The relationship between logistics capabilities and supply chain uncertainties and risks in the third party logistics: a conceptual framework

Third party logistics (3PL) has become a popular topic in supply chain and logistics. Many companies use 3PL to deliver and manage their logistics function in a supply chain. One of the advantages of implementing 3PL solution is uncertainty and risk transfer, which is one of the major uncertainty and risk management strategies. However the supply chain uncertainties and risks still exist and 3PLs have to manage these uncertainties and risks. There is fewer well-defined tools and techniques for Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM). Managers are experienced, knowledgeable and have appropriate altitudes in their industries, but they are not effective. This paper aims to investigate logistics capabilities, supply chain uncertainties and risks in the 3PLs, and to develop a conceptual framework of role of logistics capabilities for mitigating supply chain uncertainties and risks systematically in the 3PL based on resource based view (RBV). This would result in the development of a practical guidance for practitioners developing and deploying logistics capabilities to support and enable their supply chain risk management strategies from a RBV perspective.