For the food industry, the depletion of arable land and a growing world population demand controlling the sustainability of agricultural inputs to the industry. Controlling the sustainability of these supplies means controlling the economic, social, and environmental performance of the supply chain. In practice, little is known about how companies can efficiently extend their existing supply ch…
The purpose of this paper is to propose a tool, the Agile Supply Chain Transformation Matrix (ASCTM), and the implementation methodology for a systematic approach to achieve agility in the supplier-buyer supply chain.
ISO 9000 standards for quality system management are involving a higher and higher number of enterprises and organizations. This paper presents a detailed analysis of certification diffusion in Italy and in some European countries with similar economic structures. Benchmarking and evolution forecasts are based on the “logistic model”, traditionally used for studying biological growth phenom…
The objective of this paper is to propose a model for assessing the quality of service at various interfaces of supply chain using third party logistics.
The purpose of this paper is to widen the knowledge base on supply chain learning by exploring and explaining how an enterprise can compete and win in the international market by integrating quality management practices along its supply chain and, above all, by becoming the coordinator in a supply chain learning (SCL) network.
The purpose of this paper is to widen the knowledge base on supply chain learning by exploring and explaining how an enterprise can compete and win in the international market by integrating quality management practices along its supply chain and, above all, by becoming the coordinator in a supply chain learning (SCL) network.
The purpose of this paper is to review the total quality management (TQM) philosophy and the quality management principles (QMPs) in facilities management (FM), and presents the findings of a recent FM study at the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT).
Mobile monitoring is a strategy to characterize spatially and temporally variable air pollution in areas near sources. EPA's Geospatial Measurement of Air Pollution (GMAP) vehicle e an all-electric vehicle is outfitted with a number of measurement devices to record real-time concentrations of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants e was used to map air pollution levels near the Port of Charl…
Tramp shipping constitutes a prominent segment of the shipping market. As customers increasingly seek value from service providers for low price but yet high quality services, there is a pressing need to understand critically what construe the service quality for the tramp sector. In this respect, however, no prior research has been conducted for this market segment. This study recognises the g…
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived service quality influences both a shipper’s satisfaction and subsequent loyalty in third-party logistics outsourcing relationships.
The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of a shipper’s dilemma as a customer. Shippers desire both lower costs and good service levels, and this dilemma may lead in the long run to a trade-off consideration between staying loyal to existing service providers and seeking cost reductions from competing providers.
Purpose – The objective of the study is to examine the extent to which quality management practices, tools and methods are employed and adopted in Australian companies. Design/methodology/approach – To address the aim of the study, a survey instrument was developed and data were collected from a field research on a sample of manufacturing, retail, and logistics companies. Findings – T…
This article shows the use of benchmarking for the spare parts logistics in the German mechanical industry (investment goods or capital goods). After pointing out the areas of benchmarking application, the use of total function deployment (TFD) for the evaluation of benchmarking metrics is explained. With TFD customer requirements on spare parts supply and the process structure of spare parts l…
Total quality management (TQM) and technology are fast becoming essential features of business strategy for the success of many leading organizations in the world. More and more companies are using technology and adapting TQM for sustaining competitiveness in the marketplace. TQM works well for internal integration of logistics companies and they can benefit from the use of technology, includin…
In logistics strategy, it is now being recognized that revenue generation is as important as cost reduction. Although it has long been known that logistics customer service has a positive effect on customer satisfaction, little research has been conducted to determine precisely the degree to which logistics customer service affects sales and generates the revenues for the firm. The purpose of t…
The purpose of this paper is to implement a multi-criteria preference disaggregation approach to measure logistics service quality (LSQ) of manufacturing companies’ supply chains.
The paper studies the relations between logistics of international express shipments and air traffic analysing the basic characteristics of international express shipments that are carried by combined transport, usually road vehicles and aircraft. The paper indicates the possibility of optimising individual technological processes in the logistic chain of express shipments distribution. It anal…
A “world class” organization must provide high levels of logistics service quality to customers. Knowledge of customer expectations and an understanding of the firm's performance on logistics service attributes relative to competitors are vital to achieving service excellence. Research studies in four industries identify the most important logistics service attributes in business‐to‐bus…
The first purpose of this paper is to define the relevant types of logistics quality deficiencies (LQDs) in the dyadic order fulfillment process. The second purpose is to find the variables for measuring the different types of LQDs.
Logistics has become an essential service for synchronous companies. Many companies have recognized the potential benefits gained through a high quality system of logistics services, which are provided either internally or externally by a third party logistics company (3PL). The 3PL is positioned between the company and its customers, in a new-shaped logistics triad, having a crucial role in ha…
The purpose of this paper is to test the moderating effects of technological and demand uncertainties on the relationship between supply chain integration and customer delivery performance.
This paper aims to assess the quality of the case study based research approach as documented in articles published during the past 13 years, based on a synthesis of indicators for the quality criteria truth-value, transferability, and traceability.
How can a third-party logistics (3PL) provider decide whether or not there is a viable opportunity to serve the needs and desires of potential clients? To answer this question, a tool is needed that can help determine if there are problems, inefficiencies, or needed improvements in a client’s, or a potential client’s, supply chain that the 3PL can effectively address. Most diagnostic tools …
The importance of the logistics function has increased dramatically at many firms as comparative priorities have shifted from production quality to delivery and flexibility. At the same time, however, there have been few comprehensive studies on the implementation of TQM practices in the logistics function. This paper examines the implementation of quality management practices in the logistics …
The purpose of this paper is to assist ocean container carriers in their service quality improvement strategies to ensure breakthrough performance in India.
Identifies and assesses the key determinants of service quality and determines the quality of service offered by two ports in Nigeria using the SERVQUAL model. The main service attributes that are important to port users are determined. Relevant literature is reviewed to give relevance to the survey. Data for the study was collected via a well-structured questionnaire, analysed, and perception-…
The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of implementing management system standards among ISO (and other) certified companies in the Pearl River Delta and its effect on the perceived benefits.
We propose a mathematical model to minimize the overall response time consisting of the current ship incident and future potential incident that might occur at some other site in the sea. Considering the uncertainties in both objective function and constraints, a two stage stochastic programming model having chance constraints for the number of rescue ships to be required at the potential incid…
For seaports to be competitive and sustainable in the long-term in a turbulent and hyper-competitive market, a re-examination of success factors, organizational structures, and management practices is required. As seaports have continued to evolve and become further integrated and embedded in their supply chains, the issue of ensuring quality management practices becomes of greater interest. T…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare perceptions of retail logistics service quality among Romanian and Tunisian customers, and determine which dimensions of logistics service quality have the greatest influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from two convenience samples of hyper…
Traditional retailers still insist on using price, product, and promotion as sources of competitive advantage.This emphasis typically ignores the potential of in-store logistics operations in the creation of customer value. A major objective of retail customers is to navigate the retail servicescape in an efficient, convenient, enjoyable and effective manner. In-store logistics operations large…
The purpose of this paper is to examine why employee-level customer orientation (CO) influences the customer experience in a service setting.
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to test whether price and quality have any influence on customer repeat purchase probability. Managers should know the strategic determinants of repeat purchase probability to retain customers.
The importance of the logistics function has increased dramatically at many firms as competitive priorities have shifted from cost and product quality to delivery and flexibility. At the same time, however, there have been few comprehensive studies of the implementation of TQM practices in logistics. This paper examines the application of quality management practices in the logistics functi…
To analyse logistical innovations from 1984 to 2003.
The majority of logistics research is primarily populated by quantitative research viewed through a positivist lens. Increasingly, there are calls for logistics research to more frequently employ qualitative methodologies. The trend in management research generally is increasingly to use methods and approaches which provide a middle ground between the contrasting positivist and phenomenological…
Under the rapidly changing environment of the international economy, the shipping industry has been suffering from severe survival competition. Thus, this study attempted to identify the construct of the shipping service quality and measure it by expanding the research model of the logistics service quality into the shipping industry in order to conceptualize shipping services and to develop th…
The purpose of this paper is to construct a realistic best practice benchmark and develop a methodology for comparison of individual suppliers of marine bunker fuel. As is well-known in this trade, unfair business behaviors in the bunker fuel market are not uncommon, resulting in financial losses for the buyers
The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study on endorsing process improvement in maritime operations by implementing design of experiments on Lean Six Sigma performance responses. It is demonstrated how process efficiency and environmental muda may be dealt with simultaneously in a lean-and-green project driven by hardcore Six Sigma tools
This study aims to demonstrate a service quality improvement project implemented by the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology to achieve dramatic improvements with respect to service quality and speed in the refund process of the logistics center in Amway Company, Taiwan. It describes in detail how the LSS methodology was applied and how various qualitative and quantitative tools and techniques with…
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost of improving service to a motor carrier in the intermodal market. The paper further seeks to validate the existence of two dimensions of service with differing impacts on costs. The physical capacity dimension is related to the traditional view that higher quality costs more and the human performance dimension is related to the production man…
Over the last two decades, Japanese products have challenged Western ones, not only in terms of cost but also on quality, reliability and delivery. This has meant that meeting customer needs on time has now entered the competitive equation. Hence, in the 1990s, time to market (TTM) has become a focal point in achieving competitive advantage in the marketplace. Presents an overview of TTM and …
Examines the interorganizational alliance of a buyer and supplier with the expressed objective of improving the quality of existing purchased parts. Supplier quality can be improved through the implementation of various programmes such as statistical process control (SPC). Supplier quality improvement is viewed as two‐dimensional; there may be improvement owing to the modification of product …
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate scales to measure and benchmark service quality (SQ) in tourism industry.
Contrasts generic concepts and roles of intra‐organisational performance measurement with concepts of supplier performance measurement. Presents indications from a study of five vehicle manufacturers in Europe with regards to their practices of supplier evaluation in the area of logistics. Based on a categorisation of functions of intra‐organisational performance measurement develops a conc…
Supply chain management (SCM) is conceived by academics and practitioners as either an extension of logistics or an all-encompassing approach to business integration. From the authors' point of view, SCM involves not only logistic activities but also other processes such as quality management. This paper seeks to understand how quality can be managed using a supply chain perspective and what th…
Presents a comparison of the findings of three studies conducted in North America/ Europe and Australia which investigated the adoption of quality management practices in the logistics function. Focuses on the extent to which quality practices are adopted, how quality in logistics is defined and administered, impediments to implementation, measurement of quality improvements, measuring customer…
The paper highlights some problems relevant to the quality measurements in logistic services. “Traditional” logistic indicators are compared with the service dimensions defined in the Parasuraman‐Zeithaml‐Berry model. Furthermore, the problem of service indicators aging is analyzed and discussed. In order to enhance readers’ ability to contribute to the development in the field, the a…
The provision of port services is an important link in international logistics. Historically, ports have constituted a bottleneck in maritime transport. Moreover, the quality of port services has been compromised by the complex internal port organisation and the considerable number of bodies that participate in the transfer of goods between ships and inland transport vehicles. The efficiency of…