Defining and Measuring Communication Flexibility for Smart Logistics

定义和衡量智能物流的通信灵活性

• 批准号: EP/J009210/1
• 负责人: Yingli Wang
• 金额: $ 11.4万
• 依托单位: CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2012 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FJ009210%2F1
• 关键词: Defining; Measuring; Communication; Flexibility; Smart

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.

物流服务的提供在很大程度上依赖于有效的组织内，特别是组织间的信息交流和沟通，而信通技术被视为一个关键的推动因素。托运人（发货人）、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，减少不确定性和与性能相关的错误，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”，即灵活且能够科普不确定性。拟议的研究是关于了解如何通过定义和衡量通信灵活性的透镜，利用信通技术特别是互联网的最新进展提高连通性和可见度，以提供创新的物流服务（“智能物流”）。尽管近年来物流灵活性的概念受到了广泛关注，但缺少一个关键的维度，即通信灵活性。虽然ICT在支持灵活运营方面的深远影响，无论是在供应链层面还是在制造层面，都得到了广泛的认可，但学术研究人员需要更严格的方法来评估物流环境中的组织间沟通。这是该提案的主要驱动力和新奇。组织间的沟通灵活性在这里被定义为在何种程度上，企业能够配置和重新配置他们的信息联系，以应对不断变化的环境，主要目标是开发一个概念模型捕捉沟通灵活性的关键指标，并随后验证模型使用大规模的调查。因此，将建立一个适当的方法来评估通信的灵活性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。这项研究所需的数据将通过三个焦点小组讨论、六个案例研究和对英国700多家针对托运人、承运人和ICT提供商的公司的调查来获得。拟议的研究也是及时的;因为它调查和巩固了物流领域的关键新兴技术，例如使用全球定位系统（GPS）的真实的时间跟踪技术和基于云计算解决方案的电子物流市场。单独使用或结合使用，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，通过将它们结合起来，这项研究的进步和更新我们的知识，在物流领域使用信息和通信技术。因此，这项研究对从业人员具有重要价值，因为它将指导他们理解并利用这些新兴技术获得竞争优势。

项目成果

The use of ICT in road freight transport for CO 2 reduction - an exploratory study of UK's grocery retail industry

在公路货运中使用 ICT 来减少 CO 2 - 英国杂货零售业的探索性研究

• DOI: 10.1108/ijlm-02-2013-0021
• 发表时间: 2015
• 期刊: The International Journal of Logistics Management
• 作者: Wang Y

Logistics Service Providers and Facebook: Do they 'like' it?

物流服务提供商和 Facebook：他们“喜欢”它吗？

• 期刊: International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
• 作者: Potter, Andrew

An exploration of how Logistics Service Providers engage with online social networks

探索物流服务提供商如何参与在线社交网络

• 发表时间: 2017
• 作者: Potter, Andrew

Successful ICT usage in Supply chains and contingency: factors and barriers to successful information sharing

信息通信技术在供应链和突发事件中的成功应用：成功信息共享的因素和障碍

• 发表时间: 2013
• 期刊: N/A
• 作者: Evans, L.;Wang, Y.
• 通讯作者: Wang, Y.

ICT in multimodal transport and technological trends: Unleashing potential for the future

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2014.09.005
• 发表时间: 2015-01-01
• 期刊: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION ECONOMICS
• 影响因子: 12
• 作者: Harris, Irina;Wang, Yingli;Wang, Haiyang
• 通讯作者: Wang, Haiyang