FUTURE RESEARCH

Despite the uncertainty around outsourcing efficacy, there have been few studies that have delved deeply into the contextual complexities that challenge a service provider as they pursue scalable growth. This study was intended to help fill this gap. However, strengthening the generalizability of these findings would be its replication in additional service provider firms. We also hope to continue to follow MoveQuick, as they continue to pursue the development of their modularized enterprise architecture. By continuing to

power and external control within long-term strategic partnerships as the competitive posture of both firms change. Additionally, future research needs to pay special attention to the sensemaking peculiarities of horizontal versus vertical structuring. As

organizations partner with other firms to form value networks, we need to develop a fuller, more complete understanding of how these new structures ‗shape‘ and are ‗shaped‘ by sociocognitive sensemaking processes.

The concept of paradox in the services literature must also be investigated further. There has been a solid stream of work investigating the challenges that come from

opposing pursuits in traditional business environments. Yet, such issues only gain importance in a growing services economy. Paradoxes are likely never going to be resolved, but service organizations must learn to leverage and combine their distinct capabilities to create higher levels of value for customers. Future research in this area needs to more deeply investigate the sociocognitive underpinnings of paradoxical tension in service delivery, especially as actions are taken to alleviate such pressure. It has been said that because the world is inherently paradoxical such tension can never be

completely lessened because there will always be a new paradox waiting to be discovered (Poole and Van de Ven, 1989). If this is true, we need to have a better understanding of which levers can be pulled and which should be left alone to attenuate paradoxical tension in a services context. Future research should investigate these issues closely.

APPENDIX A: LETTER SEEKING ENTRY

“LEVERAGING WORLD CLASS CAPABILITIES: A CASE STUDY ON MOVEQUICK STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A REPEATABLE SERVICE

MODEL”

JUNE 5, 2003

Introduction: A research team from Georgia State University and MoveQuick would like to conduct a case study investigation of MoveQuick, as the company re-brands and repositions itself to emerge as a dominant player in the global supply chain solutions industry. Heightened market uncertainty, globalization, and advances in information technology are pressing companies to reevaluate their business models to improve financial and operational performance. Supply chain management practices can have a significant impact on efficiency and market responsiveness. To compete in the supply chain outsourcing market MoveQuick must develop supply chain solutions that can be leveraged across multiple customer relationships. Failure to create reusable processes, infrastructure, and information sharing practices would constrain their ability to leverage their world class supply chain capabilities and massive information technology infrastructure.

MoveQuick became a market leader in package delivery by building a massive operations infrastructure and fine- tuned processes for the coordination of package movement between firms. In addition to the physical delivery of goods between stages in the supply chain, MoveQuick must develop the capabilities to coordinate physical, financial, and information flows throughout the entire value chain. The company has invested extensively to develop innovative capabilities required to compete in the information intensive supply chain markets yet they must ensure these capabilities are applied in multiple customer outsourcing relationships throughout the value chain. Each customer supply chain will differ, resulting in some level of customization required to meet unique customer demands. However, the technological, process, and relational innovations required to prescribe and integrate customer processes into the core MoveQuick infrastructure needs to be investigated.

Focus of Study: The opportunity for MoveQuick to be a dominant force in the enablement of global supply chains hinges on their ability to collect and coordinate information across organizational, system, and country boundaries while using a repeatable information infrastructure in multiple customer scenarios. The research team is interested in exploring the technological, process, organizational and relational attributes required to introduce a repeatable service model in diverse customer relationships. Issues associated with the infusion and adoption of MoveQuick common business practices, impact and possible creation of network externalities, in addition to the possible strategies and potential outcomes of realigning relational power will be investigated. The case study will be divided into the following six sections:

I. Historic overview of MoveQuick and an explanation of new market opportunities.

II. Investments and innovations in digital technologies by MoveQuick for supply chain collaboration. III. Key challenges that emerge when introducing repeatable service models.

IV. Analysis of innovative processes and technologies fundamental to the development of a repeatable service model.

V. Exploration into best practices for building relational trust and moving towards a prescriptive model.

VI. Investigation of future strategies for influencing the evolution of supply chain networks.

Approach:The research team would like to conduct comprehensive personal interviews with MoveQuick customers and key members of the MoveQuick management team from the following organizations:

 MoveQuick Capital Corp  MoveQuick Ocean Trade Direct

 MoveQuick Freight Services  MoveQuick Consulting

Outcome:The research team has the following expected outcomes for the case study.  Provide educational material to be used in MBA and MS programs around the world.

 Provide educational materials to be used for the training of corporate and field MoveQuick personnel  Generate insights into technological, process, and relational innovations.

 Help MoveQuick develop and fine-tune strategies for building a repeatable service model.

 Explore process innovations that both leverage the core infrastructure yet adapt to unique customer requirements.

 Develop a relationship for future research collaboration between MoveQuick and Georgia State University on the topic of interorganizational collaboration, information sharing, and repeatable service models in the supply chain outsourcing industry.

We look forward to working with MoveQuick and appreciate your support in the past, in the present, and in the future.

Sincerely,

Arun Rai – Regents’ Professor andHarkins Chair, Robinson College of Business David Forquer - Department of Management: Robinson College of Business Mark Lewis – Doctoral Student: Robinson College of Business

APPENDIX B: EXAMPLE OF INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

 All interviews will start by asking each person to describe their job role, how it relates to the overall organization, their key contact points, and a brief synoposis of their prior career to this point (including previous roles/assignments, companies worked for etc.).

Relational (Interview with Account Managers) -

 Describe the current MOVEQUICK relationship with customer X.

 What percentage of the services your provide to customer X are standardized versus customized?

 Describe the process for engaging a customer, collecting requirements, and aligning your capabilities to meet individual customer demands.

 What percentage of the customers supply chain are they outsourcing to MOVEQUICK?

 What MOVEQUICK offerings is customer X currently using?  How many other companies are involved in the operation?

 How integrated is MOVEQUICK in the value chain of customer X (Demand, Supply, Return – 3PL, 4PL)?

 What is customer X‘s position in their value chain (Supplier, Integrator, Distributor)?  How successful would you say MOVEQUICK has been in meeting customer X‘s

requirements?

 Describe how the relationship has evolved?

 What were the initial perceptions related to the complexity of integrating customer X‘s processes with the MOVEQUICK infrastructure?

 Did this impact the structure MOVEQUICK created to coordinate the processes?  How have these structures evolved?

Information Visibility?

 What is the MOVEQUICK strategy for growing existing accounts?

 How successful has this strategy been? Why?

 Are customers more willing to adapt their existing processes or technologies to better align with current MOVEQUICK capabilities?

 How is a decision regarding customer X made within MOVEQUICK?

IT Manager-

 Describe how successful you have been adapting customer‘s previous technologies to better align with MOVEQUICK existing technologies and infrastructure?

 Describe the process of integrating a customer‘s IT infrastructure with your organizations.

 What is your process for prescribing solutions?  Why were you successful?

 Why were you not successful?

 What have been the biggest challenges?

 How is a decision regarding customer X made within MOVEQUICK?

Operations Manager-

 Describe the services you currently provide for customer X?  Describe how the services you provide have evolved?

 What were the initial perceptions regarding the difficulty of integrating Customers X‘s processes with the MOVEQUICK infrastructure?

 Did this impact how governance structures were set at the beginning of the relationship?

 Describe the current governance structure and decision process for changing processes.

o At Customer?

 Describe how successful MOVEQUICK has been adapting customer‘s previous processes to better align with MOVEQUICK existing capabilities?

 Why were you successful?  Why were you not successful?

 Describe how well the core infrastructure (distribution centers) deals with large supply chain accounts. What customer situations create the biggest challenges for the infrastructure?

 Describe changes that have been made to distribution centers to meet new customer requirements (both for specific customers and to improve aggregate operations).  What is the process for making changes to the core infrastructure to meet individual

customer requirements?

 Where are these decisions made within MOVEQUICK?  Are they made frequently?

 Are they made from the perspective of a single customer or from the entire operation?