Logistics Information Technology Research Articles

Internet Technology for Efficiency and Resilience in Ocean Transportation Supply Chain Management: A Case Study of China Ocean Shipping Group

With the global maritime transport industry has faced many challenges in recent years, such as market volatility, environmental requirements and technological upgrading. The wide application of Internet technology has changed the management mode of the marine shipping industry and brought new opportunities for its development. Taking China Ocean Shipping Group as a case study, this study aims to explore the use of Internet technology to solve the problems faced by the ocean shipping supply chain and to discuss the importance of Internet technology in the ocean shipping supply chain, its areas of application, and the changes it may bring. Currently, the main problems faced by the marine transport supply chain include human resource costs, logistics information technology level, port and route selection, and shipping market uncertainty, which seriously affect the efficiency and flexibility of marine transport and operating costs. This study discusses Internet technologies to solve practical problems and specific supply chain management measures, including supply chain efficiency, flexibility and operating costs.

Review of Research on the Development of Cold-Chain Logistics of Agricultural Products in China

The growth of cold-chain logistics of agricultural products in China has become a central issue from all walks of life. With the constant growth of the economy and the growth in the standard of living, it has become increasingly prominent as a key link to ensure food safety and enhance the added value of agricultural products. Although the acceleration of urbanization and the trend of consumption upgrading have facilitated the rapid growth of the market needs for cold-chain logistics of agricultural goods, the government has accordingly entered a series of support policies to stimulate the application of modern information technology in cold-chain logistics of farm products, compared to developed nations, a significant disparity exists in terms of infrastructure, technical level, and management system in China. Therefore, it has become urgent to enhance the cold-chain logistics of farm produce in China to strengthen infrastructure construction, enhance the degree of data technology utilization, and facilitate the application of new technologies and models. This paper conducts and analyzes the rising status of cold-chain logistics of agricultural goods nationally and internationally, conducts an in-depth analysis of existing problems by existing scholars, finds out the deep-seated reasons behind it, and points out the direction for the continuous improvement and innovative development of cold-chain logistics of agricultural products in China.

Research on Teaching Reform Integrating Information Technology Innovation -- A Case Study of Logistics Information Technology and Management Course

Research on Teaching Reform Integrating Information Technology Innovation -- A Case Study of Logistics Information Technology and Management Course

Research on Construction and Application of Network Learning Space for Logistics Information Technology Specialized Courses on Higher Education Resource Platforms

Abstract Network learning space can promote the informatization of logistics information technology professional education, and it has a unique function and value to facilitate the learning of students in colleges and universities. This paper constructs the network learning space for the logistics information technology professional class and analyzes the application effect of the network learning space using a questionnaire. The questionnaire for the analysis of students’ learning input in the online learning space under the educational resource platform is designed first. Then, the reliability and validity of each question item of the questionnaire are examined and rejected using a t-test, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, KMO, and Bartlett’s spherical test. In the online learning space, students’ learning input was analyzed, and it was determined that the mean value of learning behavior input in each dimension was between 3.5 and 4.88 points, which was high. The analysis of the professional course scores found that the mean score of the logistics information technology work designed by the students in the experimental class (89.11 points) was significantly higher than that of the students in the control class (75.66 points), and there was a significant difference in the test scores (p=0.006<0.05). The educational resource platform network learning space constructed in this paper provides a reference path for the effective development of logistics information technology professional classes in colleges and universities. It lays a foundation for the construction of network learning space for other courses.

Analysis of logistics capacity, influencing factors and spatial spillover effect in Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The logistics industry plays a crucial role in facilitating regional economic development. Serving as a vital link connecting producers, consumers, and various components of the supply chain, it has a direct and profound impact on the prosperity and advancement of regional economies. Based on the panel data of 11 provinces in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2016 to 2020, this paper constructs the logistics capability evaluation index system from four aspects: regional economic base, logistics infrastructure, logistics development scale, information technology and talent support, and uses the entropy weight TOPSIS method to measure the logistics capability of each province. The adjacency space weight matrix, geographical distance weight matrix and economic distance weight matrix are selected to build a spatial econometric model to analyze the influencing factors and spatial spillover effects of regional logistics capability. The following conclusions can be drawn from the analysis. From 2016 to 2020, the regional logistics capacity of the Yangtze River Economic Belt shows a trend of increasing year by year, but the logistics capacity of different provinces within the region has a large room for improvement. From the perspective of spatial dimension, the logistics capacity of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is "high in the east and low in the west". The results of spatial econometric analysis based on the spatial Durbin model show that there are significant spatial spillover effects on the logistics capacity of provinces in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Factors such as road network density, port throughput, water freight turnover, transportation, warehousing and postal employment will not only affect the logistics capacity of the region, but also have a spillover effect on the material capacity of neighboring provinces in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. This study improves the level of regional logistics capacity and promotes the regional economic development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It can be used as a reference for other regions or countries in terms of enhancing regional logistics capacity and promoting regional economic development.

Research on the Reform of Logistics Information Technology Teaching Under the Background of “Intelligent Logistics”

Research on the Reform of Logistics Information Technology Teaching Under the Background of “Intelligent Logistics”

Simulation Study on the Policy of Coordinated Development of Agriculture and Agricultural Product Logistics in Sichuan Province

This paper utilises the system dynamics theory to develop a simulation model of the agricultural and agricultural product logistics system in Sichuan Province. The coordinated development policy of the agricultural and agricultural product logistics in Sichuan Province is analysed through simulation by adjusting the proportions of investment in the logistics industry, logistics information technology, and agricultural financial input. The study suggests that enhancing investments in logistics industry and logistics information technology leads to an accelerated development in the agricultural product logistics sector, ultimately promoting coordination between the agricultural economy and agricultural product logistics. Moreover, lowering agricultural financial input can lead to more rational allocation and utilization of resources, hence further advancing the coordinated growth of agriculture and agricultural product logistics.

РЕЛЕВАНТНОЕ ЗНАЧЕНИЕ СТРАТЕГИЧЕСКОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ЛОГИСТИКОЙ И ЦЕПЯМИ ПОСТАВОК В РАЗВИТИИ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ

The presented article is actualized by the current state of the logistics sphere of activity, because logistics activities occupy a significant share of the GNP of countries, and this share is steadily growing. Transformational processes in supply chains in the context of most spheres of the national economy, both regional and federal scales, dictate the need to strengthen the role of strategic logistics management in order to ensure sustainable development of the economy, in general. The direct success of business in the regions largely depends on ensuring effective integration between business units. Through effective and efficient logistics activities it is possible to achieve higher customer value, creating both a value advantage and a productivity advantage, and through the work done in this area, businesses can take another step forward compared to their competitors in the sectors in which they do business. This article considers the theoretical aspects of strategic logistics and supply chain management in the current economic environment. The paper reflects some aspects of the effectiveness of the use of information technology in logistics, by the example of using RFID-identification technology. The authors conclude by applying different analysis methodologies that supply chain management acts as a system of business process management tools from raw material suppliers to end users, in which products, services and information are provided, increasing the added value for customers and other partners. Based on this the author's definition of the investigated scientific category is presented and relevant conclusions and inferences are made.

Consumer testing away from a sensory facility: Application of home-use test and no-contact home-use test

COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions for approximately three years have heavily influenced sensory evaluations. People have become accustomed to working remotely and communicating online. This has led to opportunities in sensory testing paired with logistics systems and information technologies, resulting in a wide application of the home-use test (HUT), wherein panelists evaluate samples from their homes or other off-site locations. This study aimed to compare three sensory evaluation conditions: a central location test (CLT, n = 104), a HUT (n = 120), and a no-contact HUT (N-HUT, n = 111). We recruited participants via the local community website, delivered samples using a delivery service, and conducted sensory testing using a smartphone for the N-HUT. Participants were requested to report the acceptance ratings, sensory profiles, and emotion responses to four coffee samples. Some differences in the acceptance ratings might be due to the different attitudes participating in the evaluation. In the sensory profiling of the samples, multi-factor analysis (MFA) revealed highly similar sensory characteristics across the three types of tests. All RV coefficients (RVs) among the test conditions were above 0.93. The emotion responses to coffee samples were similar among test conditions based on the MFA with RV values greater than 0.84. In conclusion, we found that N-HUT produced similar results regarding the descriptions of sensory profiles and emotions, indicating that N-HUT is a suitable test method for collecting sensory data and overcoming CLT and HUT's regional limitations. Modern logistics systems and information technologies make it possible to conduct nationwide sensory evaluations without in-person contact or participant attendance at sensory testing facilities.

Enhancing the Logistics 4.0 Firms through Information Technology

In the logistics service industry, the rapid advancement of Information Technology (IT) has cultivated a competitive dynamic that promotes uptake of logistics information technologies by Logistics Service Providers (LSPs). However, there remain many LSPs who have yet to embrace IT and thus have not realized their fullest competitiveness and financial success. This research conceptualizes the role of IT in logistics operations and investigates the degree to which IT, its usage, and its capabilities can affect LSP performance and competitiveness. The research interviews a logistics operations manager and the findings support that a firm’s performance and competitive advantage are influenced by IT usage and (especially) capability. As IT capability complements service processes and allows for innovation in services, this research and suggested future research provide not only theoretical and technological but also managerial implications.

Analysis on the Construction of Sustainable Operation Mechanism of Agricultural Product Supply Chain under the Background of Wireless Communication and Internet of Things

Historical experience shows that the people’s happiness index is highly correlated with the development of agriculture. The prosperity of agriculture and industrial production has also brought most people into a well-off life. Since the innovation of agricultural production equipment and concepts, the efficiency of agricultural production in my country has also been greatly improved compared to before the reform and opening up. In the era when robots will gradually become mainstream work machinery tools, the production efficiency and supply of agricultural products will become the focus of attention of the people of all countries. In such a general environment, the competition between agricultural products markets is no longer solely based on the competitiveness of agricultural products but also depends on the advantages of the agricultural supply chain to win. This article analyzes the construction of the sustainable operation mechanism of the agricultural supply chain in the context of wireless communication and the Internet of Things. First, the method of literature research is used to explain the characteristics of the agricultural supply chain and the problems existing in the development of the current agricultural supply chain model in the context of wireless communication and the Internet of Things. Next, study the current situation of the sustainability mechanism of the agricultural supply chain, and finally optimize the construction of the sustainability mechanism of the agricultural supply chain products based on the research results. According to the survey results, the main problem with the current mechanism of the agricultural product supply chain at this stage is that the logistics information technology is difficult to update in time, accounting for about 44%, followed by the lack of effective monitoring methods, accounting for about 34%.

Simulation and Prediction of the Service Quality of China's Private Express Delivery and Its Influencing Factors Based on the System Dynamics Model

With the continuous development of China’s private express delivery, how to improve the service quality and enable private express delivery company to gain a place in the fiercely competitive market has become a major issue faced by the manager. Therefore, we introduce the system dynamics method into the field of service quality evaluation to study the service quality of China’s private express delivery. Through system dynamics modeling, we discover the sensitive factors that affect the service quality of China's private express delivery, namely logistics information technology, staff training, and organization and management capability. According to the results of the sensitivity analysis, policy experiments are conducted to obtain the optimal resource allocation plan. The results show that, if the new investment is regarded as 100%, then the resource allocation plan corresponding to each subsystem is: 37.2% of the new investment should be allocated to the logistics information technology subsystem.

The Structural Equation Model of Causal Factors Affecting on The Customer Satisfaction Level to Transportation Providers of Fruits in Thailand

The Structural Equation Model of Causal Factors Affecting on The Customer Satisfaction Level to Transportation Providers of Fruits in Thailand

Економічна оцінка аутсорсингу: інформаційні та логістичні послуги

The aim of the article. The main purpose of the study is to develop scientific, methodological and practical provisions for the formation of organizational and economic dominants, which become one of the main factors in ensuring the rational logistics and information support of production activities of enterprises and organizations. Analyses results. Theoretical and methodological issues of outsourcing as an economic category are considered. A system of indicators has been developed, the use of which largely determines the value of the economic effect when using information and logistics technologies in the production and commercial activities of industrial enterprises. These include indicators of direct action (the effect of using outsourcing, which is directly related to a particular function or business process) and indicators of indirect action (the effect of using outsourcing is not directly related to this function). To calculate the factors of economic effect, which determines the feasibility and effectiveness of the use of outsourcing of logistics services and information technology, a method of synthesis of economic efficiency factors is proposed. This approach significantly expands the possibilities of economic evaluation of the rational use of outsourcing services in production and commercial activities and allows you to more accurately and objectively assess its benefits in the use of outsourcing services and information technology. The methodological approach to evaluating the effectiveness of outsourcing management information systems in real business enterprises is quite universal, as it takes into account the conceptual principles of outsourcing, on the one hand, and allows to adapt the structure of efficiency evaluation depending on the complexity and cost of work. technologies used in business. enterprise, goals and scope of outsourcing. Conclusions and directions for further research. The use of the proposed guidelines in the practice of production and commercial activities of industrial enterprises allows ensuring an important link between the processes of development, distribution and use of information and logistics technologies and their required quality. Studies conducted at enterprises in the Kharkiv industrial region showed that only three of the eight surveyed enterprises have economic grounds for the use of outsourcing. Other enterprises are more expedient from the economic point of view to carry out information (logistical) support of the activity by own forces. Based on this, we consider as a direction of further development and research to develop guidelines for detailing these indicators in order to identify their components, to which the outsourcing company needs to pay special attention.

Role of Hospital Digital Services in Improvement of Clinical Regime of Patients

Context: Healthcare supply chain management is the regulation of the flow of medical goods and services from manufacturers to patients. Supply chain management encompasses the planning and managing of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement, conversion, and all logistics management activities. Therefore, it greatly helps material managers to manage through continuous improvement efforts while maintaining the quality of care. Moreover, reinforcing healthcare logistics information technology (IT) architecture immediately leads to more patient satisfaction.
 Objectives: This study aimed to develop an architecture for designing efficient software aiding with the management of the healthcare supply chain.
 Methods: This study showed the role of digital services in the improvement of the clinical regime of patients by presenting different approaches with distinguishing the main types of hospital logistics, such as physical flow management, food safety, and cold chain management approaches (e.g., “moving forward”), and modeling these components using the solution architecture principles of ITs, such as Business Process Model and Notation.
 Results: This study proposed a hospital enterprise architecture by modeling a system to have a base for building a digital catering service that improves the clinical regime of patients.

Customer integration and the performance of third-party logistics firms: a moderated mediation model

ABSTRACT Integration with client firms is the most important external relationship for third-party logistics (3PL) firms. Based on information processing theory, a conceptual model was developed to explore the mechanism of how customer integration contributes to 3PL firms’ performance via differentiation and low-cost advantages, and the moderating effects of information technologies were examined in relation to the trend of digital transformation. Survey data were collected from 235 3PL firms in China and analysed using structural equation modelling. The results show that customer integration is positively related to the performance of 3PL firms, which is mediated by differentiation and low-cost advantages. In addition, information acquisition technologies and information processing technologies significantly moderate the effect of customer integration on differentiation advantages. These findings help to address the challenges faced by 3PL firms in the context of digital transformation and add to the literature on customer integration and logistics information technologies.

Sustainability and Resilience Revisited: Impact of Information Technology Disruptions on Empirical Retail Logistics Efficiency

The increasing use of information technology (IT) in supply chain management and logistics is connected to corporate advantages and enhanced competitiveness provided by enterprise resource planning systems and warehouse management systems. One downside of advancing digitalization is an increasing dependence on IT systems and the negative effects of technology disruption impacts on firm performance, measured by logistics efficiency, e.g., with data envelopment analysis (DEA). While the traditional DEA model cannot deconstruct production processes to find the underlying causes of inefficiencies, network DEA (NDEA) can provide insights into resource allocation at the individual stages of operations. We apply an NDEA approach to measure the impact of IT disruptions on the efficiency of operational processes in retail logistics. We compare efficiency levels during IT disruptions, as well as ripple effects throughout subsequent days. In the first stage, we evaluate the efficiency of order picking in retail logistics. After handing over the transport units to the outgoing goods department of a warehouse, we assess the subsequent process of truck loading as a second stage. The obtained results underline the analytical power of NDEA models and demonstrate that the proposed model can evaluate IT disruptions in supply chains better than traditional approaches. Insights show that efficiency reductions after IT disruptions occur at different levels and for diverse reasons, and successful preparation and contingency management can support improvements.

A fuzzy maturity-based method for lean supply chain management assessment

Purpose This study aims to propose a method for measuring lean supply chain management (LSCM) maturity based on the main lean practices and existing waste of a supply chain. Design/methodology/approach A three-stage approach was developed. First, a thorough literature review was performed to raise concepts and previous findings on maturity models (MMs) and LSCM. This review’s outcomes were then validated by experts in the field using the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). Subsequently, the proposed model was illustrated and assessed based on a multi-case study. Findings All companies attained high outcomes in the elimination of the waste pillar. The pillars of logistics management, continuous improvement and information technology management also stood out in the three organizations’ results. The company with the lowest maturity level operates in a make-to-order production policy, which may harm the lean supply in its supply chain. Practical implications The proposed model can reveal external opportunities and threats and internal strengths and weaknesses in supply chains (SCs). It is also capable of providing a clear roadmap for SC improvement in companies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study to date has proposed a MM in the LSCM context using FDM and considering the crucial relationship between lean practices and wastes.

The effects of internal and external resource management on logistics performance

This empirical study aims to elucidate the effects of logistics information technology (LIT), top management beliefs (TMBs), and suppliers' resources selection (SRS) on logistics performance. The extended resources-based view (ERBV) supports the development of the proposed relationships in the study model, based on previous studies measures. Structural equation modeling (SPSS and AMOS v 25) was utilized to test the validity of the model and proposed hypotheses. Based on responses from 229 surveyed companies in Sudan’s food and beverages sector, this study’ findings showed that the LIT, TMBs, and SRS influence logistic cost performance (LCP) and logistic delivery performance directly. Additionally, it showed that company size could moderate the relationship between LCP and LIT, TMBs, and SRS. This study provides several theoretical and practical implications by evaluating the ability of LIT, SRS, and TMBs to improve delivery and cost performance.

A learning-based approach for dynamic freight brokerages with transfer and territory-based assignment

The recent evolution of information technology in logistics has facilitated the digital freight brokerage, which allows shippers and trucks to match needs and services in a short-term period. In the context of freight brokerages, this paper considers a dynamic fleet assignment problem related to matching demand and supply. We particularly integrate practical operational characteristics, such as territory-based assignment and transferring, which have not been considered in the dynamic fleet assignment problem. We first formulate the problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) to represent uncertain and sequential decision-making procedures. Furthermore, to overcome the dimensionality and ambiguity of the MDP model, we proposed a reinforcement learning(RL) approach with function approximation for solving the MDP model. Finally, numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate the superiority of the RL method and analyze the effects of operational characteristics. A numerical analysis shows that the proposed RL-based method provides more rewards than other policies, such as myopic policy and first-come-first-served (FCFS) policy, for all test scenarios. The RL-based method is even better for a situation in which the delivery territories are highly overlapped and customer demand exceeds to supply capacity, which requires precise capacity control. In addition, we observe that significant achievement can be attained by allowing trucks to deliver with transfer.