An investigation into competency requirements of operations Managers in third-party logistics (3PL) firms: A case of Indonesia

Purpose of the paper: This study investigates operations managers' competency requirements and develops a comprehensive model of competency for operations managers in the 3PL sector in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: Through an extensive literature review a comprehensive model with four competency-categories and fifteen competencies is developed. A survey questionnaire is employed to collect data against the competencies of the proposed model. The contact details of the potential participants are obtained from Asosiasi Logistik Indonesia (ALI) and Supply Chain Indonesia databases. A total of 368 Indonesian 3PL firms are invited to participate, of which 303 firms agreed to participate, and finally 137 firms participated. Data are analysed using multi-criteria decision-making method called Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Findings: The results suggest that of the fifteen competencies considered in the model, the most important five are transportation and distribution management (TDM), project management (PM), warehouse and inventory management (WMI), continuous improvement (CI), and leadership (L). Originality/Value: The competency model developed and used is unique. Furthermore. the proposed recommendations could provide guidelines for the public policy makers to devise strategies for efficient delivery of 3PL activities. Practical implications: From the practical perspective, the results could be used by the higher education sector and professional bodies to design relevant and comprehensive academic and training modules. Furthermore, the recommendations could be used as a guideline for effective delivery of 3PL activities by the operations managers operating in Indonesia's 3PL sector. Research Limitations - This study is conducted in the context of Indonesian logistics sector and therefore the findings may not be generalizable for other nations.