RLS Logistics: Combating Vendor On-Time Performance for "Cool" Customers

  • Reference: IVEY-9B20D026-E

  • Year: 2019

  • Number of pages: 7

  • Geographic Setting: United States

  • Publication Date: Dec 9, 2020

  • Fecha de edición: Feb 2, 2020

  • Source: Ivey Business School (Canada)

  • Type of Document: Case

  • Industry Setting: Transportation and Warehousing;

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Description

Located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, RLS Logistics offered temperature-controlled logistics solutions. On a Tuesday morning in October 2019, RLS Logistics’ business development manager learned that a large baked goods manufacturer was seeking a logistics provider who could lower the bakery’s transport costs and alleviate problems with delivery delays. The delays, in particular, were blocking the bakery’s attempts to improve its relationship and scale up operations with big-box retailers such as Walmart Inc.. RLS Logistics’ business manager secured a meeting with the bakery for the following Monday. In the meantime, he and his team needed to analyze delivery data from the bakery and prepare a delivery model that would showcase RLS Logistics’ value and appeal to the bakery.

Learning Objective

The case is designed for undergraduate- and graduate-level business classes in logistics and supply chain management and in business-to-business marketing. The case is suited to follow a discussion of global transportation planning and the role of third-party logistics providers in modern supply chains. The case highlights the importance of understanding the market trends and challenges in the cold logistics industry, explains the different transport options in over-the-road transportation, and demonstrates how effective routing and custom strategies can help deliver on-time and in-full to customers in the temperature-controlled food industry. The case examines financial and managerial challenges when transporting freight for a customer, demonstrating that the best decisions are predicated upon a clear understanding of market conditions, one’s capability, and delivery requirements of transport options and routing decisions. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to ·understand the options available in over-the-road transportation; ·identify the factors that influence the choice of transport options and routing decisions; and ·recognize the importance of understanding market trends, challenges, one’s own strengths, and opportunities in a logistics business.

Keywords

cold-chain freight brokerage supply chain logistics third party logistics