The implications of Industry 4.0 technologies for the sustainability of logistic service providers: A systematic literature review and insights from practice

Activity: Talk or presentation / Performance / SpeechesTalk or presentation - at conferenceAcademic

Description

Logistic service providers[1] (LSPs) are pressured to deliver order fulfillment services and manage higher service expectations while simultaneously achieving sustainability goals. Rising awareness and pressure for environmental and social sustainability in (global) supply chains from governments, clients, and consumers force executives to balance monetary value with increasing environmental and social goals. Industry 4.0 technology[2] (I4.0T), which includes digitalization, automation, robotics, and data analytics, is viewed positively in the scientific literature for its potential to address sustainability challenges such as resource efficiency, transparency, and improved brand image. However, a positivity bias prevails as research neglects to report failures and negative implications of I4.0T due to insufficient data sources. Yet, the implications of I4.0T on LSP’s economic, environmental, and social sustainability is hardly
researched as most research has focused on production and manufacturing. It is
important to focus on downstream supply-chain activities as the growing e-commerce
industry puts order fulfillment and the last mile into a greater spotlight. Failure of
adequate service by an LSP leads to a negative shopping experience and directly
impacts the customers' brand. To gain a balanced view of the sustainability potential of
I4.0T this study presents a systematic literature review and expert insights, mapping the economic, environmental, and social implications of this emerging technology on LSP. The results show that corporate decision-making for I4.0T investments is hierarchical. The key driver in decisions is financial gain, followed by environmental goals, whereas social aspects are hardly considered. However, decision-makers should not view the three dimensions of sustainability in isolation, but rather as an interrelated whole, assessing the impact of I4.0T on multiple dimensions across various supply chain phases in both the short and long term. Future research should move away from a general view of I4.0T and rather focus on individual technologies and case studies to comprehensively evaluate their sustainability implication.
Period16 Jun 2023
Event titleFrontiers in Service
Event typeConference
LocationMaastricht, NetherlandsShow on map