Recommendation 4: Ensure continuity of data availability
The assessment of logistics performance, both at national and company level, is heavily dependent on the availability of statistical data. One issue that surfaced throughout the research was the lack of continuity of data availability, presented in the form of static rather than dynamic (throughout several years) performance assessment studies. Moreover, extant research (BE-LOGIC, 2011) has shown that for a number of important indicators, such as load factors, operating cost, energy intensity and emissions intensity, very little information or no information at all is available at European or even national level. Other issues relate to the level of disaggregation of certain indicators for logistics / freight transport, e.g., BE LOGIC stated that in the case of energy intensity and emissions, the available data was not disaggregated at the level of freight transport (data was available for the entire transport sector but not for specific transport modes or terminals). It is therefore recommended to ensure continuity of data availability for the logistics performance indicators that will be selected to be included in the integrated logistics performance assessment frameworks for national and company level. More specific actions that could be undertaken in this direction include:
Incorporate in the EU-wide logistics performance assessment framework clear guidelines for collecting and reporting logistics and transport–related performance data. These guidelines should be developed in coordination and consensus with national authorities and organisations involved in logistics performance assessment. They should clarify the KPIs that should be reported by each Member State, the frequency with which they should be collected and the deadlines for reporting them.
Recommendation 5: Ensure continuous update of and timely access to national logistics performance data
Timeliness of statistical data on logistics performance is crucial for the development of policies (at European, national or regional level) and the formulation of business strategies (at company level). However, it is a common occurrence that such statistical data are not available in a timely and uniform manner. For example, there are differences in the starting and ending points of time series of freight transport performance indicators available in Eurostat; data on the same indicator may not be available for all member states; data for the previous year are not available until late in the current year. All these problems may affect negatively the ability of public and private decision-makers to formulate policies and strategies. It is therefore recommended to:
Develop an electronic repository of statistical data for logistics performance at national and sector (3PL) level that will consolidate the logistics performance indicators included in the EU-wide logistics performance scheme. This repository should be easily accessible (e.g., through Eurostat) and continuously updated;