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The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of cooperative purchasing on buyers’ purchasing power. Purchasing in the humanitarian sector has traditionally been characterized by a low level of coordination due to inter-agency competition for funding, diverging mandates and other organizational differences. Relationships with commercial suppliers have also remained arm's-length and often dormant due to high levels of uncertainty and strict public procurement rules and regulations. However, recent pushes for increased efficiency and effectiveness are driving humanitarian agencies toward cooperative purchasing – a purchasing strategy that is claimed to be highly beneficial for members of the purchasing consortium not least for its ability to increase buyers’ purchasing power. In reality, the effectiveness of the strategy in increasing purchasing power is unclear.

The authors study a single case of several humanitarian organizations aiming to increase their leverage in buying freight forwarding services by joining forces.

Following several incidents during the process, the cooperative purchasing initiative did not contribute to increased power in the case. It was found that in addition to increased volumes, the effect of the strategy on other sources of power such as interconnections is also of importance.

The research is limited to the boundaries of a single case study including the perceptive view of respondents interviewed.

The findings of the study provide insights for organizations aiming to practice cooperative purchasing.

The findings of the study provide insights for organizations aiming to practice cooperative purchasing.

Reports on an investigation of the buying behaviour of air freight forwarders and tests the validity of one particular model of buying behaviour. The dominant buyclass in freight forwarding is seen to be a modified rebuy and the model is seen to be appropriate. The significance of service rather than price is again noted as a factor for business exploitation.

Growth strategies, marketing strategy, resources-based value theory, alliance network model, logistic and supply chain.

This case can be used in undergraduate and graduate classes as well as development programmes for managers in small to medium-size enterprises. The case suits courses in business, strategy, marketing and freight forwarding.

Union National Air, Land and Sea Shipping Co (LLC) (UNASCO) is a small to medium-sized freight forwarding company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It has three offices, two in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. UNASCO handles commercial imports/exports from/to many destinations, including Europe, Asia, the USA, India, the Far East, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Middle East (ME) and Africa. UNASCO has been in business for more than 35 years and has run the business smoothly. Recently, the company has faced several internal and external challenges that impact business performance. These challenges are high operating expenses, stiff competition and low market demand. Due to these challenges, the sales staff is being pressured to generate more income to ensure that the company is not experiencing a loss. Now, UNASCO is uncertain how to sustain the business.

The learning outcomes are as follows: to learn about the freight forwarding industry, the competitive landscape and the challenges surrounding it; to enable the participant to generate a list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for UNASCO and to gain skill at using SWOT analysis; to increase the participant’s ability to evaluate a situation and effectively communicate remedies about it both in writing and verbally; to enable the participant to analyse a problem using the Fishbone Diagram cause and effect tool; to enable the participant to use the Six Thinking Hats technique to make more reliable and sounder decisions; to gain skill at using Porters Five Forces tool, understand the competitiveness of UNASCO’s business environment, and identify the potential for business growth; and to gain skills at developing a marketing strategy using the 4Ps model.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 11: Strategy.

Freight forwarders are intermediary companies involved in Logistics. Their task is to manage all functions involved in transport after the buy process of merchandise is complete. The main objectives of the present work are to evaluate the criteria on which production companies choose particular freight forwarders, to point out the elements that affect quality and to differentiate services provided in various customer categories. In addition, this work presents the characteristics of freight forwarding companies that are active in the Greek market, analyzing their field of specialisation regarding various services and the profile of their manpower, as well as measuring the level of information technology usage in their operations. For the aim of this work, a questionnaire was drawn up and sent to a sample of 98 companies of the sector, selected mainly for their size and their location. Twenty‐four questionnaires were returned, covering roughly 10% of the companies in the market. The companies were asked to evaluate the various choice criteria regarding the carriers they chose to collaborate with and the criteria on which they are selected by their customers. The conclusion is that Greek freight forwarding companies consider that quality is more important for their customers than cost and that small companies seem to evaluate the price of services offered, the offering of special privileges, personal treatment and experience as relatively more important than big companies do.

This paper aims to study an advanced third/fourth party logistics (3/4PL) relationship in which the logistics service provider extended normal services by taking ownership of the goods during global distribution. It also aims to describe and analyze the approach to the legal rules a 3/4PL provider and its client company took in their contract, and present some remarks on the extent to which these contract solutions are legally sound.

A cross‐functional (business law and logistics) approach is applied to a single case study. The main data source is a written contract, complemented by in‐depth interviews with the 3/4PL's managing director. A legal analysis is made from four perspectives of non‐mandatory and mandatory commercial legal rules.

Issues between the offered service, the legal function and reaction in contracts are pointed out, e.g. doubts regarding the legal risk of sales uncertainty, the ownership of goods, the product liability, and the roles as commercial agent and as freight forwarding agent. These kinds of advanced logistics services are not clearly handled, e.g. in the standard‐form contracts for freight forwarding.

The research is limited to one case and to some aspects of Swedish commercial law, but put in an international perspective. It adds a legal perspective to previous studies on 3/4PL contracts, and it contributes to legal research by its analysis of how firms in real life react to law in their contracts.

Practitioners can get inspiration from an innovative logistics service setup, but also realize what legal challenges to consider when they make their contracts. A tentative approach to aligning logistics' and lawyers' work is suggested.

The paper combines legal and logistics research, and description/analysis of a 3/4PL case where ownership of the goods is transferred to the service provider.

The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for a freight consolidation company to adopt blockchain for the shipping community. Our research critically examine the challenges faced by a global shipping company that offer freight consolidation businesses and explore the use of Blockchain technology to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of freight booking operations.

This paper is a case study, ECU Worldwide, with focus on transforming their operations using blockchain technology for the freight booking industry. As the case is explorative in nature, the research aim to unearth the complex blockchain adoption phenomenon in the industry as the technology is very nascent at present. The research is primarily grounded on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theory.

The research finds that blockchain technology supports solving many issues and inefficiencies of global shipping operations but there are some barriers that they need to overcome. The research provides a framework and recommendations for global company to consider when considering Blockchain technology for implementation. Our research finding shows that smart contracts can be set up at critical points along with the shipment route namely the storage, customs, carrier, transporters and consignee stage to ensure greater security and transparency.

The research provides recommendations to key stakeholders involved in freight forwarding segment of logistics industry while adopting blockchain technology. Apart from the methodological limitation of the research, the research is limited to Singapore in terms of geographical coverage.

The drivers and barriers identified in the study can give practitioners insight of using blockchain for the industry. The proposed framework can assist companies in the shipping industry to prepare themselves to adopt blockchain for the community.

This case study is the first of its kind to examine the use of blockchain to explore the adoption in logistics Industry in Singapore and perhaps worldwide.

Philip Kotler identified the term “marketing” with two different but related processes; the first dealing with “the search for and stimulation of buyers” and the second with “the physical distribution of goods”. The reason for superior international marketing performance by certain companies may be the result of a small number of correct strategic decisions, or of being in the right industry at the right time and being able to meet market demands. Continual high international marketing performance, however, is more likely to be the result of exceptional management control to overcome the problems of both the search and stimulation of overseas markets and the growing commitment successfully to feed those markets with the goods through a planned physical distribution pattern. International physical distribution management is not merely a marketing support system, but it is an integral part of the marketing mix which helps create and develop the international marketing process. Even though physical distribution does not portray the glamour associated with international marketing, it should not be forgotten as a part of the marketing mix. However, in the future, international marketing success may depend more and more upon the efficiency and practices employed to ensure economic physical distribution of goods especially as competition intensifies from developed and developing nations.

Britain lives or dies by exporting. Companies which already sell overseas must sell more. Companies which don't must start. This special guide tells you how.

During the last several decades, logistics has increasingly emerged as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. This article incorporates recent work in services marketing on customer information acquisition, with research on industrial buying behavior to help logistics service providers understand and manage their customers’ information acquisition and purchase activities for logistics services.