본 논문은 한미 양국의 3PL에 대한 비교분석을 통해 국내 3PL의 위상을 파악하고 이로부터 국내 3PL의 활성화를 위한 시사점을 도출하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 세계화와 정보통신기술의 발달로 기업간 경쟁이 치열해지면서 세계 각국의 기업들 사이에 물류분야의 경쟁력 제고를 위한 수단으로 3PL의 도입이 활발해지고 있다. 미국의 제조업체들은 자사의 물류부문을 물류업체에게 아웃소싱(outsourcing)함으로써 물류비의 절감과 핵심사업에의 전념 등의 편익을 바탕으로 전세계 3PL시장의 30% 이상을 차지할 만큼 3PL이 활성화되어 있다. 우리나라의 경우도 지속적인 물류비 증가에 따른 비용절감에 대한 필요성을 인식하고 전문물류업체를 중심으로 3PL에 대한 투자확대가 이루어지고 있지만 국내 3PL은 시장 및 기업규모, 활용률, 활용분야, 만족도 등 여러 측면에서 미국에 비해 여전히 낮은 수준에 머무르고 있다. 본 논문의 결과로부터 얻을 수 있는 시사점으로는 먼저 국내 물류서비스 수요자는 자신의 역량은 핵심업무에 집중하고 물류서비스는 물류업체에게 아웃소싱하는 것이 경쟁력 향상에 효율적임을 인식해야 한다는 점이다. 둘째, 물류업계는 물류산업의 표준화가 산업 전체의 표준화로 연결된다는 인식하에 물류정보 인프라 구축에 노력해야 한다. 셋째, 물류기업은 단순 물류서비스 제공에서 탈피하여 고객의 니즈(needs)에 부응하는 고부가가치 물류서비스 제공전략을 세워야 한다. 넷째, 물류기업은 향후 4PL의 수요 증가에 대비한 물류정보시스템에도 지속적으로 투자해야 한다. 마지막으로 정부는 물류관련 법규의 정비, 업체간 인수·합병(M&A)을 통한 대형화 유도, 소프트 물류 및 하드웨어 물류 구축 지원과 물류전문인력의 육성 등에 대한 투자확대를 통해 물류시장의 활성화를 적극 추진해야 한다.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the current situation of third party logistics(3PL) between Korea and America and to draw several suggestions to activate domestic 3PL from the results. With the rapidly changing of business environment, many logistics service demanders in the world have introduced 3PL as a way of increasing competitiveness in logistics into their companies. Many American companies have actively outsourced to logistics service providers in an effort to improve the efficiencies in logistics and have been able to cut the logistics costs. Compared with American companies, however, Korean ones have not been activated 3PL and this is caused by the lack of openness for corporate culture and the lack of recognition for logistics outsourcing. We can get several suggestions from the results of this study. First, logistics service demanders should recognize that 3PL is a useful way of strengthening the competitiveness of their companies. Second, logistics service providers should establish logistics information infrastructure considering that the standardization of logistics industry leads to the standardization of whole industries. Third, logistics service providers must also think out the strategies of providing their customers with high value-added logistics service instead of simple logistics service to satisfy them. Fourth, logistics service providers need to prepare for introducing 4PL in near future. At last, government should support the development of logistics industry actively by making combined logistics-related law, establishing standardized and international logistics system, and cultivating specialized logistics companies, etc.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the current situation of third party logistics(3PL) between Korea and America and to draw several suggestions to activate domestic 3PL from the results. With the rapidly changing of business environment, many logistics service demanders in the world have introduced 3PL as a way of increasing competitiveness in logistics into their companies. Many American companies have actively outsourced to logistics service providers in an effort to improve the efficiencies in logistics and have been able to cut the logistics costs. Compared with American companies, however, Korean ones have not been activated 3PL and this is caused by the lack of openness for corporate culture and the lack of recognition for logistics outsourcing. We can get several suggestions from the results of this study. First, logistics service demanders should recognize that 3PL is a useful way of strengthening the competitiveness of their companies. Second, logistics service providers should establish logistics information infrastructure considering that the standardization of logistics industry leads to the standardization of whole industries. Third, logistics service providers must also think out the strategies of providing their customers with high value-added logistics service instead of simple logistics service to satisfy them. Fourth, logistics service providers need to prepare for introducing 4PL in near future. At last, government should support the development of logistics industry actively by making combined logistics-related law, establishing standardized and international logistics system, and cultivating specialized logistics companies, etc.

3PL, 3PL corporate, 3PL Provider, Logistics Outsourcing, Korea, America