The Role of An Orchestrator of 3PLs In Supply Chain Finance: A Conceptual Framework

This study aims to investigate the role of an orchestrator of third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) in the context of supply chain finance (SCF). SCF is the latest phenomenon to have emerged in the field of supply chain management (SCM). It is concerned with the optimization of financial flows and the integration of financing processes with all participating companies within the supply chains. By leveraging supply chain financing, small and middle - size enterprises (SMEs) are able to obtain funds from banks from which they could not borrow in conventional loaning systems. However, to perform a SCF model successfully, the role of 3PLs cannot be ignored. Drawing upon the discussions in the literature on supply chain orchestration of 3PLs, this study conceptualizes the orchestrator role of 3PLs in SCF. Three forms of 3PLs as an orchestrator in SCF are articulated accordingly.