A fourth-party logistics (4PL) is a supply chain services provider that manages the design, build, run, measurement and orchestration of all or part of an end-to-end logistics network for a fee. It coordinates logistics operations via internal and/or external parties, delivering visibility, management control and optimization through an integrated technology platform. Growth in 4PL spans enterprises of all sizes across various industries, as integrated supply chains support business growth. Underutilized logistics partnerships are extending to manage other supply chain functions like procurement, risk management and capacity planning. Technological advances like AI and predictive analytics are driving increased demand for efficient supply chain operations.
Gartner defines supply chain network design as the optimization of the location and function of supply, manufacturing and distribution networks in support of an overarching company strategy and customer requirements. Supply chain network design tools support the creation of network models with the application of advanced analytics to determine the optimal supply chain design in a structured, scalable and repeatable way. Supply chain network design tools support the determination of recommendations about the structure of the supply chain network. This includes decisions about facility locations and size, transport lanes, and modes in the end-to-end supply chain. The scale of the changes being evaluated varies from small modifications, such as changing a mode of transport or swapping transportation lanes, to large-scale changes that involve opening/closing/repurposing several facilities in the network and the associated impacts.
Gartner defines supply chain planning (SCP) solutions as platforms that provide technological support to help companies manage, link, align and share planning data across an extended supply chain. SCP solutions support a wide range of planning activities, from demand planning and detailed supply planning, to strategic and execution-level planning. They establish a single version of the truth for planning data and decisions, regardless of the underlying execution technology environment.
Supply chain strategy and planning consulting is a subset of corporate strategy consulting. Gartner defines the latter as “strategic advisory services that analyze risks and opportunities for clients, working with them to develop a detailed strategic roadmap. They focus on cross-functional client issues, including innovation, digital, regulatory, sustainability, growth, transformation, postmerger and postacquisition integration, supply chain management and transfer pricing strategies that precede configuration of ERP or other software”. Supply chain operations consulting is a specialized form of business operations consulting, which Gartner defines as “transformation advisory services that improve quality and efficiency for business operations in an organization. These include process reengineering, improvement, optimization and standardization aligned with business strategy”
Gartner defines transportation management systems (TMSs) as software that supports multimodal planning and execution of the physical transport of goods across the supply chain. It allows a shipper to manage varying levels of transportation complexity across multiple transport modes and geographic regions. TMS solutions are utilized by shippers of differing sizes, operational complexity, industries and geographic locations.