Discusses the results of a survey among shippers in several European countries involved in outsourcing their transport, warehousing and other logistics activities. The survey, which is a joint initiative of the universities of Cranfield, Eindhoven, Linko È ping and Rotterdam (Erasmus) and of ManDat GmbH, is a sequel to a similar survey carried out five years ago and has led to a renewed insight into the characteristics of logistics partnerships, the key success factors for making partnerships work, the concerns that shippers have about outsourcing and the benefits they expect to receive from it. The survey has led to two major observations: first, that the scope and level of sophistication of the partnerships has increased over the last five years, be it very gradually, and second, that the perception of outsourcing by shippers has not changed over the last five years.

In this article, the authors describe the results of a study on strategies of third‐party logistics (TPL) providers. The size of the TPL industry and the different requirements placed on logistics as opposed to basic services, such as transportation or public warehousing, justify the need to treat TPL as a separate industry. The authors describe three waves of entrants into the TPL industry and a taxonomy for value creation by logistics providers. Empirical findings for a strategic segmentation of the industry are presented. The strategic segmentation is connected to the waves of entrants and the taxonomy by an evaluation of required skills of TPL players. The TPL industry will soon reach an initial stage of maturity, but further changes are to be expected.

No abstract

The field of human factors and ergonomics constitutes a strong potential in systems analysis, design and improvement. However, it is difficult to communicate its potential value. This paper addresses how the human-technology-organization (HTO) concept can be defined and supports the understanding, communication and development of the systems' character and potential of human factors and ergonomics. Empirical examples from the authors' experiences of working with the HTO concept in R&D and teaching are illustrated, including its usefulness as: 1) a conceptual model; 2) an analysis framework; 3) a meta methodology; 4) a pedagogical tool; and 5) a design tool. The use of HTO provides guidance on how the system can be designed to better support health, individual and systems performance. It is further suggested that there is a strong potential for developing the theory, applications and methodological aspects of HTO.