A wolf in sheep's clothing of a blessing in disguise? Booking platforms as a disruptor and enabler in the Logistics Industry
report
This report addresses the key question of what is the impact of (booking) platforms on the freight forwarding industry. To answer this question, the research has explored the rise of platforms in logistics, the types of platforms that are relevant to the sector, the importance of added value services and the extent to which service providers can use them to distinguish themselves from the competition. Based on desk research, interviews with stakeholders, a survey, and three consecutive expert sessions, we have touched upon the essential roles and functions of a freight forwarder and have analysed if, how and to what extent these are distinctive from new digital forwarders entering the market. In our preliminary analysis, we explore a variety of platforms and owners of these platforms. This helps us to classify the various platforms and to explore their disruptive nature. We discuss how the rise of digital platforms triggers some freight forwarders to reinvent their value proposition, while other freight forwarders claim distinctiveness of their current value proposition. Important aspects of the value propositions under discussion are: (1) account management and customer intimacy; (2) the ability to handle exceptions effectively and efficiently; (3) the extent to which the management of hinterland complexity, customs complexity, and supply chain services at large are
scalable.
scalable.
Topics
TNO Identifier
952715
Publisher
TNO
Collation
44 p.
Place of publication
Den Haag