Capitalizing on collaboration in sustainable logistics in food and flower chains

Following developments, supply chain actors are rethinking their logistics structures and management practices to arrive at concepts able to deliver perishable products to retail outlets more responsive, at lower cost, with less food waste and environmental impact. Previous projects have shown the advantages of horizontal and vertical collaboration, but still many questions are left to be answered: What key performance indicators at the individual actor level contribute optimally to network performance targets? What are relevant sustainable collaborative logistics concepts for perishable products and what are the potential performance improvements? Which drivers can create awareness with potential partners on the advantages of supply chain collaboration, and make them participate? And what does an ideal collaboration consortium looks like (number of partners and who)? Using a longitudinal case study approach these questions will be analysed by two PhD students in collaboration with business partners. The project team aims to build a toolbox and determine and quantify the added value of (cross)chain collaboration. The most promising collaboration scenario will be implemented in a real life pilot study, giving possibility to evaluate the validity of modelling efforts and identify additional barriers and drivers. Eventually the project will deliver (and transfer knowledge on) success factors of effective horizontal, vertical and diagonal (cross chain) collaborative logistics concepts for distributing conditioned fresh products, such that the right product quality can be provided to consumers in a cost effective, responsive and sustainable way.