Fourth-party logistics
Encyclopedia
A Fourth-party logistics provider (abbreviated 4PL), lead logistics provider (abbreviated "LLP"), or 4th Party Logistics provider, is a consulting firm specialized in logistics
, transportation, and supply chain management
. Typical pure and neutral fourth-party logistics providers are SCMO, CPCS, BMT
, Deloitte, LOC, Capgemini
, 3t Europe, Morpheus, GL Noble Denton
, Brookes Bell, T&MC, Global Maritime, WSL Procurus Ltd, AMA - Andrew Moore & Associates, and Accenture
.
As the 4PL industry is still in its infancy and currently being created throughout the world (Blue Ocean Strategy
), its definition and function still leads to a lot of confusion, even for professionals of the transportation and supply chain management
industries.
in 1996. Accenture
described the 4PL as an "integrator that assembles the resources, capabilities, and technology of its own organization and other organizations to design, supply chain solutions".
The trademark was later abandoned, and the term has become a part of the public domain.
, it is important that this fourth-party logistics provider be non-asset based, as far as logistics, transportation, and supply chain management assets are concerned. 4PL use 2PLs
and/or 3PLs to supply service to customers, owning only computer systems and intellectual capital
.
A fourth-party logistics provider must also offer services considering a 360 degree view, which is not focused on its ability to implement the recommendations it gives, but on all the options available in the market.
(Warehouse Management System
s), which is objectively considering all the various WMS present in the market is a 4PL. It may obviously not represent any WMS
brand or any software company, otherwise the concept of neutrality is broken, and it leads to conflict of interest.
Similarly a non-asset based consulting firm specialized in logistics
, transportation, and supply chain management
may claim it is a 4PL. This is effectively the case if it does not own warehouse
s, logistics
platform
s, van
s, truck
s, ship
s, barge
s, planes
, a freight forwarder
, or a courier
company, otherwise it would lead to conflict of interest.
It has been sometimes argued that a 4PL is the same thing as a "non-asset based 3PL". This is not the case. Considering that probably 90% of the world's 3PL are "non-asset based", they nevertheless generate revenues & profits from their "non-asset based" activities. As such a 3PL cannot be a 4PL in the same time, as this would lead to conflict of interest. Indeed it would then have a tendency to recommend to customers its "non-asset based" operation as the best possible option.
, transportation, and supply chain management
such as SCMO, BMT Limited
, MVA Consulting, TTR, Intermodality, CPCS, and 3t-Europe, which offer complete ranges of services, from strategy to implementation.
Others are more generalist consulting firms such as the Big Four auditors
, respectively Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers
, Capgemini
, Ernst & Young
, and KPMG
, as well as Accenture
, Arup
, Atkins (company), Mott MacDonald
, Parsons Brinckerhoff
, and AECOM.
Other firms such as McKinsey & Company
, Bain & Company
, A.T. Kearney
, the Boston Consulting Group, and Booz & Company
, may also play the role of 4PL with a different value proposition, and are considered to be "pure strategy" firms only.
, and cannot be an operator. This is to respect the principle of neutrality.
A 3PL is an operator, which specializes in integrated operation, warehousing and transportation services. These services may be 100% outsourced, as in the case of "non-asset based 3PL". It is then a pure 3PL. It may also own part of its operations, such as warehouses, vans
, or truck
s. It then is both a 3PL and a 2PL
, but is usually still called a 3PL. It can also offer genuine supply chain consulting
services outside of its usual range of services. It is then both a 3PL and a 4PL, but is usually still called a 3PL.
It is important to differentiate 3PL, which actually deliver supply chain consulting
services outside of their usual range of integrated operations, from 3PL which use the term consulting
or 4PL abusively, as a marketing tool only. Some 3PL currently go as far as giving a title of consultant
to their sales people, who are only selling their classical 3PL services. These are clearly 3PL only.
In other cases, 2PL
logistics
operators, or 3PL with advanced logistics
and information technology
capabilities may call themselves 4PL, or a mix of 3PL/4PL. Their capabilities are so advanced in logistics
, wms
, and/or communication
that they effectively need to customize their operations for each new customer, which requires a lot intellectual capital, similar to the 4PL. Nevertheless, their ownership of logistics
assets contradicts the 4PL status, and leads to conflict of interest for real consultancy. They may be called "advanced logistics 2PL
/3PL" or "total logistics 2PL
/3PL".
services stabilize customers longer than the simple delivery of freight services.
While the list of "advanced logistics 3PL" ranges in the thousands, some of the most famous in the market are DHL
, Kuehne + Nagel, Schenker
, Panalpina
, UPS
, 4PL, Theodore Wille Intertrade (TWI), Rollins 3PL, WS Logistics, Procurus, JSI Logistics, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Nissin UK LTD,, SNCF Geodis
and Ceva Logistics,
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, transportation, and supply chain management
Supply chain management
Supply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
. Typical pure and neutral fourth-party logistics providers are SCMO, CPCS, BMT
BMT Limited
Established in 1985, BMT Group Ltd is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, science and technology consultancy offering a broad range of services, particularly in the defence, energy, environment, maritime transport, marine risk and insurance, shipping and general transportation sectors...
, Deloitte, LOC, Capgemini
Capgemini
Capgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...
, 3t Europe, Morpheus, GL Noble Denton
GL Noble Denton
-About GL Noble Denton:GL Noble Denton is the oil and gas business of Germanischer Lloyd , headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and London, UK...
, Brookes Bell, T&MC, Global Maritime, WSL Procurus Ltd, AMA - Andrew Moore & Associates, and Accenture
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
.
As the 4PL industry is still in its infancy and currently being created throughout the world (Blue Ocean Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy is a business strategy book first published in 2005 and written by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne of at INSEAD. The book illustrates what the authors believe is the high growth and profits an organization can generate by creating new demand in an uncontested market space, or...
), its definition and function still leads to a lot of confusion, even for professionals of the transportation and supply chain management
Supply chain management
Supply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
industries.
History
The term 4PL is generally considered to have been introduced by Audric Adger, which registered it as a trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
in 1996. Accenture
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
described the 4PL as an "integrator that assembles the resources, capabilities, and technology of its own organization and other organizations to design, supply chain solutions".
The trademark was later abandoned, and the term has become a part of the public domain.
Definition
A fourth-party logistics provider is an independent, singularly accountable, non-asset based integrator of a client's supply and demand chains.Conflict of interest
To avoid any conflict of interestConflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
, it is important that this fourth-party logistics provider be non-asset based, as far as logistics, transportation, and supply chain management assets are concerned. 4PL use 2PLs
Second-party logistics
A Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
and/or 3PLs to supply service to customers, owning only computer systems and intellectual capital
Intellectual capital
The value of an enterprise is made of physical assets, various financial assets and, finally, intangible assets, i.e., intellectual capital . The term intellectual capital conventionally refers to the difference in value between tangible assets and market value. ....
.
Confusion
Nowadays advisors, consultants, software companies and even 3PLs lay claim to being a 4PL. This is because any company advising a customer on logistics, transportation, and supply chain matters feels it may somehow claim to be a 4PL. This is effectively the case only when the principle of neutrality is respected, and that any conflict of interest is avoided.A fourth-party logistics provider must also offer services considering a 360 degree view, which is not focused on its ability to implement the recommendations it gives, but on all the options available in the market.
Principle of neutrality
As such an IT consulting firm specialized in WMSWarehouse management system
A warehouse management system, or WMS, is a key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, putaway and picking...
(Warehouse Management System
Warehouse management system
A warehouse management system, or WMS, is a key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, putaway and picking...
s), which is objectively considering all the various WMS present in the market is a 4PL. It may obviously not represent any WMS
Warehouse management system
A warehouse management system, or WMS, is a key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, putaway and picking...
brand or any software company, otherwise the concept of neutrality is broken, and it leads to conflict of interest.
Similarly a non-asset based consulting firm specialized in logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, transportation, and supply chain management
Supply chain management
Supply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
may claim it is a 4PL. This is effectively the case if it does not own warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
s, logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
platform
Platform
- Physical objects and features :* Diving platform, used in competitive diving* Jumping platform, naturally occurring platforms, or platforms made in an ad-hoc way for cliff jumping* Oil platform, a structure built for oil production...
s, van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
s, truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s, ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s, barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s, planes
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
, a freight forwarder
Freight forwarder
A freight forwarder, forwarder, or forwarding agent is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or other companies and may also act as a carrier...
, or a courier
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
company, otherwise it would lead to conflict of interest.
It has been sometimes argued that a 4PL is the same thing as a "non-asset based 3PL". This is not the case. Considering that probably 90% of the world's 3PL are "non-asset based", they nevertheless generate revenues & profits from their "non-asset based" activities. As such a 3PL cannot be a 4PL in the same time, as this would lead to conflict of interest. Indeed it would then have a tendency to recommend to customers its "non-asset based" operation as the best possible option.
Examples of 4PL
The best examples of fourth-part logistics providers are "non-asset based" consulting firms exclusively specialized in logisticsLogistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, transportation, and supply chain management
Supply chain management
Supply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
such as SCMO, BMT Limited
BMT Limited
Established in 1985, BMT Group Ltd is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, science and technology consultancy offering a broad range of services, particularly in the defence, energy, environment, maritime transport, marine risk and insurance, shipping and general transportation sectors...
, MVA Consulting, TTR, Intermodality, CPCS, and 3t-Europe, which offer complete ranges of services, from strategy to implementation.
Others are more generalist consulting firms such as the Big Four auditors
Big Four auditors
The Big Four are the four largest international professional services networks in accountancy and professional services, which handle the vast majority of audits for publicly traded companies as well as many private companies, creating an oligopoly in auditing large companies...
, respectively Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
, Capgemini
Capgemini
Capgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...
, Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
, and KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
, as well as Accenture
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
, Arup
Arup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
, Atkins (company), Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald
The Mott MacDonald Group is an employee-owned company management, engineering and development consultancy serving the public and private sectors world-wide...
, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas,...
, and AECOM.
Other firms such as McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...
, Bain & Company
Bain & Company
Bain & Company is a global management consulting firm headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Bain is considered one of the most prestigious consulting firms in the world, with 47 offices in 30 countries and over 5,500 professionals on staff globally...
, A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney is a global management consulting firm, focusing on strategic and operational CEO-agenda concerns. It was founded in 1926, and its head office is in Chicago, Illinois...
, the Boston Consulting Group, and Booz & Company
Booz & Company
Booz & Company is a global management consulting firm established in the United States in 1914. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the world and one of the best consulting firms to work for by Consulting Magazine...
, may also play the role of 4PL with a different value proposition, and are considered to be "pure strategy" firms only.
Overlapping
Are often calling themselves 4PL, advisors, or consultants:- freight forwarderFreight forwarderA freight forwarder, forwarder, or forwarding agent is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or other companies and may also act as a carrier...
s, who tell their customers they will advise them on the best possible solution (within the frame of their own operations), - warehouseWarehouseA warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
operatorsOperator (profession)An operator is a professional designation used in various industries, including broadcasting , computing, customer service, physics, and construction. Operators are day-to-day end users of systems, that may or may not be mission-critical, but are typically managed and maintained by technicians or...
and logisticsLogisticsLogistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
platformPlatform- Physical objects and features :* Diving platform, used in competitive diving* Jumping platform, naturally occurring platforms, or platforms made in an ad-hoc way for cliff jumping* Oil platform, a structure built for oil production...
operators, who tell their customers they will advise them on the best possible solution (within the frame of their own operations).
3PL vs. 4PL
A 4PL is a consultantConsultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
, and cannot be an operator. This is to respect the principle of neutrality.
A 3PL is an operator, which specializes in integrated operation, warehousing and transportation services. These services may be 100% outsourced, as in the case of "non-asset based 3PL". It is then a pure 3PL. It may also own part of its operations, such as warehouses, vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
, or truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s. It then is both a 3PL and a 2PL
Second-party logistics
A Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
, but is usually still called a 3PL. It can also offer genuine supply chain consulting
Supply chain consulting
Supply Chain Consulting is the management discipline of providing informed impartial advice to business enterprises in relation to improving the performance of the supply chains.Areas of review would include:* Sales and Operations Planning...
services outside of its usual range of services. It is then both a 3PL and a 4PL, but is usually still called a 3PL.
It is important to differentiate 3PL, which actually deliver supply chain consulting
Supply chain consulting
Supply Chain Consulting is the management discipline of providing informed impartial advice to business enterprises in relation to improving the performance of the supply chains.Areas of review would include:* Sales and Operations Planning...
services outside of their usual range of integrated operations, from 3PL which use the term consulting
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
or 4PL abusively, as a marketing tool only. Some 3PL currently go as far as giving a title of consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
to their sales people, who are only selling their classical 3PL services. These are clearly 3PL only.
In other cases, 2PL
Second-party logistics
A Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
operators, or 3PL with advanced logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
and information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
capabilities may call themselves 4PL, or a mix of 3PL/4PL. Their capabilities are so advanced in logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, wms
Warehouse management system
A warehouse management system, or WMS, is a key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, putaway and picking...
, and/or communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
that they effectively need to customize their operations for each new customer, which requires a lot intellectual capital, similar to the 4PL. Nevertheless, their ownership of logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
assets contradicts the 4PL status, and leads to conflict of interest for real consultancy. They may be called "advanced logistics 2PL
Second-party logistics
A Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
/3PL" or "total logistics 2PL
Second-party logistics
A Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
/3PL".
Example of "advanced logistics 3PL"
There are more and more such "advanced logistics 3PL" or "total logistics 3PL" on the market. It is mostly because logisticsLogistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
services stabilize customers longer than the simple delivery of freight services.
While the list of "advanced logistics 3PL" ranges in the thousands, some of the most famous in the market are DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
, Kuehne + Nagel, Schenker
Schenker AG
Schenker AG is a German logistics company and a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company. Within DB Logistics, the logistics branch of Deutsche Bahn, Schenker is responsible for land, sea, and air transport and contract logistics...
, Panalpina
Panalpina
Panalpina is a Swiss company, provider of forwarding and logistics services, specializing in intercontinental air and ocean freight and associated supply chain management solutions. It operates a network of some 500 branches in more than 90 countries; in a further 60 countries, the group cooperates...
, UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
, 4PL, Theodore Wille Intertrade (TWI), Rollins 3PL, WS Logistics, Procurus, JSI Logistics, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Nissin UK LTD,, SNCF Geodis
SNCF Geodis
SNCF Geodis is the division of SNCF responsible for freight transportation and logistics....
and Ceva Logistics,
Terminology
In the "PL" terminology, it is important to differentiate the 4PL from the:- 1PL, which are the shipper or the consigneeConsigneeIn a contract of carriage, the consignee is the person to whom the shipment is to be delivered to whether by land, sea or air.-A brief statement of law:...
, - 2PLSecond-party logisticsA Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
, which are actual carriersCommon carrierA common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
, - 3PL, which are one stop shops for the 1PL, such as freight forwarderFreight forwarderA freight forwarder, forwarder, or forwarding agent is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or other companies and may also act as a carrier...
s or courierCourierA courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
companies.
See also
- ArupArupArup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
- Ernst & YoungErnst & YoungErnst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
- Deloitte
- AccentureAccentureAccenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
- BMTBMT LimitedEstablished in 1985, BMT Group Ltd is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, science and technology consultancy offering a broad range of services, particularly in the defence, energy, environment, maritime transport, marine risk and insurance, shipping and general transportation sectors...
- CapgeminiCapgeminiCapgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...
- SCMO
- List of management consulting firms
- 1PL, First-party logisticsFirst-party logisticsA First-party logistics provider is a firm or an individual that needs to have cargo, freight, goods, produce or merchandise transported from a point A to a point B...
provider - 2PLSecond-party logisticsA Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
, Second-party logisticsSecond-party logisticsA Second-party logistics provider is an asset-based carrier, which actually owns the means of transportation.- Type of 2PL :Second-party logistics providers are:* shipping lines, which own, lease, or charter their ships,...
provider - 3PL, Third-party logistics provider
- 4PS, Fourth-party services provider
- Freight
- ShippingShippingShipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
- LogisticsLogisticsLogistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
- Consultants
- Transportation
- Supply chain consultingSupply chain consultingSupply Chain Consulting is the management discipline of providing informed impartial advice to business enterprises in relation to improving the performance of the supply chains.Areas of review would include:* Sales and Operations Planning...
- Management consultingManagement consultingManagement consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
- Supply chain managementSupply chain managementSupply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
- Freight quality partnershipsFreight Quality PartnershipsFreight Quality Partnerships or FQPs are groups of transport operators and local authorities that come together to tackle the issues around freight access and deliveries in a particular location . FQPs are regarded as best practice by the . Best practice is published by the Energy Savings Trust...