show that the motivation to reduce costs and the characteristics of service providers have the most significant impact on these enterprises’ decisions to outsource logistics services. Moreover, outsourcing strategy also affects logistics outsourcing decisions. Based on the results, this study provides recommendations for logistics service providers to attract customers and advise SMEs on the decision-making process to outsource or operate logistics activities themselves.

Bridging the gap: Building environmental, social and governance capabilities in small and medium logistics companies

Nowadays, the popularity of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance measurement has dramatically increased, particularly to listed companies, for supporting various investment decisions. Companies with high ESG scores imply that their ongoing business development is recognised to be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. From the current ESG measurement practice, the measurement frameworks are built on rating schemes, such as KLD and ASSET4, so as to derive the ESG scores for listed companies. However, such existing measurement frameworks are difficult to be implemented in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with unstructured and non-standardised business data, especially in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) practice. In addition, it is inevitable for listed companies to work with SMEs, for example logistics service providers, but they need a systematic framework to source the responsible SMEs to maintain the ESG performance. To address the above industrial pain-points, this study proposes an ESG development prioritisation and performance measurement framework (ESG-DPPMF) by means of the Bayesian best-worst method enabling the group decision-making capability to prioritise the ESG development areas and formulate the performance measurement scheme. Through consolidating the opinions from logistics practitioners, it is found that fair labour practice, reverse logistics and human right in supply chains are the most essential areas to further enhance ESG capabilities in the logistics industry. In addition, the viability of the ESG performance measurement has been validated, and thus the sustainable and human-centric logistics practice can be developed to achieve business sustainability.

Joint optimization of parcel allocation and crowd routing for crowdsourced last-mile delivery

Urban last-mile delivery providers are facing more and more challenges with the explosive development of e-commerce. The advancement of smart mobile and communication technology in recent years has stimulated the development of a new business model of city logistics, referred to as crowdsourced delivery or crowd-shipping. In this paper, we investigate a form of crowdsourced last-mile delivery that utilizes the journeys of commuters/travelers (crowd-couriers) to deliver parcels from intermediate stations to customers. We consider a logistics service provider that jointly optimizes parcel allocation to intermediate stations and the delivery routing of the crowd-couriers. The joint optimization model gives rise to a new variant of the last-mile delivery problem. We propose a data-driven column generation algorithm to solve the problem based on a set-partitioning formulation. Additionally, a rolling-horizon approach is proposed to address large-scale instances. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to verify the efficiency of our model and solution approach, as well as the significance of the joint optimization of parcel allocation and the delivery route of the crowdsourced last-mile delivery. The results show that our data-driven column generation algorithm can obtain (near-)optimal solutions for up to 200 parcels in significantly less time than the exact algorithm. For larger instances, the combination of the data-driven column generation algorithm and the rolling-horizon approach can obtain good-quality solutions for up to 1000 parcels in 15 min. Moreover, compared with crowd-courier route optimization only, the joint optimization of parcel allocation and crowd-routing reduces the total cost by 32%.

Toward Greening City Logistics: A Systematic Review on Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility in Managing Urban Distribution Centers

Background: The ramifications of climate change are rampant: All stakeholders must act effectively and swiftly. Unsustainable and increased urbanization adds additional strain on combatting environmental degradation. Since the last decade, urban distribution centers (UDCs) have emerged in response to the steep rise in urban freight transportation and its negative impact on city congestion and air quality. Methods: In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive review of the performance of UDCs and investigate its alignment with the corporate governance (CG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, including the shareholders’ governance strategies and policies, as well as environmental, social, and economic measures. Our systematic literature review consists of multiple phases: In the first one, we utilize bibliometric tools to implement a quantitative analysis of the extant literature. Next, a cluster-based network analysis complements this analysis to describe the evolution of research in this area. Results: Our descriptive analysis categorizes existing research on UDCs based on CG- and CSR-compliant themes. We classify pertinent peer-reviewed articles into topical clusters and offer research opportunities related to improving the performance of UDCs. Conclusions: This study aims to stimulate further scholarly inquiry into sustainable city logistics and provides a knowledge-based guide for academicians and practitioners, logistics service providers, policymakers, and customers.

Research on Supply Chain Decision Making of Cold Chain Logistics Service Under Different Government Subsidy Policies

In the context of prioritizing environmental protection gradually becoming a general trend, how to achieve a balance between paying carbon tax and seeking government subsidies for cold chain logistics service supply chain members to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions of products will be an important decision faced by CCLSP. Based on the influence of the government's carbon tax on the cold chain logistics service supply chain, this paper analyzes the influence of different government subsidy policies on the carbon emission reduction decisions of cold chain logistics service providers (CCLSP), logistics information integrators (LSI) and the supply chain as a whole under the two scenarios of joint emission reduction and independent emission reduction. The effects of different subsidy methods and subsidy rates on carbon emission reduction, wholesale price, retail price and profit of CCLSP and LSI were explored, and the results were analyzed by numerical simulation. The results show that: in the case of joint emission reduction, emission reduction subsidy has a more positive impact on supply chain emission reduction and profit. In the case of independent emission reduction, both subsidy methods have a positive impact on the wholesale price, retail price and the profit of CCLSP and LSI. Which method is more effective needs to be selected according to the size of subsidy rate. To a certain extent, this paper provides opinions for the government to formulate a scientific and reasonable subsidy policy, which can provide a basis for CCLSP to reduce carbon emissions for inquiries.

Coordination Decision-Making for Intelligent Transformation of Logistics Services under Capital Constraint

The intelligent transformation of logistics plays a significant role in meeting the diverse needs of customers, improving operational efficiency, and reducing carbon emissions in logistics activities. Therefore, to achieve sustainable development, logistics enterprises need to face the decision-making problem of intelligent logistics transformation. In this paper, we construct a Stackelberg game model between a financially constrained logistics-service provider (LSP) and a well-funded logistics-service integrator (LSI) and discuss the impact of the wholesale price contract, the cost-sharing contract, the revenue-sharing contract, the two-part tariff contract, and the hybrid cost-sharing and revenue-sharing contract on the intelligence level of logistics services, the profits of supply-chain members, and the channel for logistics-service demand. We found that the cost-sharing contract and the revenue-sharing contract cannot achieve Pareto improvement in the profits of supply-chain members. In addition, the increase in bank-loan interest rates would seriously weaken the level of intelligence and market demand for the entire logistics service. However, when consumers do not have high requirements for the intelligence of logistics services, the two-part power–price contract can create a win–win situation for supply-chain members and increase market demand within a certain range; on the contrary, a hybrid contract of cost sharing and revenue sharing is the best choice. Moreover, in the process of contract design for the intelligent transformation of logistics services, it is necessary to pay attention to the influence of the price-sensitivity coefficient on decision-making.

Sustainable Urban Freight for Energy-Efficient Smart Cities—Systematic Literature Review

Smart cities need energy-efficient and low-emission transportation for people and goods. Most studies focus on sustainable urban-transportation systems for passengers. Freight transportation in cities has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to greenhouse gases emissions and negative externalities, such as traffic congestion. The purpose of this paper is to identify through a systematic literature review which innovations (hardware and software) applied by logistics service providers (LSPs) in sustainable urban freight (SUF) are suitable to support the transition to energy-efficient smart cities. We propose to classify the existing innovations in last-mile delivery for SUF into categories: (1) urban freight consolidation and/or trans-shipment; (2) the Consumer as a Service Provider (CaaSP); (3) choice of transportation modes. We introduce the concept of CaaSP as an innovative solution in last-mile delivery (LMD), where customers take over some transport operations with the use of smart technologies, and thus reduce the energy demand. We consider the modes of transportation, such as: drones, autonomous delivery robots, autonomous vehicles, cargo bikes (including e-cargo bikes, e-tricycles), electric vehicles (mainly vans), and combined passenger-and-cargo transportation rapid-transit systems. From the analyzed dataset, we find that energy-efficiency in smart cities can be improved by the consolidation of parcels in micro-depots, parcel lockers, and mobile depots. We analyze smart technologies (the Internet of things, big data, artificial intelligence, and digital twins), which enable energy efficiency by reducing the energy demand (fuel) of SUF, due to better operational planning and infrastructure sharing by logistics service providers. We propose a new IEE matrix as an actionable tool for the classification of innovations applied by LSPs in SUF, according to the level of their interconnectivity and energy efficiency. Additionally, this paper contributes to the theory by exploring possible future research directions for SUF in energy-efficient smart cities.

Sustainability of Supply Chain Performance Through Inventory and Collaboration Management: A Case of Transportation Fuel Companies in Harare, Zimbabwe

The study was based on the theory of constraints which acknowledges that bottlenecks are systemic, unavoidable, and affect the performance of the organisational supply chain processes. In the study, poor inventory and collaboration management were identified as bottlenecks in the transportation fuel retail sector. Thus, identifying the indicators of poor fuel supply chain performance can assist the industry in achieving a sustainable performance. In the descriptive design, the researchers distributed objective questionnaires among fuel industry supply chain staff whose roles include inventory and collaboration management decisions which are strategic to supply chain performance. The respondents gave their views on the effect of selected inventory and collaboration management indicators on supply chain performance. The analysed results indicate that there is a positive relationship between both inventory and collaboration management and the fuel supply chain performance. These findings led to the conclusion that, achieving supply chain performance goals of profitability, customer satisfaction, internal process effectiveness and company growth requires management to implement inventory and collaboration management strategies. Therefore, fuel industry supply chain stakeholders including government, fuel companies, fuel suppliers, customers and third party logistics service providers need to cooperate and work together to pull the struggling fuel industry from the doldrums.

Quality management and sustainability in logistics service providers: case study in brazilian company

Logistics operators have become important agents in supply chains, due to the current trend of outsourcing logistical activities by companies. In this way, the level of quality of the services provided is an important aspect for the competitiveness of companies. In addition, the sustainability aspect has become relevant, given the environmental impact caused by logistics activities. Studies have shown that there are points of convergence between quality management approaches and sustainable practices. The objective of this work was to analyze aspects of quality management and sustainability in Brazilian logistics operators, from the perspective of the company contracting these services. To this end, a case study was conducted at a large company that outsources its logistics activities. The five main logistics operators providing services to the company were considered. The analysis was carried out on the basis of a model that integrates sustainability and quality management criteria. Quality assets, processes and dimensions were considered. It was found that the contracted logistics operators have a wide portfolio of services offered, quality assets and well-defined processes. However, sustainability practices are still in their infancy.

Transformation into 4PL: The case of local logistics service providers in Vietnam

For a few decades, a new model of logistics service providers (LSP) has appeared and played the role of integrating all operations of the supply chain. This model is known as a logistics integrator, or fourth party logistics (4PL). 4PL has emerged as an ideal configuration for enterprises around the world to effectively utilize their resources and obtain cost reduction across the supply chain. With increasing competition among enterprises, customers’ requirements for complicated services, and global supply chain management, the limitations of inbound services from LSPs have become obstacles to their development. As a result, transformation into 4PL is inevitable for LSPs in the global logistics market. This paper aims to analyze the role, characteristics, and benefits of 4PL. A model for transformation into 4PL for local LSPs in Vietnam is constructed to identify impacting factors. The results point out six factors influencing the transformation process, as well as three important capabilities of 4PL.

An Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search heuristic for last-mile deliveries under stochastic customer availability and multiple visits

Attended Home Delivery, where customer attendance at home is required, is an essential last-mile delivery challenge, e.g., for valuable, perishable, or oversized items. Logistics service providers are often faced no-show customers. In this paper, we consider the delivery problem in which customers can be revisited on the same day by a courier in the case of a failed first delivery attempt. Specifically, customer presence uncertainty is considered in a two-stage stochastic program, where penalties are introduced as recourse actions for failed deliveries. We build on the notion of a customer availability profile defined as a profile containing historical time-varying probability information of successful deliveries. We tackle this stochastic program by developing an efficient parallelized Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search algorithm. Our results show that by achieving a right balance between increasing the hit rate and reducing travel cost, logistics service providers can realize costs savings as high as 32% if they plan for second visits on the same day.