Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)

Societal, economic and ecological prosperity will be highly affected in the next decades due to socio-demographic developments and climate change. The design of more sustainable logistics business types can address such challenges to build more resilient supply chains. Therefore, the discussion with...

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Main Authors: Tim Gruchmann, Ani Melkonyan, Klaus Krumme
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-10-01
Series:Logistics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/2/4/25
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author Tim Gruchmann
Ani Melkonyan
Klaus Krumme
author_facet Tim Gruchmann
Ani Melkonyan
Klaus Krumme
author_sort Tim Gruchmann
collection DOAJ
description Societal, economic and ecological prosperity will be highly affected in the next decades due to socio-demographic developments and climate change. The design of more sustainable logistics business types can address such challenges to build more resilient supply chains. Therefore, the discussion with regard to transformational potentials of logistics businesses provides valuable information to shape business strategies according to future sustainability requirements. Within the framework of this paper, a mixed-methods approach has been applied to explore and analyze drivers and barriers for sustainability transformations of logistics service providers (LSPs) and to evaluate related business strategies with optimization and simulation methods in a concrete regional context. So far, LSPs’ main obstacles are competitive pressure, focal firm orientation, and dependence on other supply chain members, while supply chain collaboration and integration, as well as the integration of sharing economy solutions and new digital technologies, have been identified as promising for sustainability transitions. Accordingly, this paper suggests a roadmap for the logistics sector while defining retention strategies such as growth, replication, mimicry, and mergence to meet future societal and environmental requirements. By doing so, this study contributes to theory by constructing the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL) business model (arche)type and its role in societal transitions.
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spelling doaj.art-d0f0c6a97b704e0ca75ddb36e7bee9292022-12-22T00:02:47ZengMDPI AGLogistics2305-62902018-10-01242510.3390/logistics2040025logistics2040025Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)Tim Gruchmann0Ani Melkonyan1Klaus Krumme2Faculty of Management, Westcoast University of Applied Sciences, 25746 Heide, GermanyCentre for Logistics and Traffic, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, GermanyCentre for Logistics and Traffic, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, GermanySocietal, economic and ecological prosperity will be highly affected in the next decades due to socio-demographic developments and climate change. The design of more sustainable logistics business types can address such challenges to build more resilient supply chains. Therefore, the discussion with regard to transformational potentials of logistics businesses provides valuable information to shape business strategies according to future sustainability requirements. Within the framework of this paper, a mixed-methods approach has been applied to explore and analyze drivers and barriers for sustainability transformations of logistics service providers (LSPs) and to evaluate related business strategies with optimization and simulation methods in a concrete regional context. So far, LSPs’ main obstacles are competitive pressure, focal firm orientation, and dependence on other supply chain members, while supply chain collaboration and integration, as well as the integration of sharing economy solutions and new digital technologies, have been identified as promising for sustainability transitions. Accordingly, this paper suggests a roadmap for the logistics sector while defining retention strategies such as growth, replication, mimicry, and mergence to meet future societal and environmental requirements. By doing so, this study contributes to theory by constructing the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL) business model (arche)type and its role in societal transitions.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/2/4/25sustainable logisticssustainable supply chain managementstrategy developmentbusiness transformationbusiness model classification
spellingShingle Tim Gruchmann
Ani Melkonyan
Klaus Krumme
Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)
Logistics
sustainable logistics
sustainable supply chain management
strategy development
business transformation
business model classification
title Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)
title_full Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)
title_fullStr Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)
title_full_unstemmed Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)
title_short Logistics Business Transformation for Sustainability: Assessing the Role of the Lead Sustainability Service Provider (6PL)
title_sort logistics business transformation for sustainability assessing the role of the lead sustainability service provider 6pl
topic sustainable logistics
sustainable supply chain management
strategy development
business transformation
business model classification
url https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/2/4/25
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AT klauskrumme logisticsbusinesstransformationforsustainabilityassessingtheroleoftheleadsustainabilityserviceprovider6pl