IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/h/spr/sprchp/978-981-95-0533-3_13.html
   My bibliography  Save this book chapter

Fifth-Party Logistics (5PL): Mastering Digital Supply Chain Ecosystems

In: Level Up Your Logistics

Author

Listed:
  • Scott McDonald

    (RMIT University)

  • Minh Duong Kim Ngo

    (RMIT University)

Abstract

This chapter explores the evolution of Fifth-Party Logistics (5PL), representing the most advanced tier in logistics service provision. Unlike 4PL providers, who orchestrate supply chains through direct intervention, 5PL providers create digital ecosystems that enable autonomous, self-optimizing supply chain networks. The chapter presents comprehensive frameworks illustrating the journey from current capabilities to fully realized 5PL operations across four dimensions: technology integration, decision autonomy, ecosystem scope, and intelligence evolution. The architectural foundation of 5PL operations—a sophisticated digital platform enabling real-time collaboration and autonomous decision-making—is examined in detail alongside necessary talent requirements. Through the case study of Gledhill Global Logistics’ transformation, the chapter demonstrates how organizations can navigate key implementation challenges and measure success. The discussion extends to emerging business models and monetization strategies unique to platform-based logistics ecosystems. Finally, the chapter looks toward future developments in 6PL, where cognitive supply chains and complete supply chain autonomy represent the next frontier in logistics service provision.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott McDonald & Minh Duong Kim Ngo, 2025. "Fifth-Party Logistics (5PL): Mastering Digital Supply Chain Ecosystems," Springer Books, in: Level Up Your Logistics, chapter 0, pages 509-546, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-95-0533-3_13
    DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-0533-3_13
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
    1. Check below whether another version of this item is available online.
    2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
    3. Perform a
    for a similarly titled item that would be available.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-95-0533-3_13. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.