提高 第三方物流 服务 英文

How to Choose an Effective ThirdParty Logistics Providerby Seyed-Mahmoud AghazadehAbstractThe purpose of this article was to identify the steps that need to be takenwhen choosing an effective third party logistics provider. Based on the re-search completed, it was determined that third party logistics are beneficialto many companies. The use of third party logistics provides a competitiveadvantage in today’s business world. The optimal solution for a companychoosing a third party logistic provider would be a five-step process.IntroductionThe intention of the research is to identify the most effective ways of choosing a third party logistics (TPL) provider. Logistics management consists ofthree core functions: transportation management, inventory management,and value added services. Third party logistics is defined as when a thirdparty is brought in to help manage these functions. A TPL provider is an independent economic entity that creates value for its client. A trucking company, a warehouse operator, and a contract manufacturer can all beconsidered third parties. The TPL industry is constantly changing, althoughits existence is nothing new. The range of value propositions they offer today has changed dramatically in recent years. Global industry consolidation, technology integration, industry specialisation, and industry alliancenetworks have driven this change.TPL integrates expertise in transportation management, inventory management, and value added services. State of the art technology is a part ofeach of these functions. TPL create reliable distribution channels and thorough controls. TPL are highly efficient, and tap into highly specialised capabilities and functions that increase value for any company. TPL providewarehouse management, consolidate shipments, select carriers, provide logistics information systems and provide fleet management and operations.TPL also negotiate rates, manage product returns, help with product assembly and installation and provide order fulfilment, as well as replenish inventory. TPL have a significant impact on not only the past and present but alsothe future. TPL provide a wide range of benefits depending on the needs ofthe company. The advantages include lower costs, improved expertise, market knowledge, and data access. TPL also improves operational efficiency,customer service, provides an ability to focus on core business objectives,and provides greater flexibility. Today, more than ever it is essential for acompany to create a competitive advantage either locally or globally.A successful third party arrangement consists of good communication, acommitment from both parties to succeed, a reward structure for the thirdparty and a corporate chemistry. Corporate chemistry refers to two partiessharing common business beliefs and practices. Productive TPL requiresgood relationships between a company and its TPL providers. This relation-ship requires ongoing maintenance. A company can expect cost savings,productivity improvements, hassle free operation, and measurable serviceTPL can be implemented and useful in nearly every industry, whether it isretail, service, manufacturing, etc. It is also possible for a company to usemore than one TPL provider. TPL differs from industry to industry. Therefore, each industry has to look at its specific needs when choosing a TPLprovider. The focus of the present article is on identifying the steps involvedin choosing a good TPL provider, and these steps will be mostly related tothe retail and service industries. Every industry has its own unique needs andso it is important that the TPL provider is right for the particular company.This research shows that TPL can be very effective if the proper tools areused in implementing one.BackgroundLogistics is the process of strategically managing movement and storage ofmaterial or products and related information from any point in the manufacturing process through consumer fulfilment. Many articles and abstracts focus on how TPL are being used more often. TPL has become a more populartechnique for managing transportation, warehouse and inventory management. TPL are often seen as providers of the integrated supply chain, whichuses many value-added services to work with the customer. The market forTPL services is growing by18 to 22 per cent a year.TPL originally began as public warehousing during the 1970’s. Managersof warehouses began selling space to businesses in the area that had run outof space or were in need of additional space during the busy seasons. Duringthe 1980’s TPL expanded into selling not only space but also offeringthroughput to physical distribution managers who wanted to improve customer service with their current customers. By the 1990’s TPL saw the con-solidation of both warehousing and transportation organisations to offerlogistics support to logistics vice presidents who saw an opportunity to reduce costs and through value-added services provide higher levels of customer satisfaction via third party logistics (Tompkins 1999). There has alsoVolume 26 Number 7 2003 been another direction added to TPL in the 1990’s, which is a warehousemanagement system. Warehouse management systems are often in the formof order entry. Now as we move into the 21 century, we are seeing evenmore change in the service offering of TPL. Users continue to rely mostheavily on third parties for warehousing management (56 per cent), transportation services (49 per cent), and shipment consolidation (43 per cent).Use of TPL for these “traditional” logistics functions has remained relatively stable in recent years, but the use of third parties for a number ofmanufacturing related functions has generally declined Most TPL facilities have brought together materials handling equipmentand systems to be able to handle many operational goods such as highthroughput, picking efficiency, rapid order processing, efficient use ofspace and efficient processing of value-added services. The goal of TPLproviders is to customise operations to supplement their transport and warehousing services. TPL often uses the customised activities as entry into thedistribution channel. By operating warehouses and transportation systemsfor manufacturers, third party logistics have carved out a position in distribution channel operations (Van Hoek 2000). Customisation may be used toincrease turnover in a higher-margin area of the supply chain. By offeringsupplementary services, TPL can penetrate segments of the supply chainwith higher-value added operations, such as final manufacturing, than thecommonly offered transport and warehousing based services.There are many benefits to using TPL They offer expertise and cost advantages to the company. Some of the benefits include reduced need for personnel, reduced transportation and distribution cost, improved customerservice, improved cycle time and freed up capital in manufacturers and mar-keters non-core areas. TPL can leverage tremendous freight volumes in contract negotiations with carriers to receive rates lower than what an individualshipper could obtain (Cooke 1998). TPL is also able to put money into warehouses and equipment and spread those costs throughout a group of customers. This method can also be used when purchasing supply chain softwarethat is used for distribution operations. Another benefit of outsourcing isthat money is not spent on warehouse buildings, equipment like trucks andforklifts, and supply chain software.Many fortune 500 companies have now outsourced transportation, warehouse, and inventory management, fu nctions that are not part of their corecompetencies (Burnson 2000). Papa John’s pizza restaurants are one suchcompany that has chosen to outsource using UPS logistics group. UPS logistics manages the routing, scheduling and delivery of pizza ingredients fo rPapa John’s and its supply subsidiary. However, UPS also provides theservices of restocking the shelves, rotating the products and cleaning up af terwards. Papa John’s has been very successful with UPS logistics, theyhandle over 200,000 bulk deliveries per year. Deliveries are made six days aweek to PJ Food Service Quality Control Centres where twice weekly deliv-eries are made to more than 2,000 of the Papa John’s restaurants. Keepingtight on schedule is crucial because there is often only a three to four daysupply of fresh ingredients so Papa John’s c ounts on the twice a week deliveries.UPS logistics employees have many tasks that are completed for PapaJohn’s. The drivers, also known as “customer service specialists” or “associates” not only deliver the products but they have an understanding aboutthe products. The associates monitor the temperature of the pizza dough as itis being delivered. Eachassociate has a specific routine that has to be fol-lowed. The order must first be filled and the products are rotated for maximum freshness. After that the associate must clean up any mess, this may goas far as sweeping and mopping the floors. Also as a value added service andcustomer service programme UPS logistics conducts frequent surveys withthe managers of the restaurants, study the delivery network and provide suggestions for optimisation. By studying the delivery network UPS logistics isable to keep up with the changing volume of business. With UPS logisticscontinued high level of performance over-seeing supply delivery, they haveStep 1 - Making the DecisionFirst, the company needs to decide if they need a TPL. A team of individualsrepresenting all departments within a company should make the decision.This means manufacturing, sales, marketing, finance, quality control andcustomer.Step 2 - Developing Criteria and ObjectivesNext, the company needs to come up with the objectives it is trying toachieve and the criteria that the company believes the provider should meet.This can be done by discussing them with all of the different departments in volved in the decision making process. In addition, the company shouldmake a “Top 10 List” of TPL that most closely fit the company.Step 3 - The Weeding out ProcessAfter the company has made a list of possib le TPL company’s, letters of in terest should be sent to each one. The letter should include: that the companyis exploring a possible relationship with them, information about the company and the specifics of the logistics needs, and ask the TPL companies fora company profile and its capabilities. The TPL companies should respondwithin a month. If there is no response within a month, the company shouldfollow up with a phone call. Based on the response the company should beable to narrow the list down to a “Top 2 List” or “Top 3 List”.The company should prepare a request for proposal (RFP) to be sent to the“Top 2 List” or “Top 3 List”. The RFP is the most time-consuming of all thesteps. Some companies hire consulting firms to assist them in completingthe RFP. However, most companies complete the process themselves. TheRFP should include: a company profile, an organisational chart, customerinformation transportation requirements, project description, square footage, product flow, transactional information, and computer systems information. Other things that may be included are: company goals, priorities,order lead time, number of SKUs, handling specifications, peak shippingperiods, and any information that will familiarise the third party logisticswith the company.Step 4 - Determining Your Top ProspectNext, the company needs to meet the potential TPL companies. First, thecompany sets up appointments to meet management to do “walk-throughs”of their facilities, and learn al l about the TPL. Members of the decision making team should go together to the “site-vists”. Some questions thatshould be asked are: What are their customer service policies? Is the stafffriendly? Are they organised? Is the facility in good condition?To help make the relationship with the TPL successful here are severalkey areas:The TPL has similar value/objectives as the companyThe TPL has information technology systems that are up-to-dateThe TPL key management is trustworthy/not difficult to workwithThe company and the TPL have a mutual respect for one anotherBoth have a shared willingness to make the relationship workAfter considering everything, the decision-making team should knowenough about the TPL to decide which one is the best for the company.Then, notify all the TPL that participated in the selection process and thankthem. It is important that to leave with a positive perception of the companybecause the company may need the TPL in the future.Step 5 - Beginning the New PartnershipThe company beg ins a new partnership with the “Chosen TPL” just as in theselection process. Collect details, ask questions, and feel them out to ensurethat both companies are on the same level. Communicate on a regular basis,which includes internal, external, and customer communication.TPL ExampleRedwood Systems is a dynamicTPL provider and a fast-growing leader inthe emerging field of logistics management. It was incorporated in 1997.Redwood Systems is a full-service contract logistics company with 11 locations in North America. Redwood Systems “manages goods while at rest orin motion” through integrated supply chain transportation and inventorymanagement business processes. They are a single-source logistics solu-tion, which means they are one-stop solution for all your logistics requirements. Redwood Systems specialises in transportation services;technology-based solutions; analytical modelling and planning; contractwarehousing, inventory management and transportation; business processre-engineering and global multi-modal logistics.Their core competencies and areas of expertise are the centre of our Logistics capabilities: Transportation ManagementAccording to Redwood Systems, companies who use them should expectto save between 15 and 30 per cent of typical logistics costs. They will demonstrate and provide tangible, measurable results that impact your bottomline.Redwood Systems has business partners that bring value to the company.EXE Technologies is the leading provider of supply chain execution (SCE)software, featuring best-of-bread warehouse management systems (WMS).This company develops and markets Exceed, a multi-platform software solution, for retail, wholesale, manufacturing, packaged goods and third partylogistics applications. EXE has enhanced Redwood Systems applications.Their technology team is one of the most experienced in implanting and integrating EXE software suites. Exceed Software Suite is easily configuredand can run on multiple locations from one database. Features include:Graphical User Interface, Open Database Connectivity, Multiple DatabaseCompliant, Multiple SKUing, Multiple Application Program Interface, andSecurity.Technology brings state-of-art transportation management softwarethat promotes planning, collaboration and decision support to supply chainmanagers. Redwood Systems is a fully licensed provider of TradeMatrix,the Transportation Suite that is scalable and allows companies to manage multi-carrier relationships, create optimised transportation schedules foryour clients and permits companies to both see and control logistics pro-cesses. The i2 TradeMatrix Suite includes: Transportation Manager, Trans-portationModeller, Transportation Optimiser, Supply Chain Strategist, andGlobal Logistics Monitor.Consolidated Freightways Corporations (CFC) is a leading marketer ofpractical eBusiness tools and web-based applications that smooth and enhance our ability to collaborate, communicate and make sound business decisions. Since it is the parent company of Redwood Systems it gives them abacking of $2.3 billion corporation. CFC is a technology leader and givesConclusionChoosing the right TPL provider requires careful examination of what thecompany expects from a TPL provider. Then a company needs to find out ifthe provider has the ability to meet the company’s goals. Finally, means ofcommunication should be established between the TPL provider and thecompany that hires them. TPL providers can reduce freight costs andshorten order-cycle and delivery times for their customers. They also pro- vide the necessary systems capabilities, technical expertise and relatedskills to shippers. Companies using TPL can enjoy significant reductions inits activity-based costing structure while maintaining service performance.。