Overview on supplier selection of goods versus 3PL selection

The selection and the evaluation of suppliers of goods or services is a strategic purchasing decision that affects the total performance of every company. That decision is a multicriteria problem and a complex process that requires the use of multiple quantitative and qualitative criteria, often in conflict. It is widely studied in the literature related to supply chain design/management, agile manufacturing, dynamic alliances, and purchasing management. The aim of this paper is to present a comparative study between the selection of suppliers of goods and that of suppliers of services such as the logistics services, in terms of criteria and methods.