FACTORS INFLUENCING DECISION-MAKING MODELS FOR THE ESTIMATION OF COMPETITIVE EFFECTIVENESS AMONG THIRD-PARTY LOGISTICS PROVIDERS

In the modern supply chain management (SCM) environment, the selection of logistics providers is one of the most critical decision-making processes, for which the existing literature enumerates several criteria that needs to be simplified through a scientific approach based on analysis. This investigation explores and illustrates the effects of selected factors for evaluating competitive effectiveness among third -party logistics (3PL) providers from managerial perspective, focusing on the various decision-making aspects (DMA). In order to rank the criteria, a well-structured and self-administered questionnaire was used to gather the primary data. In the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach, the findings were analysed using a graphical user interface -based partial least squares software tool (Smart PLS) to draw inferences for this study. An analytical hierarchical process (AHP) was applied to rank the criteria, and the rankings were compared with those of the convenience sampling method. The framework provided could help the industry leaders to conceptualise, enlarge, and learn the strategies to be adopted for identifying 3PL providers.