Leveraging Digital Technologies in Logistics 4.0 : Insights on Affordances from Intralogistics Processes

Title data

Albrecht, Tobias ; Baier, Marie-Sophie ; Gimpel, Henner ; Meierhöfer, Simon ; Röglinger, Maximilian ; Schlüchtermann, Jörg ; Will, Lisanne:
Leveraging Digital Technologies in Logistics 4.0 : Insights on Affordances from Intralogistics Processes.
In: Information Systems Frontiers. Vol. 26 (2024) . - pp. 755-774.
ISSN 1572-9419
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-023-10394-6

Project information

Abstract in another language

Emerging digital technologies are transforming logistics processes on a large scale. Despite a growing body of knowledge on individual use cases ranging from collaborative robots to platform-based planning systems in the frontline industrial development of Logistics 4.0, organizations lack a systematic understanding of the opportunities digital technologies afford for logistics processes. To foster such understanding, this study takes an intra-organizational perspective as a central starting point for digitalization initiatives toward Logistics 4.0. It synthesizes current academic research and industrial insights from a systematic literature review and an expert interview study through an affordance lens. The result is a catalog and conceptual framework of ten digital technology affordances in intralogistics (DTAILs) and 46 practical manifestations. Thereby, this study contributes to understanding and leveraging the opportunities digital technologies afford in a leading-edge information systems application domain. It serves as a foundation for further theorizing on Logistics 4.0 and for structuring strategic discussions among organizational stakeholders.