The fourth question addressed the management view of logistics within the firm.
A single question asking the respondent to indicate whether s/he thought logistics was
viewed by their firm primarily as a cost center, a profit center, a service center, or
something different. Table III provides an analysis of those responses, segregated by the
type of business firm, manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or outsourced logistics service
provider.
While the table is relatively balanced, a chi-square analysis indicates that
distributors are more likely to view logistics as a profit center than do the other two
groups. As would be expected, logistics service providers view logistics as a profit or
service center.