Evaluating the Barriers to Logistics Outsourcing through a Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model

Abstract

Logistics outsourcing has become a common strategic practice for enterprises seeking cost efficiency and greater operational flexibility. Achieving these benefits, however, depends on the effective management of outsourcing relationships through suitable governance mechanisms. In practice, several barriers limit the realization of these advantages. With a specific focus on Africa, this study applies a fuzzy criteria importance assessment (F-CIMAS) method to systematically assess the barriers to logistics outsourcing. Data was collected from four domain experts who evaluated twenty-two identified barriers, and the proposed method was then applied to determine the relative importance of each criterion. The results reveal that congested roads and weak infrastructure, poor governance, corruption and unethical conduct, inadequate regulations, and excessive cost of business operations constitute the five most critical impediments to logistics outsourcing. The study makes a meaningful contribution to the decision sciences and management literature by offering practical insights for logistics outsourcing practitioners, and it concludes by outlining clear avenues for future research.