The global service parts logistics industry is becoming increasingly dominated by the major integrated express carriers and a small number of ¡®4PLs’. This is just one of the conclusions of a major new report published by UKbased logistics research organisation, Transport Intelligence (Ti). The report, Global Service Parts Logistics in the High Tech Sectors, found that as the market increasingly matures, SPL products and services are finally starting to meet the demands of the global high tech companies.

IT service providers, PC manufacturers, medical equipment suppliers and telcos are re-structuring their after sales logistics requirements on a regional or even global basis and will be looking for fewer, more sophisticated, logistics service providers to meet their needs.

Foremost to benefit from this ongoing consolidation of demand will be the ¡®integrators’ such as UPS, DHL and TNT. They have invested heavily in the sector over the past eight years and the ability to leverage their global networks will allow them to reap rewards in the years ahead.

However the integrators will not have it all their own way. They will be increasingly challenged by a variety of ¡®4PLs’, which design, implement and managing SPL solutions and are jostling for position in an increasingly crowded market space.