Supply-Chain Competitiveness and Efficiency: A Survey on Italian Logistics

Abstract

Logistics is relevant both for its direct and indirect contribute to Italian GDP and for its impact on the country competitiveness. The weakness of Italian logistics, as reported in institutional and international documents, depends on: inadequate infrastructures; problems for connections; fragmentation of operators; inefficiency in single transportation services, lack in programming and regulation framework. This paper focuses on these subjects by presenting the results of a survey conducted on a sample of national and global forwarders. In the forwarders' view, priority should be given to the rail Trans European Network completion, which is crucial to implement cross border services; other works considered relevant by the forwarders regard the rail connections between the Northern and the Southern part of the country and the local intermodal connections. Last mile in ports areas and intermodal services represent other problematic issues. Logistics centres received a sufficient evaluation but their territorial distribution is considered too fragmented. Forwarders express adequate considerations for tariffs, timing and operators' efficiency and reliability, but not for the rail service. The supply-chain organization is not optimal due to lack of programming and to the fragmentation of operators. Endowment and use of ICT are adequate, but integration between different operators' systems is scarce. Our survey reveals some policy suggestions. Firstly, operators ask the public legislator to address innovation in the regulation framework and to select few realizable targets (in order to be selective in investments and to implement adequate incentives). Secondly, operators themselves could possibly concentrate and rationalize their supply and, where necessary, implement the logistics outsourcing. Finally, national and local logistics associations should enhance an integration of different ICT systems and promote the respect of minimum standard services.