Martina Baglio

This work addresses an increasingly important problem: the search for strategic resources on which third-party logistics providers (3PLs) can rely on to face a growing competitive market. Using the resource-based view theory, the warehouse has been identified as a strategic resource, but its importance has still not been assessed. The present study wants to fill the literature gaps analysing the importance and the reasons that make the warehouse a possible source of competitive advantage. The work focuses on the 3PL buying process context and compares the perspectives of shippers, 3PLs and also real estate companies: a novelty for the 3PL literature. The results presented show that the warehouse have a secondary role in the sourcing of competitive advantage for 3PLs. The main reasons are: (i) shippers are unable to measure the warehouse quality that is not even promoted by 3PLs, (ii) real estate is providing buildings not compliant with the 3PLs' needs. Starting from these premises, the study deeply analyses warehouse features, and then, examine the alignment between the real estate sector and the 3PLs' needs. Finally, the study provides a rating model to evaluate the warehouse quality and guides to support the strategic decision taken by 3PL to improve attractiveness and customer retention.