Logistics collaboration in vehicle manufacturing: case studies with a triadic perspective

This paper discusses logistics collaboration applied to a vehicle-manufacturing setting. We reach out to a larger segment of the supply chain by employing a novel unit of analysis, a logistics triad. The triad encompasses an Original Equipment Manufacturer, a Third-Party Logistics Service Provider, and first-tier suppliers. We use the framework known as Collaborative Transportation Management (CTM) to study collaborative transportation activities, focusing on the important relationship between logistics collaboration and logistics performance. Using a qualitative research orientation and a multi-case research strategy, we interviewed logistics practitioners in three countries to identify the enablers of CTM, the salient collaborative practices, and the performance outcomes. The study uncovers the extent to which CTM contributes to the operational and relational performance of the logistics triad. We provide empirical evidence of an ad hoc implementation of this notion. We propose avenues of intervention to preserve logistics collaboration and to enhance logistics performance.