Enabling Smart Logistics for Service Operations
Efficient and on-time execution of field tasks has been found to rely heavily on internal availability of inventories. However, the lack of flexibility in the way information flows along the logistics chain has led to poor inventory replenishment lead tim
- PDF / 219,216 Bytes
- 20 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 50 Downloads / 230 Views
Enabling Smart Logistics for Service Operations Yingli Wang, Mohamed Naim, and Leighton Evans
Abstract Efficient and on-time execution of field tasks has been found to rely heavily on internal availability of inventories. However, the lack of flexibility in the way information flows along the logistics chain has led to poor inventory replenishment lead times. This results in delayed execution of field tasks and has a negative impact on customer experience. This chapter articulates the concept of communication flexibility, in the form of dimensions, by which operations managers may judge the ability of the logistics chain to configure and reconfigure information linkages in response to a changing environment. Until now the term ‘communication flexibility’ has been loosely used in the literature. This research establishes a more analytical definition that forms the foundation for more comprehensive empirical quantitative and qualitative research in the field of flexible operations. The research method is a combination of conceptual and literature review based research. The chapter proposes a conceptual model of intraorganisational communication flexibility which is composed of three levels, namely, transactional, operational and strategic. Each level consists of a number of dimensions and sub-dimensions that together define communication flexibility in logistics operations. Current research in the deployment of ICT in inventory projects is then considered in depth in order to preliminarily verify and validate the proposed model. This chapter provides an overview of current best practice and technological use in inventory management that emphasises the importance of visibility in the management of inventory achieved through ICT deployment.
Y. Wang (*) • M. Naim Cardiff Business School, Cardiff, UK e-mail: [email protected] L. Evans University of Swansea, Swansea, UK G. Owusu et al. (eds.), Transforming Field and Service Operations, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-44970-3_15, © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
237
238
15.1
Y. Wang et al.
Introduction
The provision of logistics services, including inventory services, relies heavily on effective intra- and inter-organisational information exchange and communication, for which information and communications technology (ICT) is seen as a key enabler (Phillips and Wright 2009; Swafford et al. 2008). Effective interorganisational communication helps to foster collaboration and reduce uncertainties and performance-related errors, enhancing operational efficiency (Holweg et al. 2005; Premkumar et al. 2005). Innovative logistics practices that are based on the use of ICTs are often referred to as ‘smart logistics’, which implies a flexibly and ability to cope with uncertainties (Uckelmann 2008). The aim of this chapter is to develop and validate the concept of communication flexibility enabled by ICT in the context of inventory management and to identify potential and actual innovations in the field of smart logistics that can benefit inventory management, in particula
Data Loading...
