Contribution of third-party-logistics providers to export performance

Abstract

The main purpose of this research is to investigate how third-party-logistics providers contribute to export performance. We performed a qualitative research conducting in-depth interviews with different level managers and experts with careers in a varied range of industries. We investigated what third-party-logistics and its providers are, what the motives are for a partnership with such a provider and which obstacles there may arise in that cooperation. Finalising the empirical study we also researched the topic export performance and how such 3PL partners can contribute to it.

The summarized results of the in-depth interviews show us that an exporting company outsources activities that are not their core activity and where they do not have enough knowledge about. The three main outsourced activities to third-party-logistics providers are transportation, warehousing and legal regulation affairs. A 3PL partner manages all or a significant part of an organization's logistics requirements. All of our respondents agree that a partnership with a third-party-logistics provider contribute to a better export performance of its client company, and measures of export performance include perceived profitability, continuous export activity and export intensity (percentage of international sales). All the measures examined in this research were available in the literature, so we could make a comparison with what has been written in the existing literature.