Transport integration tools for supply chain management

Abstract

Over the last 3 years, research carried out by Cardiff University has studied the opportunities to integrate freight transport better into supply chains. The paper stems from this work. After asserting the principal reasons why better transport integration is important, it charts a range of diagnostic tools that were deployed. The tools represent a menu of instruments that aim to aid understanding, which can be selected from depending on need and circumstance. They can be utilised by transport and supply chain managers to assess what is happening within their supply chains, how well they are performing and the degree of integration, especially of the transport function with related supply chain echelons. It is hoped that by codifying this element of the research a contribution will have been made to the effective dissemination of the research to industry and thought leaders, which in turn will lead to practical exploitation, resulting in more integrated transport and supply chain management practice.