The Influence of service quality on customer satisfaction: a study of container shipping lines in Kenya from a freight forwarder perspective

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Business Administration at Strathmore UniversityThe containerized shipping industry, the backbone of the global economy, is classified as a service sector as its demand is derived from trade. Global financial trends have rendered cost minimization efforts, and global alliances ineffective in ensuring sustainability of profits for container carriers. The ability of container carriers to determine customers’ needs and deliver quality services that exceed their expectations is key to a sustainable competitive advantage and profitability growth. This research focused on the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in container shipping lines in Kenya. Data was collected randomly from 273 respondents selected from a list of licensed customs agents published by the Kenya Revenue Authority. The study employed a structured questionnaire to collect primary data which was analyzed using descriptive, correlational and inferential techniques. Wilcoxon's rank test was used to assess the gap between importance and perception of service quality, and Spearman's rank correlation was used to assess the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. The major finding was that the service quality dimension "responsiveness" which consists of supporting indicators that assess customers’ perception and experience before and after the performance of a transportation service, should be prioritized in strategies to drive customer satisfaction. Findings also revealed that all the four service quality dimensions namely reliability, responsiveness, speed, and value are significantly correlated to customer satisfaction. The major contribution of this study is that it empirically tested the validity of service quality dimensions developed from SERVQUAL specifically for the container shipping industry

Resilience of logistic service providers facing a port strike: a case study

The purpose of this thesis is to study the impact of a port strike on companies that perform as logistic service providers in a supply chain (SC), here denominated 3PL (third-party logistic providers). These companies are highly dependent on ports to perform their activity, since they provide international services. Consequently, a disruption in a port can seriously impair their business. A stevedores’ strike is one of the possible disruptions that can affect ports. This study aims to analyze the negative effects caused by this disruption, and what strategies 3PLs may implement in order to keep their performance levels stable and have a quick recovery time. Within this objective, the first step will be to establish a theoretical context about the maritime port’s sector and 3PLs in a SC context, to then expand the concept of a resilient SC, and finally to develop a theoretical framework in order to better contextualize the case study. Subsequently, the impact of a port strike will be quantified by using a case study comprising three companies, covering the areas of land and sea distribution and port operations. Information from primary sources was assembled in two phases: first via e-mail and, in a second phase, through a personal interview. The information from secondary sources was obtained through television news, internet and conferences, enabling its cross-analysis. Finally, by analyzing the collected data, it will be possible to draw conclusions about the measures carried out by each company to minimize the negative effects of the strike, thus contributing to a more resilient SC. As a conclusion, a stevedores’ strike will create a snow-ball of negative effects in the SC, degrading all relevant KPIs (key performance indicators) of the 3PLs under study. No mitigation and contingency strategies available proved really effective to reduce the negative effects of a port strike disruption

Stated Preference Study of Port and Inland Mode Choice for Containerized Exports from Java

The aims of this thesis are to understand the issue of intermodal transport in Indonesia and to examine the impact of related policies on shifting to the rail mode; as an attempt to cut GHG emissions from containerized exports from Java. Stated preference (SP) and Revealed preference (RP) data of exporters and forwarders was collected for this purpose. This study employed four inland mode attributes (cost, time, reliability and GHG emissions) and two port attributes (port cost and ship calls frequency) to examine the alternatives. The SP-only and combined SP-RP data are employed to estimate the model using Multinomial Logit, Nested Logit, Mixed Multinomial Logit, and Mixed Nested Logit. The estimation results indicate that increases in inland mode cost, inland mode time, inland mode GHG emissions, and port cost all have very substantial adverse effects on the alternative’s utility. Conversely, inland mode reliability and frequency of ship calls have positive influence on the utility. Five single policies and four combined policies have been simulated using the best model gained from the estimation. Two single policies of cutting fuel subsidies for road mode and giving incentives to rail freight would provide the most important encouragement to modal shift. Nevertheless, the biggest reduction in GHG emissions can be obtained through policies of cutting fuel subsidies for road mode and putting restrictions on times and routes permitted for the road transport operations. The primary contribution of this research rests on its analysis of the exporters’ and freight forwarders’ attitudes related to GHG emissions, and the possible effects of policies that may be implemented to reduce GHG emissions. The novelty of this research is in its development of a joint model of port and inland mode choice from the exporters’ and forwarders’ perspective

A Decision Support System for Intermodal Logistics under Considerations for Costs of Security

Global supply chains have been challenged by the increased awareness of security risks, including those of terrorism, theft, and damage, and the potential in these risks for significant damages. Additionally, the pressure security initiatives and regulations, particularly at sea and air ports, threaten to add to congestion at these hubs in the international flow of goods and materials. Improving the efficiency of the flow of goods and materials, and therefore the stability and competitiveness of their supply chains, is the focus of this research. A decision support to combine strategic objectives with operational transport decision making is built to incorporate security considerations

The distribution of small consignments from a production facility remote to the markets: The case of OMYA Hustadmarmor AS

Confidential until 20. May 201