Martina Baglio

This study examines the role of Warehouse 5.0 in value creation through the integration of technical innovation, environmental sustainability, and human-centric methods. The research employs a systematic literature review to identify the primary methods by which each dimension creates internal value, such as efficiency, safety, and resource optimisation, as well as external value, including innovation diffusion, emission reduction, and social inclusion. The analysis indicates that these characteristics are both individually significant and interrelated, exhibiting synergistic effects that amplify their potential. A conceptual framework is presented to demonstrate how the integration of digital tools, sustainable practices, and inclusive design transforms warehouses into multi-dimensional infrastructures that provide systemic value. This study enhances the theoretical understanding of Warehouse 5.0 and provides managers with strategic insights for implementing balanced, cross-functional warehouse improvements.

In the contemporary global business landscape, the rising complexity of production and logistics systems increases the need for automation. That is why investments in warehouse automation are rising, and practitioners need guidelines to invest in the right technology. In this paper, a systematic literature review is performed to assess the contributions’ ability to provide an up-to-date framework for automated order picking systems (OPS). To adopt an empirical lens, technology providers were interviewed about the best available technologies on the market, identified through technology scouting, to provide more details on the distinct features of the classified technologies. The study aims to provide a new framework for automated OPS, grounded in literature, to help practitioners better navigate the available technologies and choose those that best suit their industrial context. Future research should evaluate automated OPS technologies more holistically and quantitatively, including different perspectives from providers, to better analyse requirements, and impacts on macro-trends.

Over the last ten years, supply chains worldwide have experienced unprecedented shocks that altered global market conditions. Alongside long-term environmental changes, new disruptions (such as conflicts, cybersecurity breaches, and economic recessions) have driven the emergence of novel technologies that are able, for example, to improve the resilience of companies or help them achieve sustainable performance in a broader sense. Consequently, supply chains across various sectors have continuously evolved, adopting digital solutions. More specifically, one area of significant interest for the research community is the Supply Chain Control Tower (SCCT): initially inspired by the aviation industry, SCCT is a centralized system first introduced for managing transportation, and today seen also as an enabler for end-to-end visibility across the entire supply chain through the integration of information from hardware and software technologies. While some researchers have been able to offer formal definitions of SCCTs, it is unclear if their point of view converge with those of the practitioners. Furthermore, albeit existing research has highlighted the characteristics and benefits of SCCTs providing a broad conceptual understanding, it is not yet clear which of the analyses such a tool can theoretically enable are available from technology providers. To fill this gap, this paper conducts semi-structured interviews with service providers to explore what they mean by SCCTs and which of the functionalities identified in the literature are available to organizations. The document offers guidance to researchers and practitioners interested in this dynamic field by exploring the comprehension and practical uses of SCCTs from the providers' perspective compared to the academic one.

Order picking systems (OPS) must be redesigned in light of the evolving nature of modern warehousing to increase productivity and lower operating costs, as well as to consider the growing importance of social sustainability. The growing awareness of social issues drives organizations to demand sustainable business practices. Organizations can make informed decisions about adopting order picking technologies by understanding the interconnected sustainability benefits of automation. This study aims to examine how automation in order picking systems can contribute to social sustainability within warehouse operations. This study employed a bibliometric analysis to investigate order picking automation and social sustainability, letting the themes that characterize this research subject emerge. In addition, semi-structured interviews allowed us to determine the relationship between the two concepts. The results reveal that social sustainability within warehouse operations has been partially studied. However, it is perceived as a priority by logistics companies, which have to deal with the ageing of the population and the need to protect the well-being of operators in physically demanding activities. Studies on (order picking) automation technologies for improving the social sustainability of warehouse operations will become more prevalent in future research, especially concerning how technology can contribute to employee well-being, professionalism and safety. The contribution of this work lies in guiding warehouse management practices toward a socially sustainable model. Our findings contribute to the broader discourse on improving working conditions in logistics, reducing operational costs, and ultimately fostering a workplace aligned with social sustainability principles. This study lays the groundwork for further research and practical implementation in the fast-changing field of warehouse management.

During 2020, supply chains (SC) worldwide experienced an unprecedented series of shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a new instigator of SC disruption quite unlike any seen in recent times. Along with the impact of the pandemic and the long-term alterations of the natural environment, other new disruptions have also emerged (such as the Russian-Ukrainian war, growing tensions over the US-China trade war, the rising cybersecurity breaches, the increasing cost of oil, global economic downturn, etc.), multiplying the challenges for SCs, which need to adjust to new and mutable equilibria. As a result, SCs across several industries have been continuously revisited and transformed, also adopting new technologies: SC have evolved into digital supply chains (DSC). Looking at the DSC field of research, many contributions have pinpointed how technological solutions can contribute to managing any disruptions. However, three years after the pandemic outbreak, the academic and industrial communities lack a clear, comprehensive overview showing the new trends that have emerged from DSC literature and the solutions adopted by SC managers to deal with the new scenario. For this reason, the paper develops a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify the latest trends in the DSC literature and the digital technologies and solutions adopted to best address the challenges that have arisen in the post-Covid 19 era, clarifying the current big picture for anyone interested in doing research in this area, while simultaneously providing guidance to managers. By developing an extensive literature review, it was possible to give new insights into the DSC field of research; underline the latest topics (such as the link between DSC and sustainability or resilience), and summarize the digital technologies and solutions adopted to face the disruptions that occurred.

The transformations started with the advent of the paradigm of Industry 4.0 have also influenced the logistics sector, leading to the creation of the concept of Logistics 4.0 (i.e. the transformation from hardware-oriented logistics to software-oriented logistics empowered by digital competences). This new " vision " of logistics, initially championed by manufacturing companies, has recently taken hold also in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry, driven by the boost of the e-commerce market, the progressive diffusion of " disruptive technologies " (e.g. drones, cognitive computing and artificial intelligence) and the new challenges brought by exogenous factors (e.g. COVID-19), which push 3PL providers to go beyond their traditional focus and capabilities towards a digital transformation. However, it is still unclear how diffused the concept of Logistics 4.0 among 3PLs is and how its adoption takes place in this industry in terms of technologies, services and capabilities. A better understanding of the current situation of diffusion and adoption could help 3PL providers to assess their own position with respect to the concept of Logistics 4.0 and seize the opportunities offered by its adoption (e.g. higher efficiency, better visibility, improved service level, increased safety and security). For this reason, the paper develops a maturity framework to support 3PL providers in this sense and develops a road map to identify the areas in which invest to improve the logistics service offered to clients through a Logistics 4.0 approach. By means of an extensive literature review on Logistics 4.0 technologies and on maturity models, it was possible to develop a novel maturity framework that combines the dimensions of " Logistics 4.0 technological maturity " and level of adoption of technologies to ultimately lead to the identifications of potential services to be offered by 3PL providers.

As the demand for logistics outsourcing has grown over time, third-party logistics (3PL) providers need to find solutions to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded market. First, 3PL providers need to find a way that helps them to be attractive when they are presenting themselves to the marketplace. Second, they need to improve their customer retention. Adopting the theoretical lens of the Resource Based View (RBV) theory, one of the critical resources for 3PL providers consists of physical assets, which include warehouses. Notwithstanding the relevance of warehouses as key physical assets within the logistics processes, literature does not explore their importance as a source of competitive advantage for 3PL providers. To fill this gap, the present research aims to investigate the importance of the warehouse among the selection criteria used in the 3PL buying process to improve the 3PL’s attractiveness and the level of customer retention, taking into account the perspectives of 3PL providers and shippers in a dyadic relationship. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect perceptions and opinions from the participants in each dyadic relationship, and the selection criteria were ranked with the Best-Worst Method (BWM). Results show that warehouses have a limited importance in the 3PL buying process according to both 3PL providers and shippers. However, warehouses affect the 3PL evaluation indirectly due to their impact on the main selection criteria: ‘expertise and reputation’, ‘costs’ and ‘service quality’.

An increased interest in the logistics real estate sector has recently been shown by industries, such as ecommerce and retailing, seeking warehouses and cross-docking facilities compliant with their logistics needs. The evergrowing demand for quality in logistics services, the paradigm of Industry 4.0 within logistics facilities and the institutional pressure for improved sustainability have contributed towards refocusing attention on logistics buildings. In this evolving landscape, this paper aims to build guidelines to help investors determine the most valuable features of a warehouse, identify the characterizing traits of the evolution of the logistics real estate sector and uncover its latest trends, also extending the rating model previously developed to an international context. It reports the results of the application of the rating model to 79 warehouses owned or rented to logistics service providers (LPSs). The results show an increased level of the overall quality of the logistics buildings surveyed, in particular a higher quality rate for the elements included in the building and internal areas sections. Moreover, the buildings physical aspects related to the layout of the facility are aligned to the operational requirements (functionality rates). The findings prove that logistics estates have evolved from conventional warehouses into more complex facilities equipped with automated or semi-automated handling and storage systems. From a theoretical perspective, this research fills a gap in the body of knowledge, which lacks empirical studies. From a practical viewpoint, it builds guidelines that help practitioners to evaluate their assets and improve them when presenting themselves to the marketplace.