In Industry 4.0 (read more about this here), the real and the digital world continue to grow together and new technologies can give companies significant competitive advantages. It is often logistics that is described as an essential cross-sectional function in the company and that is of enormous importance for all areas of the company.
In a time of digitization and automation, the field of logistics is also about to change. In recent years, the internet has transformed from a portal for information and consumption to the Internet of Things. It creates a platform for intelligent products that can network people, machines and data. This has a significant impact on the logistics area and requires processes that are faster, more flexible and more controllable.
For example, some of the central goals of the fourth industrial revolution, such as networking, decentralization, real-time capability or service orientation, cannot be implemented without further developing logistics. Logistics thus creates the basis for mastering future industrial challenges.
What is logistics 4.0?
Logistics 4.0 describes the effects of Industry 4.0 on transportation and supply. Industry 4.0 also supports digitization and automation through cross-company and cross-functional coordination tasks in logistics.
Logistics 4.0 stands for comprehensive informatization of the logistics industry with all its participants and objects. Its primary goal is the networking and integration of logistical processes outside and within trading companies and production facilities.
Logistics 4.0 networks processes, objects and supply-chain-partners such as suppliers, manufacturers, logistics service providers, dealers and customers. This is done using information and communication technologies, such as the Internet of Things, to increase efficiency and effectiveness within logistics. This makes it possible to increase transparency, automation and process speed, reduce errors and increase flexibility through individualized services and products.
The technological components on which Logistics 4.0 is based are “intelligent/smart” processes and objects that organize and control themselves. They communicate with each other, learn from each other, monitor, make decisions, report environmental conditions and control logistics processes.
This is how Logistics 4.0 forms the basis for a holistic digital supply chain management.
Sources:
Cf. Bousonville, T., 2016: Logistik 4.0, Die digitale Transformation der Wertschöpfungskette, S.5
Cf. Fraunhofer-Institut für Materialfluss und Logistik IML, Logistik 4.0, accessed 16.07.2020
URL: https://www.iml.fraunhofer.de/de/abteilungen/b1/intralogistik-und–it-planung/dienstleistungen0/Logistik_4_0.html
Cf. Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon, Logistik 4.0, accessed 16.07.2020
URL: https://wirtschaftslexikon.gabler.de/definition/logistik-40-54203/version-329884
Cf. intomarkets Amazon Agentur, Logistik 4.0, accessed 16.07.2020
URL: https://www.intomarkets.com/wiki/logistik-4-0/
Cf. MM Logistik, Das Portal für Industrie und Handel, Was ist Logistik 4.0, accessed 16.07.2020
URL: https://www.mm-logistik.vogel.de/was-ist-logistik-40-alles-zum-thema-digitalisierung-logistik-a-692722/
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