Selection of logistics outsourcing for export firms i̇n food industry: Case study i̇n Aydin Province

Logistics outsourcing is rapidly increasing due to increasing competition, the desire to focus on the core activities of businesses, the need for effective logistics operations and so on. With the help of third-party logistics service providers, companies can perform logistical activities such as transportation, storage, customs clearance without requiring logistical investment. In order to benefit from logistics outsourcing, it is necessary to choose the right logistics service provider that meets the needs of the enterprise. Choosing the right logistics service provider is important to increase the benefit of outsourcing. In this study, it was aimed to determine the criteria that the companies exporting intensively produced food products such as figs, chestnuts, olives in Aydın province when choosing a logistics service provider. This study also reveals the customer expectations of third party logistics (3PL) companies. Therefore, this study is expected to be a reference for 3PL companies that want to step forward in the competitive environment and to increase the quality of the services they offer. For this purpose, a questionnaire was applied to export companies in Aydın and SWARA method which is one of the multi criteria decision making methods was used.