According to www.fleetpoint.org, 90 per cent of attendees at SCALA’s 23rd Annual Supply Chain Debate agreed that supply chain success must be owned through shared accountability — a finding that underscores the growing demand for deeper collaboration between businesses and third-party logistics (3PL) providers.
Trust Gap Hinders 3PL Innovation
While 65 per cent of participants affirmed that a modern 3PL should operate as an integrated extension of a client’s organisation, a significant trust deficit persists. More than a quarter — 27% — identified lack of trust as one of the biggest barriers to innovation between customers and logistics partners. This ranked second only to procurement’s cost focus, cited by 29% of respondents.
The debate, held on June 22, 2026, took place at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry and brought together senior leaders from retail, FMCG, and logistics sectors. Attendees included Grace Smith, Supply Chain Director UKI&N at Mars; Joanne Moore, Customer Service & Logistics Director at Suntory; Gavin Chappell, VP Supply Chain, Food & GM at ASDA; and Fabian Koehler, Deputy Group CEO at Culina Group.
Conditional Hero Status for 3PLs
A final audience poll asked whether 3PLs should be considered the “real heroes” of the supply chain. The majority — 59% — adopted a conditional stance: 3PLs earn hero status only when they have “skin in the game” and are structured for success rather than merely avoiding failure. Another 19% viewed them as critical innovation partners for manufacturers and retailers, while 14% highlighted their value for shared-user customers and their role as a training ground for future supply chain talent. Only 8% argued that logistics providers still need to master fundamentals before being seen as industry leaders.
Discussions centered on operational reliability, commercial alignment, and supply chain resilience — especially amid rising geopolitical uncertainty, labour shortages, climate pressures, and escalating customer expectations. As global supply chains grow more complex, the ability of logistics providers to turn innovation into practical, field-deployable improvements has become central to strategic competitiveness.
Structuring Relationships for Resilience
Chris Clowes, Executive Director at SCALA and chair of the debate, emphasized nuance over binaries: “In a world that often looks for polarised answers, the conclusion was much more nuanced. 3PLs can be heroes of the supply chain, but only if the relationship is structured in the right way.”
“What stood out was the contradiction between what businesses want from 3PLs and the reality of many current relationships. Manufacturers and retailers increasingly want logistics partners to operate as integrated extensions of their own organisations, yet trust remains a persistent barrier.” — Chris Clowes, Executive Director, SCALA
Clowes stressed that as disruption becomes a permanent feature of global operations, addressing the trust gap is no longer optional. Stronger partnerships depend on clearer shared objectives, better commercial alignment, and more transparent dialogue around risk, value, and responsibility. The findings suggest that while 3PLs are increasingly recognised as strategic partners — not just service vendors — long-term supply chain performance will hinge on trust, collaboration, and mutual accountability.
The event marks SCALA’s 23rd annual industry debate — a consistent platform for evidence-based dialogue among UK supply chain leaders. With rising costs and tightening regulatory scrutiny on ESG compliance and Scope 3 emissions, the pressure on logistics partnerships to deliver measurable, resilient outcomes continues to intensify.
Source: fleetpoint.org
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
