The Physical Internet – review, analysis and future research agenda

Abstract

Purpose The Physical Internet (PI) is an emerging concept that applies the Digital Internet as a design metaphor for the development of sustainable, interoperable and collaborative freight transport. With the aim of aiding researchers and policy makers in their future efforts to develop efficient logistics systems, the purpose of this paper is to present a review of the existing literature on the PI, to critically discuss the concept and to outline a research agenda. Design/methodology/approach The literature review investigates scientific papers, project reports, specifications and other publications related to PI. In total, 46 publications were finally analyzed. The approach used in this paper is technology adoption by firms. The authors examine the PI based on four factors: organizational readiness (technological blueprints), external pressure (promised effects), perceived benefits (business model) and adoption. Findings A growing number of strategies, blueprints and specifications have been developed for PI, yet there are no currently developed models that illustrate how the move from the entrenched logistics business models to the PI could ensue. There is a lack of understanding of the business models needed that can involve critical actors and promote the adoption of the PI concept. Research limitations/implications While using the internet as a metaphor for reimagining physical transports is certainly exciting, this review and analysis suggest that several research questions need to be addressed before further PI blueprint work is carried out. Practical implications The “grand challenge” of sustainability in logistics needs to be addressed and improved, but the authors’ analysis suggests that, to some extent, it is uncertain how the PI will contribute to improving sustainability, and why logistics service providers should engage in PI. Policy makers and practitioners are provided with critical issues to consider in the practical development and adoption of the concept. Originality/value This paper provides an outsider and technology-adoption perspective of PI research, as well as important implications for policy makers and researchers.

Production logistics and human-computer interaction—state-of-the-art, challenges and requirements for the future

“…Automation and application of artificial intelligence (AI) are a rife topic in production, transportation, and logistics-from autonomous cars and trucks to ergonomic enhancements of workers in production process handling and picking for example [16][17][18][19][20]. Manufacturing and production management changed over the last decades, e.g., with the advent of cheap sensors and actuators communicating within the Internet, enabling the real-time connection between systems, materials, machines, tools, workers, customers, and products as the IoT [3,21,22]. The resulting data volume (Big Data) generated by all connected objects represents the new raw material of our time, changing many business models and environments.…”

“…(ii) Level of AI decisions: Increasingly also in logistics, AI applications are providing management decisions, which usually rises greater anxiety and resistance levels with humans. This is the case for example in the expected physical internet environment, where AI applications undertake specific transport and distribution decisions as symbolized in the Robot first simulation case before [2,3]. In such concepts and work environments, humans are more anxious as core management tasks are addressed and possibly human workers might become replaced.…”

“…Production concepts and technology developments concerning automation, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Industry 4.0 (I40), and Internet of Things (IoT) are addressing fully autonomous systems, fostered by an increase in available technologies regarding distributed decision-making, sensors, and actuators for robotics systems [1][2][3]. For specific production logistics settings with a multitude of transport tasks, e.g., between warehousing or material supply stations and production locations within larger production sites as for example in the automotive industry, this also has important implications [4][5][6][7][8].…”

Multiagent Modelling and Simulation of a Physical Internet Enabled Rail-Road Intermodal Transport System

“…Various simulation and optimisation methods for the engineering design of the physical internet were reported in previous studies. A literature review concluded that 46 applications have been performed and the applied methods are generally diversified [19].…”

Logistics Innovation and Social Sustainability: How to Prevent an Artificial Divide in Human–Computer Interaction

“…Logistics and supply chain management are subject to rapid changes as a result of technological, social, and market evolutions within the global economy, see, for example, Bloemhof et al (2015), Hilger et al (2016), Sternberg and Norrman (2017), Bertazzi and Mogre (2018), or Fors et al (2015). In response to increasing customer demands (cost effectiveness, sustainability, speed, tailored problem solutions), automation in production and distribution has migrated from the execution of programmed tasks to a level, in which software agents and robots act (partly) autonomously using artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms (Gunsekaran and Ngai 2014; Lee et al 2014;LeCun et al 2015;Torabi et al 2015;Kong et al 2016;Castillo et al 2017).…”