Title: Generating customer voice based quality improvement strategy for logistics service providers in Taiwan from the perspective of quality function deployment

Authors: Tzong-Ru Lee, Jiun-Hung Lin

Addresses: Department of Marketing, Chairman of Institute of Electronic Commerce, National Chung-Hsing University, No. 250 Kuo-Kuang Road, Taichung 420, Taiwan. ' Department of Marketing and Logistics, China University of Technology, No. 530, Sec. 3, Jhong-Shan Road, Hukou Township, Hsin Chu County 303, Taiwan

Abstract: Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) help connecting buyers and suppliers in supply chains. Hence, logistics quality significantly affects the performance of the supply chain. An intensely competitive business environment necessitates that firms provide services according to customer demand to retain them and reduce the turnover rate. Generating appropriate logistics quality improvement strategies for LSP according to customer demand is an important issue. This study utilises Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to generate most appropriate quality improvement strategy. QFD analysis transforms voice of customer into the preference for quality improvement strategies of LSP company, enabling the most effective quality improvement strategy to be generated. This study classifies LSP companies into five types according to their organisation characteristics and their customer source. The best quality improvement strategies are determined with empirical data for each type of LSP company. The difference among the analytical results are compared and discussed further.

Keywords: logistics service providers; LSPs; quality function deployment; QFD; quality improvement strategy; customer voice; quality improvement; Taiwan; supply chain management; SCM; logistics quality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLEG.2007.014495

International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation, 2007 Vol.1 No.1, pp.63 - 76

Published online: 11 Jul 2007 *

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