Exploring new competences in the logistics industry: the intermediation role of 4PL

François Fulconis (), Laurence Saglietto () and Gilles Paché ()
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François Fulconis: CRET-LOG - Centre de Recherche sur le Transport et la Logistique - AMU - Aix Marseille Université, LBNC - Laboratoire Biens, Normes, Contrats - AU - Avignon Université, AU - Avignon Université
Laurence Saglietto: GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019), IAE Nice - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises - Nice - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur
Gilles Paché: CERAG - Centre d'études et de recherches appliquées à la gestion - UPMF - Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, AMU - Aix Marseille Université

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Abstract: Networking strategies continue to develop in most industries. They lead manufacturing and/or retailing firms to specialize in a few core competences and to become "brokers" who entrust external partners with peripheral activity management. This is one of the explanations for the rise of logistics service providers (LSPs), described in all modern textbooks dealing with supply chain management. Very recently, a new trend has emerged in Western countries: Some LSPs are becoming brokers, capable of organizing supply chain networks thanks to their perfect command of information systems. The LSPs called fourth-party logistics (4PL) have taken control of the intermediation function, positioning themselves at the heart of the networked economy. The use of the conceptual framework "transactional center" helps to better understand 4PL governance, and more generally the evolution of the logistics industry.

Keywords: Fourth-party logistics (4PL); Governance; Intermediation; Interorganizational information systems (IOS); Logistics service provider (LSP); Transactional center (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
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Published in Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal, 2006, Volume 7 (N° 2), pp. 68-77

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02304266

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