5. Conclusions
While the fundamentals of logistics service are frequently
addressed, understanding the application of logistics service
strategies in a global context is still in the early stages of
development. It is the role of future research to continue to
investigate the influence of LSQ in a global context,
particularly addressing the research propositions presented
in this article and in Fig. 1.
Logistics services across national boundaries are particularly
complex not only due to enhanced distance and costs constraints, but also due to cultural and organizational
conditions that influence the utility of specific service
offerings among customers. For these reasons, managers
attempting to develop profitable global logistics strategies
should accurately identify segments based on the business
customers’ revealed preferences for different logistics service
configurations. This approach to market segmentation
assists in the identification of market segments across
nations and regions, whereby logistics service offerings
may be customized to customer preferences for specific
service attributes.
Global market segmentation strategies founded on customers’
preferences for logistics services provide several
benefits of the organization. First, costs can be reduced by
avoiding redundant or superfluous logistics service offerings
through the customization of logistics offerings for specific
segments. Second, this same customization of logistics
models enhances firm revenue through increased customer
satisfaction levels, which in turn increase lifetime customer
value to the firm. Third, firms can benchmark externally
(relative performance compared to industry averages) and
internally (performance increases or decreases within the
firm over time) on specific components of logistics services.
To benefit from these outcomes, however, global logistics
providers must understand how customer preferences differ
across LSQ elements, how these elements influence satisfaction
levels, and how these relationships are moderated by
cultural and organizational differences.
As competition in the multinational environment continues
to rise, emphasis on competitive service offerings as a
differentiator between products will also increase. This is a
critical point for companies that market manufactured goods
with ancillary pre- and postpurchase services (Hensler &
Brunell, 1993; Bolton & Myers, 2003). Proper configuration
of these service offerings demands the identification of
distinct market segments. From the logistics perspective, a
world once characterized by distinct boundaries is transitioning
to a series of linked global markets as a result of
homogenized customer needs and the recognition by firms
of the advantage of a global presence (Day & Montgomery,
1999). Competitive organizations will develop logistics
service strategies to address an evolving global marketplace
and customize logistics offerings to reach customer segments—
vertical, horizontal, and global.