Supply and Logistics Chain Management Through Positioning Technologies

Abstract

In today's digitalized world, supply chain and logistics management is critical for business growth. In this perspective, it is important to track and trace the supply and logistics chain to ensure safety and security within the delivery and transportation industries. Tracking and tracing provide necessary visibility, trust and authentication among organizations that works as catalyst for their business successes. In today's rapid development of emerging technologies and tools, enable manufacturing companies or firms to monitor and manage their supply and logistics chains smartly across their operational boundaries. The needs for tracking and tracing of delivery items are mostly ensured through various available positioning technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Internet of Things (IoT), bar codes, Quick Response (QR) codes, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), Wi-Fi, blockchain, etc. The deployment of all these positioning technologies and tools varies from one specific segment to another one based on the needs. Precision positioning is nowadays a huge concern for the supply chain and logistics providers with the respect to ensure accurate location of the delivery items that can support to eliminate or minimize the risks of delivery delay. It is worthy to mention that the precision positioning can be concentrated to both outdoor and indoor environments. The application of the available positioning technologies also varies between outdoor and indoor environments. In case of hybrid positioning, there needs a combination of technologies in order to provide necessary positioning for both indoor and outdoor environments. Based on the operational environment, it is critical and challenging to select appropriate technologies and tools for achieving precision positioning with higher efficiency and reliability. The aim of this research study is therefore to conduct a systematic literature review to develop a generic methodology that can be useful for the selection of appropriate technologies and tools to achieve precision positioning for both indoor and outdoor operational environments. It is believed that the outcomes from this research study would be a supportive roadmap for supply chains and logistics providers to provide necessary tracking and tracing solutions of their delivery items efficiently. Moreover, this study also aims to find out the existing bottlenecks or challenges of each of the available technologies and tools before deploying them for necessary tracking and tracing solutions of the supply chains and logistics providers.