Challenges and perspectives of the Industry 4.0 technologies within the last-mile and first-mile reverse logistics: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The circular economy (CE) and supply chain management (SCM) paradigms were already synthetized within the concept of circular supply chain (CSC) but, recently, also Industry 4.0 has been identified as a disruptive factor in the field of CSC and as key for shifting toward sustainability. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the current contribution of Industry 4.0 technologies in logistics, with a focus in last and first mile activities.The study proposes a three-step methodological approach which includes bibliometric, network and content analyses has been adopted to systematically analyze the scientific literature and to investigate the evolving trends, challenges and perspectives within the last-mile and first-mile reverse logistics research field. From a managerial perspective, this study provides an overview of the potential associated with Industry 4.0 solutions adopted within the logistics management, focusing on interdependencies, possible trade-offs, and less understood pathways. The study has outlined that several gaps still remain present and future research developments should be addressed in this research field starting from in identifying critical points for the simultaneous management of last-mile and first-mile reverse logistics operations and evaluating economic feasibility of Industry 4.0 adoption. This study also provided feedbacks related to support define new business model in order to respond to new requirements deriving from the implementation of circular economy and Industry 4.0 paradigms.