Putting supply-chain learning theory into practice: lessons from an Irish case

The logistics service market is currently going through a fundamental transition. The development of closer relationships with customers and the continuous adaptation of products and services, represent potentially successful approaches to the development of improved competitive capabilities. To this end knowledge resources and learning processes increasingly represent key elements within the evolving framework of the Third Party Logistics (3PLs) service provision business. This paper describes the case of NITL’s Foundation Certificate Programme (FCP) learning programme with specific reference to its use in addressing some of current shortcomings related to supply chain knowledge and skills in the Irish 3PL industry. The FCP rationale is based on the need to move from traditional approaches of supply chain organisation, where the various links in the chain were measured and managed in isolation from each other and thus, tended to operate, at cross purposes, towards more integrated and knowledge-based approaches.