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Sustainable and Economic Success Factors for Urban Consolidation Centres of Last-Mile Delivery in the Netherlands

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Advances in Production Management Systems. Production Management Systems for Responsible Manufacturing, Service, and Logistics Futures (APMS 2023)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 691))

Abstract

Most urban consolidation centres fail to be viable alternatives for the current urban last-mile delivery methods. This paper develops a framework that identifies critical success factors for urban consolidation centres in the Netherlands. These factors are found using qualitative data gathered in semi-structured interviews combined with finding from existing literature. This will be done using Qualitative data gathered in the interviews combined with finding from existing literature. The critical success factors will be identified in two different dimensions, sustainability and economic. Three sustainable critical success factors are identified, namely consolidation, the use of low- and zero-emission vehicles, and the reduction in nuisance caused by urban last-mile deliveries. These sustainability factors can be seen as success drivers for the urban consolidation centres. Furthermore, three economic critical success factors are found: public support for achieving economies of scale, and offering value-added services. These factors contribute to the economic feasibility of an urban consolidation centre.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the OP Zuid program awarded funding. The project is made possible, in part, by financial support from the European Union (European Fund for Regional Development), OP-Zuid, the Province of North Brabant, the Province of Limburg and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maastricht University, 08544, Maastricht, NJ, The Netherlands

    Philip d’Agnolo & Adriana Saraceni

Authors
  1. Philip d’Agnolo
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  2. Adriana Saraceni
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adriana Saraceni .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Erlend Alfnes

  2. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Anita Romsdal

  3. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Jan Ola Strandhagen

  4. ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen, Germany

    Gregor von Cieminski

  5. Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City, Mexico

    David Romero

Appendix

Appendix

General Questions About the UCC Initiative:

  • Could you please describe your organisation? How many employees? How many carriers (LSPs) deliver through the UCC? How many customers are served?

  • How did the UCC initiative start? Why did it start? Who started it? What do you see as the main drivers behind the UCC initiative?

Questions About Sustainability (Critical Success Factors):

  • How would you describe the sustainable contribution to city x due to the UCC initiative?

    • To what extend does the UCC contribute to a reduction in total distance travelled for deliveries in city x in your experience?

    • To what extend does the UCC contribute to a reduction in pollutant emissions due to last-mile deliveries in city x in your experience?

    • To what extend does the UCC contribute to a reduction in nuisance caused by last-mile deliveries in city x in your experience?

  • In what extend do these sustainability factors influence decision making?

  • At what extend does sustainability play a role in decision making about the deliveries (vehicle routing, delivery times etc.)? (Vs. economic)

  • When making decisions about the fleet composition what role does sustainability play? (Vs. economic)

Questions About Economic Viability (Critical Success Factors):

  • How would you describe the financial viability of the UCC initiative? What are the revenue streams for the UCC? Does the UCC receive any public support in any kind of form?

    • If financially viable, what is the main reason the UCC is financially viable would you say?

    • If not financially viable, what do you think would contribute towards financial viability?

  • Would you say the UCC in city x has economies of scale in terms of participating receivers and LSPs or products delivered through the UCC?

    • If so, do you think this contributes to the financial viability?

    • If not, do you think this would contribute towards financial viability?

  • To what extend are financial decisions affected by the fact gains from a UCC are divided between different stakeholders (society, carriers, receivers)?

Questions at the End

  • What is in your experience the factors that the most contributes to the success of a UCC initiative? (In general, or in city x)

  • Thank you for all that valuable information, is there anything else you’d like to add before we end?

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d’Agnolo, P., Saraceni, A. (2023). Sustainable and Economic Success Factors for Urban Consolidation Centres of Last-Mile Delivery in the Netherlands. In: Alfnes, E., Romsdal, A., Strandhagen, J.O., von Cieminski, G., Romero, D. (eds) Advances in Production Management Systems. Production Management Systems for Responsible Manufacturing, Service, and Logistics Futures. APMS 2023. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 691. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43670-3_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43670-3_22

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