analyses existing measures to assess logistics performance at national level;
analyses existing measures to assess logistics performance at company level;
provides concrete proposals for developing and improving performance measurement in logistics.
5.2 Analytical framework
Much of the literature and research includes several approaches for analysing the external environment of the freight transport/logistics system. For example, the approach developed within the framework of the SUMMA project (SUMMA, 2005) identifies that the interactions of the transport system with the economic and social systems affect its characteristics in terms of demand and supply of freight transport services and output of the transport system with regard to modal choices and traffic streams. Another approach, developed in the BE LOGIC project (BE LOGIC, 2009) suggests that drivers of the external environment affect the characteristics and trends related to the structure, organisation and management of supply chains which in turn have an impact on the characteristics and performance of the freight transport system. While the two approaches identified above are focused on freight transport system performance, the scope of the analysis can be extended to assess and analyse the impact of the external environment on logistics performance. Such extended approach is briefly described below.
The broader external environment comprises multiple, policy goals and directions, evolving economic trends and practices, social and cultural forces, technological advancements, legal and environmental considerations. These drivers affect the development and spatial organisation of the production and consumption of goods and services which in turn influence the demand and supply trends for logistics services, and the performance of the logistics sector (adapted from BE LOGIC, 2009). Demand trends refer to the evolution of demand characteristics for logistics services such as quantities transported, distances over which transportation/distribution takes place, size of shipments, inventory levels, demand for external (third-party) logistics services, demand for different types of 3PL services or demand for value-added services (e.g., aftermarket). Supply trends refer to the evolution of supply characteristics of logistics services, including vehicle characteristics, service provision (e.g., number of 3PL service providers), infrastructure characteristics (e.g., development of transport corridor and terminal infrastructure, development of infrastructure for cargo handling, size/area and location of warehouse/storage facilities).
The analytical framework (adapted from BE LOGIC; 2009) for examining the impact of the external environment on the characteristics of the logistics system is explained in Chapter 3.2.
5.3 Analysis of Logistics Performance Measurement at national level
Currently used approaches to assess logistics performance at national level were reviewed, in particular on EU-country level, but also examples for the USA and China were analysed.
It can be seen that within these approaches the context of “national level” is used in different ways:
Performance measurement of the logistic sector of a country compared with previous periods (single-country);
Benchmarking of logistic performance of different sectors within a country and different periods;