Structural concepts for horizontal cooperation to increase efficiency in logistics

Business networking strategies and especially cooperation in logistics are gaining momentum for individual companies in order to survive in competitive markets. As horizontal logistics cooperation among shippers is a new and powerful approach to optimize cost structures, this publication deals with the conceptual design and the organizational aspects of horizontal cooperation. With regard to the variety of influencing factors and parameters of cooperation a framework is presented that supports the selection of possible cooperation forms. Special attention is further dedicated to the design of cooperative logistics models as well as to the specifications of cooperation models, which are both considered as key factors to ensure a successful and sustainable cooperation. Based on the identified structural concepts the great potential of horizontal logistics cooperation is demonstrated on the example of two case studies.