The findings of a new survey by Transport Intelligence (TI) have revealed that logistics providers can play an essential role in assisting logistics ‘collaboration’ projects between manufacturers. The results showed that 90 per cent of respondents believed that logistics companies could facilitate or broker deals between shippers.

Unsurprisingly, the survey also showed that most companies (64 per cent) who entered into collaboration projects did so with the aim of reducing costs. This was followed by ‘efficiency gains’ (25 per cent) with ‘greener operations’ taking a much lower importance of just nine per cent.

Most respondents to the survey believed that ‘collaboration’ could deliver costs savings and efficiencies gains of between 6-10 per cent although a sizeable minority achieved even more. The consumer/retail sector was most likely to adopt collaboration projects, followed by the automotive sector and industrial.

Transportation was viewed as the area most likely to benefit from collaboration, by itself as well as part of a package combined with warehousing and value added services.

Commenting on the findings of the survey Ti’s head of consultancy, Joel Ray commented: “Collaboration is not a new phenomenon. However the price of oil will mean that manufacturers will increasingly look at ways of reducing supply chain costs through working together, even with companies that they may view as competitors.”