It quotes one unnamed 3PL executive as saying that "Established 3PLs are recalibrating their business models to provide greater value to their shipper-customers. At the same time, they are looking over their shoulders at emerging sources of competition and the new and innovative offerings they are bringing to market.”

As usual in this report, there is a disconnect between what shippers say they are going to do relative to outsourcing and what they actually do. For example, despite no change in the percent of logistics spend going to 3PLs year over year, as noted above, 64% of shipper respondents reported an increase in their use of outsourced logistics services, and 76% of 3PL respondents agree this is what they are seeing from their customers. Regionally, 58% of North America shippers reported increased 3PL use.

This delta between what shippers say they are going to do vis-a-vis outsourcing and what they actually do has been a common theme over the past few years of the report.

On the other hand, 24% of shippers said they plan to "insource" some logistics activities currently being outsourced.

Satisfaction Levels are High - Sort of

Again this year, both shippers and 3PLs reported high levels of satisfaction in their relationships. 88% of shippers respondents view their 3PL relationships as "generally successful," and an even greater 94% of 3PL see things the same way. The numbers were within a percentage point or two regardless of region, and also about the same as last year's results.

However, a smaller but still impressive 71% of shippers think that 3PLs provide them with new and innovative ways to improve logistics effectiveness.

And as usual, shippers see room for a lot of improvement in 3PL IT capabilities. The good news is that the level of shipper satisfaction with 3PL IT capabilities has doubled over the past 10 years; the bad news is that that takes the level of shipper satisfaction is still just at 54%, creating a significant satisfaction "gap" between shipper expectations and what they perceive 3PLs to be delivering.

Shipper Satisfaction with 3PL IT Capabilities is Better, Still Low

Why don't some shippers use 3PL services? The report says the most common reasons are companies seeing logistics as a core competency, the importance of logistics in their company's success, their ability to reduce logistics costs internally, the challenge of integrating IT systems with 3PL systems, and challenges controlling outsourced activities.

As usual, the report covers some specialty issues, including the growing role of emerging markets and supply chain "talent management." We'll cover those and other issues next week.

The full study can be downloaded for free here: 2012 Annual Third Party Logistics Study.

How does the 2012 3PL report compare to your perceptions/experience? How do 3PL relationships need to change to adjust to the "new normal"? Are 3PLs getting a bad rap on IT capabilities - or not? Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback area below.