Geodesy

Marketing

Quantum mechanics

Benchmark (surveying)

Scale (ratio)

Engineering

Microeconomics

Chromatography

Returns to scale

Training (meteorology)

Economics

Computer science

Certification

Geology

Business

Diversification (marketing strategy)

Internet privacy

Paleontology

Physics

Operations research

Process management

Third party

Management

Geography

Stage (stratigraphy)

Operations management

Industrial organization

Chemistry

Sample (material)

Meteorology

Third stage

Production (economics)

International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications

During the last decade, Third-Party Logistics (3PLs) became a key component of industrial organisations and, consequently, of their performance. This article provides an analysis of the productive performance and the determinants of efficiency of a sample of 132 firms (3PLs) in 2016. Our study is the first one on the French market (as part of the European market) and on such a large and recent sample. An innovative second stage analysis is then performed. It identifies the determinants of the benchmark status and that of returns-to-scale in addition to the traditional efficiency scores determinants. The results show very low and heterogeneous efficiency levels. Most 3PLs exhibit increasing returns-to-scale, which explains the current merging trend in this industry. Specialisation is preferable to diversification. Finally, only some of the numerous 3PLs certifications improve efficiency.

Third-party logistics efficiency: an innovative two-stage DEA analysis of the French market