Haulier Value Creation in Supply Chains: A strategy-as-practice Perspective

Purpose: Road transport is a dynamic sector with market changes because of liberalization and increasing demand of transport and logistics services. Shippers’ supply chain objectives of low costs and agility and a demanding operating environment due to, for example, congestion is challenging. Haulier competitiveness, however, resides in knowledge, technology and networks so the purpose of this study is to develop a conceptualisation of how these capabilities are deployed and make up effective value propositions for customers.
Design/methodology/approach: Two case studies of value proposition development are analysed for objectives of strategic development.
Findings: Haulier competitiveness is not a static but a result of resource deployment. From the strategy-as-practice perspective collaborators’ and customers’ resources are considered potentials for emergent strategies and learning for value-creation.
Research limitations/implications: The usefulness of the conceptual apparatus lies in understanding strategic development as a result of capability deployment rather than managerial decision making per se.
Practical implications: Both hauliers and shippers are able to improve value creation from increased understanding of capability deployment.
Original/value: This research shows that innovation of transport companies’ (hauliers’ and other types of logistics providers’) value propositions drives competitiveness. The strategy-as-practice approach is applied as the theoretical lens for understanding and developing strategic outcomes of transport and logistics provision and supply chain value creation.