Management of Third-Party Logistics in Supply Chain - Aspect of Customer Service

The aim of the herein paper is to characterize the logistics projects in the process of purchasing services from TPL logistics operators (Third Part Logistics). Logistics service providers implement activities within the framework of the supply chain which they will develop in terms of the scale and scope of their activities that also have an impact on customer service at the same time. The activities of logistics operators facilitate the attainment of profits for all participants of the supply chain, as well as matching individual needs arising from the unique nature of a particular order in an appropriate manner. Thanks to this fact, suppliers gain financial profit, clients are well-served, while in the case of manufacturing and service companies it is possible to bring forward future orders. The existing literature depicts the basic elements of third party logistics (TPL). The practical section of the herein paper presents the results of survey research relating to the evaluation of customer service provided by a logistics operator functioning in a supply chain. The findings imply that the level of customer service in practice extends beyond both pretransaction and transaction phases as well as positive verification of introduced hypothesis. The results produce some propositions for future research.