A working party investigating the concept of fifth party logistics has been launched in the East Midlands.
The group grew out of an event organised by the Food and Drink innovation Network (iNet) at Lincoln University's Holbeach National Centre of Excellence for Food Manufacturing on May 8.
Speakers at the conference coined the term 'fifth party logistics' to refer to a web-based system that multiple retailers and processors could tap into to manage product shipments. Firms across the supply chain would be able to pinpoint freight space on vehicles such as trucks, trains, or cargo ships and re-route products on to them to cut down on vehicle trips.
The group is scheduled to meet again on July 30 to discuss launching a formal study into the issue and food and drink manufacturers from the East Midlands are being invited to contribute.
"The iNet pilot study would gain key data from manufacturers about the level of their incoming and outgoing loads so they could save money on distribution," said event organiser Emma Swinscoe.
For more information, contact her on 0115 9758810.