engleski

The role of logistics service providers in international business

This master thesis provides the analysis of the beginnings of logistics, the evolution coming to the current situation and some aspects of how it may change in the future. The thesis is showing the possible ways in which logistics intermediaries can make international business much easier for different companies and entities. At the beginning of the thesis introduced are the basic points that should be known about logistics development and modern perspective of it. After understanding what logistics actually means to the world of international business, intermediaries are introduced. Throughout the thesis these intermediaries are called “Logistics service providers”. In the following pages many types of logistics service providers are introduced. In literature there are always different classifications of types and forms of these intermediaries. But, they end up all being very similar just being different in terms. In this master thesis, the classification is made according to H.J. Schramm and K.N. Gourdin. They both mention similar aspects of this topic. H.J. Schramm talks about commercial, financial, transport and logistics middlemen and service providers. Regarding K.N. Gourdin, his classification includes international freight forwarders, non-vessel common operating carriers, export management companies, export trading companies, export packers and customs brokers. Section explaining international freight forwarder is left for the end, as they are one of the most known and most important intermediaries. Freight forwarders organize the movement of goods and provide other services related to logistics operations. They can either act as an intermediary, but also as an agent. Important to mention is also the evolution from freight forwarders what we call today 3PL’s, 4PL’s or even 5PL’s. The logistics service providers are very important because they create and implement a number of logistics solutions for the customers, starting from the offer of physical services to the point where they add the value to the goods.

logistics, international business/trade, intermediaries, logistics service providers, international freight forwarders

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