Outsourcing integration and third party logistics services: An appreciation of two ‘classic’ articles in industrial marketing management

This paper provides an appreciation of two highly cited, ‘classic’ Industrial Marketing Management articles pertaining to outsourcing integration and third party logistics services. The appreciation includes revisiting the general topic themes emanating from both articles, third-party logistics (3PL) service providers, outsourcing and core competence for competitive advantage, relationships, integrating supply chain actors, and combining products and services as a value proposition, with an objective to cast each article’s influence on, and ongoing and future contributions to, present day research.