Logistics service providers

Characteristics and particularities
Industry insight

The logistics services industry has become one of the world's strongest sectors. Freight carriers have evolved into international third-party logistics providers. Their products now include complex transport and line-side presentation networks, as well as comprehensive logistics assignments within the framework of contract logistics for the areas of scheduling, warehousing, order picking and shipping. As an increasing cost factor within the supply chain, logistics service providers are exposed to particular pressure to improve process efficiency and provide customized solutions. Infrastructural frameworks, transport bottlenecks and a rise in environmental awareness throughout society are influencing the industry more and more.

Challenges to
ensure competitiveness

Specific framework conditions and special challenges that are characteristic of the logistics service provider industry:

  • Globalisation of transport chains
  • Management of multimodal transport concepts (road, rail, ship, aircraft)
  • Green logistics, minimisation of the carbon footprint in transport and warehouse logistics
  • Permanent cost and performance optimisation to compensate for rising HR and transport costs
  • Transport planning and freight cost management
  • Provision of company-owned or leased properties
  • Lean logistics methods for self-optimisation (e.g. in regard to increasing productivity and reducing throughput times in contract logistics) and to support customer processes
  • Efficient supply chain management processes, supported by suitable IT tools in the areas of transport management (TMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS)
  • Multifaceted, customer-oriented services, e.g. operator models with division of labour
  • Increase in assembly and value added services within the framework of contract logistics
  • Strong growth in the areas of warehouse logistics and transport is plagued by regional HR bottlenecks
  • 4PL providers are accepting increasing responsibility for the transport networks

ebp-consulting
Selected consulting focuses

  • Introduction of supply chain management strategies and processes
  • Support during tender procedures and bidding processes
  • Optimisation and simulation of transport networks
  • Design of multimodal transport routes
  • Route optimisation and planning
  • Transport and inventory optimisation using big data analytics tools
  • Planning of manual (man-to-goods principle), semiautomatic or highly automatic warehouses (high-bay warehouses, small parts warehouses, shuttle warehouses)
  • Warehouse and logistics optimisation
  • Outsourcing models for logistics
  • IT applications for warehouse, shipping and transport processes, especially WM systems such as SAP-EWM and SAP-TM
  • Business development and coaching of small to medium-sized logistics services providers
  • Start-up support within the framework of new services contracts
  • Interim management in contract logistics

Project examples
Customer benefits through industry expertise

A selection from our extensive range of products.