Defining and Measuring Communication Flexibility for Smart Logistics

物流服务的提供在很大程度上依赖于有效的组织内部，特别是组织间的信息交换和沟通，而信息和通信技术被视为关键的推动因素。托运人（托运人）、承运人和客户（收货人）之间的有效沟通有助于促进合作关系，减少不确定性和与绩效相关的错误，从而提高运营效率和客户响应能力。基于使用最先进技术的创新物流实践通常被称为“智能物流”，即灵活且能够应对不确定性。拟议的研究旨在了解如何通过定义和衡量通信灵活性来利用信息通信技术（特别是互联网）的最新进展所带来的连接性和可视性的增强，以实现创新的物流规定（“智能物流”）。尽管近年来人们对物流柔性概念的关注越来越多，但却忽略了一个关键的维度，即沟通灵活性。虽然信息通信技术在支持灵活操作方面的深远影响，无论是在供应链层面还是在制造层面，都是公认的，但学术研究人员需要一种更严格的方法来评估物流背景下的组织间沟通。这是这个提议的主要驱动力和新颖性。在这里，组织间沟通的灵活性被定义为企业能够配置和重新配置其信息联系以响应不断变化的环境的程度。主要目标是开发一个概念模型，捕捉通信灵活性的关键指标，随后使用大规模调查验证该模型。因此，将建立一种适当的方法来评估通信灵活性的水平及其对物流绩效的影响，从而为这一重要但在很大程度上被忽视的主题奠定基础。本研究所需的数据将通过三个焦点小组讨论、六个案例研究和对700多家公司的调查获得，这些公司的目标是英国的托运人、承运人和信息通信技术提供商。提出的研究也很及时；因为它调查和整合了物流领域的关键新兴技术，例如使用全球定位系统（GPS）的实时跟踪技术和基于云计算解决方案的电子物流市场。单独使用或组合使用它们将促进不同层次的组织间沟通。这些技术只是最近才出现的，因此，通过整合它们，本研究推进和更新了我们在物流领域使用信息通信技术的知识。因此，本研究对从业者具有重要的价值，因为它将指导他们理解并利用这些新兴技术来获得竞争优势。

The provision of logistics services relies heavily on effective intra- and particularly inter-organisational information exchange and communication to which ICT is seen as a key enabler. Effective communication among shippers (consignors), carriers and customers (consignees) helps to foster collaborative relationships, reduce uncertainties and performance-related errors, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and customer responsiveness. Innovative logistics practices that are based on the use of the state-of-art technologies are often referred to as 'smart logistics', i.e. flexible and able to cope with uncertainties. The proposed research is about understanding how increased connectivity and visibility enabled by recent advances in ICT, particularly the Internet, could be harnessed for innovative logistics provisions ('smart logistics') through the lens of defining and measuring communication flexibility. Even though much attention has been focused on the logistics flexibility concept in recent years, one critical dimension is missing - namely, communication flexibility. While the profound effect of ICT in supporting flexible operations, be it at supply chain level or manufacturing level, is well recognised, academic researchers need a more rigorous approach in assessing inter-organisational communication within the logistics context. This is the major driver and novelty of this proposal. Inter-organisational communication flexibility here is defined as the extent to which the firms are able to configure and reconfigure their information linkages in responding to the changing environment.The main objectives are to develop a conceptual model capturing the key indicators of communication flexibility and subsequently validate the model using a large scale survey. As a result, an appropriate method for assessing the level of communication flexibility and its impact to logistics performance will be established, thus laying the foundation for this important yet largely overlooked subject. The data required for this research will be acquired through three focus group discussions, six case studies and a survey of seven hundred plus companies targeting shippers, carriers and ICT providers in the UK. The proposed research is also timely; as it investigates and consolidates the key emerging technologies in the logistics field for instance real time tracking technologies using Global Positioning System (GPS) and electronic logistics marketplaces based on cloud computing solutions. Used separately or in combination they will facilitate interorganisational communication at different levels. Such technologies only emerged recently and therefore by incorporating them, this study advances and updates our knowledge towards the use of ICT in the logistics field. Consequently this research is of great value to practitioners as it will guide them to make sense out of and leverage such emerging technologies for competitive advantages.