TY - JOUR
T1 - Sustainability assessment of last-mile logistics and distribution strategies
T2 - The case of local food networks
AU - Melkonyan, Ani
AU - Gruchmann, Tim
AU - Lohmar, Fabian
AU - Kamath, Vasanth
AU - Spinler, Stefan
N1 - Funding Information:
The research activities of this study are connected to the project “ILoNa” (Innovative Logistik für nachhaltige Lebensstile – Innovative Logistics for Sustainable Lifestyles: 2015–2018). The project was funded by the Ministry of Research and Education in Germany (Research for Sustainable Development: Section for Sustainable Economies) and the project management was carried out by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The authors sincerely thank the editor and the reviewers for their very insightful, detailed and helpful comments throughout the entire revision process.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2020/10
Y1 - 2020/10
N2 - Current trends related to increased sustainability requirements, the application of new digital technologies, and changes in consumer behavior have disrupted conventional food supply chains, entailing challenges for the last mile logistics and distribution of food products. The main aim of this study is to develop a toolset for exploring the sustainability potential of last mile logistics and distribution strategies, employing (1) a centralized distribution network with a click & collect option, (2) a decentralized distribution network with a home-delivery option, and (3) a distributed network based on a crowd logistics concept. For this, a system dynamics (SD) simulation and a multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) were applied to assess the sustainability performance of these distribution channel options for a case study of a local food cooperative and a logistics service provider in Austria. The sustainability potential of developing a new logistics system in collaboration with these players has been estimated for the first time, while considering the dynamic interplay of all relevant sustainability elements within operational, tactical, and strategic planning. The results show that an integration of the two players into a distributed network strategy based on a crowd logistics concept is the most viable and sustainable option. This highlights the significant role of the logistics sector in proactively innovating services to make sustainable choices easier for the customer.
AB - Current trends related to increased sustainability requirements, the application of new digital technologies, and changes in consumer behavior have disrupted conventional food supply chains, entailing challenges for the last mile logistics and distribution of food products. The main aim of this study is to develop a toolset for exploring the sustainability potential of last mile logistics and distribution strategies, employing (1) a centralized distribution network with a click & collect option, (2) a decentralized distribution network with a home-delivery option, and (3) a distributed network based on a crowd logistics concept. For this, a system dynamics (SD) simulation and a multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) were applied to assess the sustainability performance of these distribution channel options for a case study of a local food cooperative and a logistics service provider in Austria. The sustainability potential of developing a new logistics system in collaboration with these players has been estimated for the first time, while considering the dynamic interplay of all relevant sustainability elements within operational, tactical, and strategic planning. The results show that an integration of the two players into a distributed network strategy based on a crowd logistics concept is the most viable and sustainable option. This highlights the significant role of the logistics sector in proactively innovating services to make sustainable choices easier for the customer.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijpe.2020.107746
DO - 10.1016/j.ijpe.2020.107746
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85082747439
SN - 0925-5273
VL - 228
JO - International Journal of Production Economics
JF - International Journal of Production Economics
M1 - 107746
ER -
