Enhancing Cross-Border Third-Party Logistics Performance: The Role of Supply Chain Visibility and Transparency

Author(s):

  • Noor UL Ain Hanif 1 (Department of Business Administration, Jinnah University for Women, Pakistan)
  • Syed Imran Zaman1 (School of Foreign Languages, Sichuan Tourism University, China)
  • Sherbaz Khan1 (Department of Business Administration, Jinnah University for Women, Pakistan)
  • Syed Ahsan Ali Zaman1 (School of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania)
  • Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik1 (Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK)

Abstract:
This study investigates key supply chain visibility and transparency factors influencing cross-border third-party logistics (3PL) performance. A two-step approach was used: first, a comprehensive literature review identified critical visibility and transparency factors; second, the Grey-DEMATEL method was applied to assess their relative importance and interrelationships. The findings reveal that key issues—such as audit cyclicality, predictive metrics, standardized policies, supply network status, and information sharing—are closely linked to communication gaps, logistical inefficiencies, long delivery cycles, elevated costs, lack of standardization, and ineffective work agreements. These findings underscore the critical role of supply chain visibility and transparency in effectively managing cross-border third-party logistics services utilized by e-commerce platforms. However, challenges such as restricted access to real-time data, information-sharing limitations, regulatory complexities, and security risks remain persistent barriers. The current research emphasizes that enhancing visibility and transparency within the supply chain is essential for improving the operational efficiency and service quality of cross-border third-party logistics in the context of global e-commerce.

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