Logistics 4.0. Applications, Trends and Challenges

Diploma Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Business economics - Supply, Production, Logistics, grade: 1, University of the Aegean, language: English, abstract: Current logistics operations and information systems used cannot deal with the emerging challenges. Globalization, e-commerce, cyberthreats, cumbersome organizational structures, startups disrupting the business landscape and constantly higher customer demands push companies into adopting emerging technologies which enable them to increase digitalization and automation. The fourth industrial revolution enables companies to proceed in digitalizing their operations, as building a flexible organizational structure is a challenge that needs to be addressed and adopting the digital enterprise model is a crucial step before implementing the new age technologies, as companies must add the elements of flexibility and adaptability in order to deal with the challenges at hand. Logistics 4.0, a term derived from the combination of Industry 4.0 technologies and innovations and their application on inbound and outbound logistics is a narrower concept than Industry 4.0, as it focuses on typical features, such as automation and digitalization. The technologies most commonly utilized are the Internet of Things, Big Data analytics, Augmented Reality, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Advanced Robotics. IoT is the pinnacle of those technologies, as it enables new data streams creation from sources previously being non-exploitable and allows companies to monitor and control mechanizations, fleets etc. by a central system. The Master thesis presents a framework that companies may follow for a Logistics 4.0 technologies implementation. The framework presents five necessary phases for the implementation, enabling the company to properly deal with the challenges that emerge. Resistance to change, high investment costs, HR-related issues, data privacy issues, IT infrastructure requirements, the public's opinion about revolutionary technologies and regulations are challenges that must be dealt with for the implementation to be smoothly completed. The case studies analysis that follows showcase the advantages and benefits of implementing Logistics 4.0 technologies. Finally, the outcome of the Master thesis is that the framework may be tested in a real-world environment for further research on the subject.