A Novel Application of a Hybrid Delphi-Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Technique: Identifying Key Success Factors in the Strategic Alignment of Collaborative Heterarchical Transportation Networks for Supply Chains

This research studies heterarchical collaboration in logistical transport. Specifically, it utilizes a hybrid Delphi-Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach to explore the relevant criteria for the formation and maintenance of a strategic alignment for heterarchical transport collaboration. The importance of this work is that it applies a novel hybrid approach for identifying criteria for success to a little-studied form of supply chain collaboration: heterarchical collaborative transport. The criteria for this form of collaboration identified by the application of Delphi-AHP include ones from the technical, risk, financial, organizational, and operational categories. This novel application of the hybrid approach leveraged the expertise of transportation collaboration experts from the U.K., France, Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Italy to identify key criteria for a strategic alignment between heterarchical collaboration partners. Such collaborative initiatives are important in industry as an environmentally conscious, yet efficient and effective strategy for the transport of raw materials and finished products in the supply chain.