Evaluation of a Service System for Smart and Modular Special Load Carriers within Industry 4.0

Abstract

Current research approaches in the field of logistics discuss the transformation of load carriers into smart objects. These so-called cyber physical systems collect data, aiming for process optimisation and increased transparency. Though special load carriers are commonly used in the automotive industry and have great potential in terms of digitalisation, they are mostly neglected. Understocking and overstocking, as well as production stops due to missing or damaged containers can result from insufficient transparency in supply chains. This paper presents the benefit and usability evaluation of a service system with smart and modular special load carriers, which aims to counteract this lack of transparency by providing databased services. In the therefore concluded web-based survey, experts evaluated the identified benefits in terms of impacts on the process, the customer and the environment. The presented results show that the benefits generated by the service system are suitable for optimising the conditions for the logistic process, the customer, the environment and the transparency within the supply chain. Although the already implemented functionalities of the service system are still limited in usability, the theoretical concepts and its functionalities have great potential in terms of future applications.