Advances in Production, Logistics and Traffic

Delivery robots represent a rather new technology, which has been developed in recent years. These robots drive with walking speed on sidewalks and have unit capacity. The advantage is that these robots are able to drive autonomous and a single operator can manage a fleet of robots. This enables deliveries to be made within a time slot chosen by the customer. Delivery robots are suitable for deliveries of small goods such as groceries, medicine, food, or parcels.

In this contribution, a simulation model for a parcel delivery network on the last-mile is presented. The model represents deliveries from a hub, which is close to an urban area, to customers. In addition to conventional delivery vehicles, the delivery with parcel robots is examined. Decision processes of the simulation are supported by mathematical optimization. In the optimization, two extension of the Traveling Salesman Problem are solved heuristically. To evaluate the simulation we created a case study based on real world data from parcel delivery company Hermes.

A steel plant company producing steel bars has large assortment of the end products, with similar appearance and attributes. The steel bars are stored on the floor in a stacking frame. For the order picking of steel bars, an overhead crane is used for reshuffling all the necessary steel bars to get access to the required product. While the production schedule allows for anticipating the storage occupancy, a stochastic transport arrival prevents optimal product stacking for efficient order-picking operation. Due to this, any order-picking sequence may require reshuffling of the stacked material, which increases working cost, order-picking times, and complicates material tracking. This paper presents a method for minimizing the order-picking times by overhead crane movements through proper reshuffling of the steel bars. Similar research was done on container yard pre-marshalling and reshuffling problem, while the presented approach handles with the special situation in the steel plant. Various optimization approaches including linear programming, simulated annealing, taboo search, branch and bound and genetic algorithms were used by researchers to solve comparable problems. The proposed method for solving the specific problem of reshuffling steel bars uses genetic algorithms to find a feasible solution in real-time. The proposed solution reduces intralogistics cost and increases order-picking efficiency.

Actions in logistics networks are often determined and evaluated by logistics assistance systems. Typically, these actions are predefined by the logistics assistance system. In case of a data-driven logistics assistance system, these actions are depending on the underlying data structure. This paper describes an approach of decoupling an actions implementation from the underlying data model and, therefore, independent of a given data structure.

In complex supply chains decision-makers strive to act quickly and effectively to ensure the efficient operation of their systems. Particularly, at the operational level immediate decision-making is required. In this context, simulation is becoming increasingly important for decision-making in logistics and supply chain. The classic event-discrete simulation paradigm is reaching its limits in the modelling of individual interacting system components of complex socio-technical systems due to a lack of flexibility and adaptability. The agent-based simulation (ABS) paradigm offers the capability to design heterogeneous individuals as agents that interact with each other as well as with the environment. This paper analyses the state-of-the-art of ABS in literature with a focus on operational logistics. We use a multi-level classification framework to provide a literature overview for publications of the operational logistics research field from in the recent years. On the basis of the literature review, categories are identified which may indicate research gaps.

According to the assessment of rather pessimistic publications (Frey/Osborne 2013; Bowles 2014; Bonin et al. 2015; F.A.Z.-online 2018; PWC 2018) regarding the effects of digitization and industry 4.0 - in the Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-American area also known as “the second machine age” (Brynjolffsson/McAfee 2014) or “third industrial revolution” (Rifikin 2011) - which have a decisive influence on the international and national discourses on the “fourth industrial revolution” (Forschungsunion/acatech 2013; Bauernhansl 2014, p. 5-36), a disruptive change is taking place in conjunction with numerous job losses - i.e. substitution of work. The change to the digital world of work is characterized, among other things, by polarization tendencies in the sense of “lovely and lousy jobs” (Goos/Manning 2007; also Hirsch-Kreinsen 2015, pp. 11-13) and increased control potentials through technology. These often technology-driven perspectives are contrasted by publications that tend to assume a quantitative increase in the number of jobs (BCG 2015; Vogler-Ludwig et al. 2016, p. 80) and qualitative changes in some activity elements (Ittermann et al. 2016, p. 13 -18; BMAS 2016, p. 100ff.) as well as the emergence of new occupations (IGBCE 2017, p. 22-32) as future developments in industrial and industry-related sectors. It is undisputed, however, that the digital transformation will bring opportunities with it but also risks. This results in changes in work and employment structures for different groups of employees.

The road freight transportation-industry in the German speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) faces high market pressure. Besides a high competition between the logistic service providers, shippers are exerting pressure too (Cordes 2018).

The market situation urges especially the small and medium enterprises to take action. This is because of their relatively small size and thereby minor possibilities than large enterprises to foster efficiency, e.g. truck-utilization (DLK 2016). Through an innovative form to increase truck-utilization such as a sharing economy-application, an important facilitation for small and medium enterprises during the downtimes could be achieved. As the sharing economy offers various advantages such as fostering utilization of idle capacities or the reduction of the ecological footprint, these should be levered.

To enable sound exploratory research results about the premises (e.g. enablers and barriers) of truck sharing in general cargo cooperative, two different research fields should be addressed. First, a short literature review provides insight into relevant literature about truck sharing. Second, case-interviews and -analyses with general cargo cooperatives share the practitioners view on truck sharing. Therefore, a multiple case-design, enabling semi-structured interviews to set the basis for data-collection and evaluation.

The (cross-)case analysis shows that, among others, the mindset of sharing (own) resources (i.e. truck branding), data security, legal liability, financial contribution system, reputation of the sharing platform, trust and the incentive program are relevant premises for truck sharing in general cargo cooperatives. These, however, are re-categorized after their relevance into the architecture, market and property-requirements.

To lever the potentials such as advancements in truck-utilization and environmental pollution of the rather new concept of truck sharing, premises have to be met. The concept is enabled, respectively challenged by the trust, reputation, participant’s mindset, security, liability, contribution system and incentives.

In the pallet exchange system, consignees, shippers and forwarders all bear large financial burden regarding the exchange of pallets. Thus, efficiency and costs are strongly influenced by the individual behaviour of the participants. The aim of this study is to focus on the influences of these factors. Of special interest is the reasonable allocation of pallets. The pallets shall be kept in good condition as long as possible to avoid costs for repairing and replacing defective pallets. Thereby, the predictable depreciation in value can be reduced by a reasonable selection of pallets depending on the wear trait of the transported goods.

A current topic of high relevance in the transport sector is the automation of driving. Automation affects not only passenger transport, but also freight transport. While industry players are promoting automation to achieve the next level of driver assistance systems as a selling point, policymakers are supporting this innovation in the expectation of reducing congestion, fuel consumption and accidents. Hence, publicly funded projects deal with activities on infrastructure issues, legal aspects, technology development, connectivity aspects, information technology security and data protection. However, the user side of automated driving in freight traffic, the logistics and forwarding companies so far had little involvement in designing the technology and the framework conditions according to their needs. The exclusion of the user perspective can however lead to non-market-oriented solutions. Against this background, the article aims to convey the perspective of potential users of automation technology and to demonstrate the conditions of technology acceptance.

The main result of the analysis is clear: The great benefit potential for users will be unleashed if the driver is replaced by the technology, due to the increasing scarcity of drivers, the increasing cost pressure and low margins and, the increasing need for efficient logistics processes, which drives the demand for automated trucks. In the opinion of the logistics industry, it is very unlikely that the driver will take on other tasks while driving for labour force qualification and economic reasons. The novelty of this finding contradicts the current use cases considered by the manufacturing industry: an automated truck with a driver who can follow other activities on the tour. There are signs, that the development of a user-oriented product therefore means the development of a driverless truck.

Costs are a decisive competitive advantage in the logistics industry. For this reason, companies are constantly striving to reduce these costs. Driverless driving offers an opportunity to support this endeavor and also to counteract the increasing shortage of drivers. However, the interactions between logistics costs and driverless vehicles in road haulage that exist have not been considered much at the moment. The aim of this study is to identify the interactions in the system of automated driving with logistics costs by using a system dynamical approach. The use of a system dynamics approach serves not only to carry out constant calculations, but also to record dynamic changes in the system. For this purpose, a theoretical and a simulation model are developed to identify qualitative as well as quantitative impacts in the system of driverless road haulage. The theoretical model shows not only the elements that are relevant in the system, but also possible rebound effects that can stabilize or even destabilize the system. In addition, the simulation model serves to take a closer look at the individual costs that can be relevant for transportation. Both models showed possible advantages and disadvantages that can occur due to automated driving. It is therefore important to put the elements of a system in an overall context to understand the dependencies between them.

One of the major goals of the European transport policies is the modal shift from road to rail transportation. However, especially regarding the wagonload transport, this goal is jeopardised (hard to achieve). Due to a reduction in the number of private sidings and public loading points, the accessibility of the rail network is reasonably reduced. Thus, a new approach to counteract the reduction, especially for small and medium-sized transhipment sites is required. This paper develops a list of requirements for small and medium-sized transhipment sites based on shippers’ demand. Further, based on these requirements, standard types of transhipment sites are defined. Additionally, for one of the standard type, a reference layout is also developed.

Indoor localization systems are primarily designed for the precise determination of the position of objects. In addition, the position data obtained can be used to create further potentials, so-called secondary benefits. So far, only a few of these are mentioned sporadically in the literature. In this survey, they are now collected and categorized. Further potentials are revealed in two consecutive expert workshops and transferred into a five-level model that contains a description of each use case and can be regarded as a recommended logical order for practical implementation for both developers and production managers.

Intermodal logistics networks such as the maritime transport chain require a precise interaction of numerous actors. However, due to their complexity, the closely interlinked processes are highly susceptible to disruptions. Companies are constantly faced with the challenge of dealing effectively and efficiently with disruptions and resultant delays. At the same time, they are confronted with increasing logistical requirements related to higher quality and flexibility demands of customers (Straube et al. 2013). Supply chains are becoming increasingly vulnerable, due to the associated necessity to cope with increasing volatility while simultaneously reducing risk buffers in processes as a result of rising cost pressure. Combined with ongoing changes due to digitization, this situation contributes significantly to an increasing need for improved information transparency among companies and their customers.

Under the light of recent studies, it seems that not only the structure and topology of networks but also their growth follows some laws of nature. It appears that this statement is also true for transport and logistics networks. Moreover, specific attributes of a given network like small-world and scale-free properties have additional influences on the efficiency of a network. The principal concern of this study is to assess the topology and structure of the different types of weighted and unweighted networks of “Deutsche Bahn (DB)” or German Railway and to evaluate their local and global efficiencies. Additionally, the different types of efficiencies of a network are used to develop an algorithm that will further help in optimising the network in the case of some planned addition or alteration of edges to the underlying or basic topology of the network. The assessment processes are divided into two parts and carried out on three different networks (both weighted and unweighted) namely, the core infrastructure network of DB and the two service networks, i.e. the long-distance InterCity (IC) service network and the high-speed InterCity Express (ICE) service network. These networks are evaluated under the lens of six different indicators; the average shortest path Length (L), clustering Coefficient (C), network Density (d), power law Coefficient (γ), local Efficiency (E_Loc) and global Efficiency (E_Glob). Finally, the results from the analyses are compared to the results available from the other studies on different railway networks of different sizes (as the transportation and logistics networks show similar properties irrespective of their sizes). The study reveals that the service networks are more efficient than the infrastructure network. Additionally, the ICE service network turns out to be more efficient than the IC service network. Further, during the development process of the algorithm, this study finds certain deficiencies in the existing quantification of the efficiency of a network and tries to form a basis to address these deficiencies.

In 2012 the German Federal Government started a five-year field trial with longer trucks. One scientific project focused on empirical data of the logistic and transport processes as well as the modelling of future mileage and market shares of longer trucks. Based on predefined scenarios, potential areas of application and accessible routes for longer trucks were determined using a likelihood approach with particular attention to the different definitions of a ‘longer truck suitable road network’. In a second step, empirical data covering logistic characteristics collected from participating carriers and forwarders were integrated into a sophisticated transport model in order to estimate transport demand effects and emissions of air pollutants as well as greenhouse gases stemming from longer trucks in normal business operations. Analysis of the traffic demand modelling for the scenarios shows for the reference years 2014 and 2030 that due to logistical constraints and requirements, only a small part of all German heavy good vehicle-km (from 0.03% up to 0.25%) and even a smaller part of all rail/inland waterway transport performance (from 0.05‰ up to 0.3‰) are estimated to be actually shifted to longer trucks.

The courier, express and parcel (CEP) service continues its growing over the last decade. There are almost three billion deliveries shipped within Germany – with rising tendency. One reason for a further growing is the booming of e-commerce. As the importance of online shopping behaviour is growing, so far a lot of research has been carried out with main focus on delivery and ordering behaviour of private households in the e-commerce segment. At the moment, several household models and firm-specific datasets are available to analyse and to forecast parcel deliveries of private households. But businesses are still responsible for nearly half of all CEP services. There is still a lack of knowledge with regard to the delivery and shipping behaviour of commercial clients and their use of CEP service providers. However, the way shops are delivered has undergone an enormous change during the past decade. Based on an extensive literature analysis, we have identified the sketched gap and need for market research.

Cities are a hotspot for resource consumption. This is induced, among other activities, by housing, transportation, trade, the production of goods and the use of products and services. Industrial production and urban factories are an essential part of a city’s economy although they are commonly associated with negative impacts, e.g. on the environment or traffic infrastructure. Through positive integration of existing production systems into the urban surrounding, the negative impacts of these urban factories can be lowered or eliminated, and even positive impacts can be achieved. In order to reach a higher degree of integration of different utilizations in urban areas, new methods and conceptual approaches are required to identify suitable measures and actions for urban located companies, city authorities and further stakeholders. For this purpose, an approach has been developed that is founded on research on urban areas and production systems.

This paper investigated the implementation of supply chain management by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Specifically, the study analysed relationships between public supply chain management, supply chain performance and service delivery. The study employed a quantitative research design in which a survey questionnaire was distributed to 68 supply chain role players drawn from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Data were analysed using a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study showed that the application of public supply chain management within the municipality was in its advanced stages. Positive correlations were observed between the various public supply chain management strategies, performance and service delivery. Regression analyses indicated that only three public supply chain management strategies, namely people, processes and risk management positively influenced supply chain performance. However, the implementation of various supply chain management strategies exerted no influence on service delivery.

Production control and its characteristics can be seen as a key factor for handling enhancing dynamic and complex circumstance of production systems. Especially autonomous control methods (ACMs) are considered as an expedient solution for dealing with increasing dynamic and complexity of production and logistic processes. The logistic efficiency of the different ACMs varies greatly depending on the conditions of the respective production scenario and its current complexity and dynamic. This fact motivates to switch the recently used ACM in a given production system during runtime. The central key requirement for this prospective procedure is the appropriate evaluation of the complexity state of production systems. In this paper, current methods for complexity oriented evaluation of production systems and its focused complexity drivers are analyzed. After this, the relevance and interdependencies of possible complexity drivers in the field of autonomous control is focused and represented by an influencing matrix. In addition, simulation studies regarding applicable complexity drivers and used production scenarios in the field of autonomous control are analyzed. As as result, it could be derived that especially dynamic and external complexity drivers should be addressed during online-switching of ACMs.

In competition with other modes of transport, rail freight transport is looking for solutions to become more attractive. Short-term success can be achieved through the data-driven optimization of operations and maintenance as well as the application of novel strategies such as prescriptive maintenance. After introducing the concept of prescriptive maintenance, this paper aims to prove that vehicle-focused applications of this approach indeed have the potential to increase attractiveness. However, even greater advantages can be activated if data from the horizontal network of the vehicle is available. Drawing on the state of the art in research and technology in the field of cyber-physical systems (CPS) as well as digital twins and shadows, our work serves to design a system of systems for the horizontal interconnection of a rail vehicle and to conceptualize a draft for a digital twin of a locomotive.

In modern rail freight there is a growing need for automation. Smart telematics form an important part of automation. With the increasing trend to include sensors and data communication technologies in freight wagons, there is a need to have a reliable power supply for components of automation. The useful lifespan of the power supply solution needed here is nearly 8 years while keeping in mind the boundary conditions for maintenance time in freight wagons. This paper deals with telematics use cases and applications and describes feasible solutions for an energy supply.

Rural medical facilities in Zimbabwe have consistently faced energy-related challenges particularly in powering machines that are critical in their operations. The situation has been further worsened by the inconsistent supply of electricity from the national grid. This study aimed to investigate the supply chain challenges associated with the use of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) in rural medical facilities in Zimbabwe. The research followed a quantitative approach in which 97 respondents were surveyed. The respondents consisted of medical and maintenance staff drawn from selected provincial medical facilities in Zimbabwe, private LPG suppliers as well as non-governmental organisations involved in the procurement and supply of LPG. The collected data were analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS version 24.0).

The results of the study show that the performance of rural medical facilities improved with the use of LPG. The study further shows that various significant LPG supply-related challenges exist in rural medical facilities, which limit the performance of such institutions. Managerial implications are provided on how managers and employees in rural medical facilities can harness the supply and use of LPG as a viable alternative energy source in remote locations.