Perceptions of service providers and customers of key success factors of third-party logistics relationships - an empirical study

This paper provides a comparison of third-party logistics (3PL) service providers and 3PL customers with respect to the perception of key success factors (KSFs) for building and fostering relationships. The KSFs and their related sub-factors were derived from the extant literature and modified to reflect the nature of 3PL arrangements. The relevant data were collected from separate, but consistent, mail surveys that were sent to 3PL service providers and 3PL customers. The results indicate statistically significant differences in the perception of critical success factors between 3PL service providers and 3PL customers. The results show that customers see a focus on service-based solutions as being an important feature of 3PL provision providing a set of benefits beyond mere cost control.