Performance evaluation of an online benchmarking tool for European freight transport chains

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the performance of an online benchmarking tool developed for logistics service users and providers to provide alternative service option in Europe.Design/methodology/approach – First, conduct desktop research including but not limited to academic literature reviews on benchmarking, performance measurement and previous and current examples of online benchmarking tools in order to determine issues in the field; second, report the development process and functionalities of a benchmarking tool; third, examine the benchmarking tool through structured interviews with the users of the tool; and finally, draw conclusion as to whether the tool is effective or needs changes to make it more effective.Findings – Six Key Performance Indicators were identified: Transport cost, Transport time, Flexibility, Reliability, Quality, Sustainability. The functionality of an online transport chain benchmarking e‐tool is detailed. The evaluation of the tool found that it is a stra...

[1]  Kuan Yew Wong,et al.  A review on benchmarking of supply chain performance measures , 2008 .

[2]  Michael Quayle A study of supply chain management practice in UK industrial SMEs , 2003 .

[3]  Mohamed Zairi,et al.  A pragmatic approach to conducting a successful benchmarking expedition: Case of Dubai Holding Group (DHG) , 2008 .

[4]  Bjørn Andersen,et al.  Benchmarking supply chain management: finding best practices , 1999 .

[5]  A. Gunasekaran,et al.  Performance measures and metrics in a supply chain environment , 2001 .

[6]  Marc Levinson,et al.  The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger , 2006 .

[7]  Wei Deng Solvang,et al.  An online approach for distributor benchmarking , 2004 .

[8]  R. McAdam,et al.  A business excellence approach to generic benchmarking in SMEs , 2002 .

[9]  M. Helms,et al.  Performance measurement for green supply chain management , 2005 .

[10]  Thomas H. Zunder,et al.  Benchmarking e-tool empowers SME logistics service users in Europe , 2011 .

[11]  Andy Neely,et al.  Performance measurement system design , 1995 .

[12]  Benita M. Beamon,et al.  Measuring supply chain performance , 1999 .

[13]  T.C.E. Cheng,et al.  Measures for evaluating supply chain performance in transport logistics , 2002 .

[14]  Gangan Prathap,et al.  A performance index approach to library collection , 2010 .

[15]  Tim Butcher,et al.  Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management , 2008 .

[16]  K. Hafeez,et al.  Determining key capabilities of a firm using analytic hierarchy process , 2002 .

[17]  P. Freytag,et al.  The process of benchmarking, benchlearning and benchaction , 2001 .