Towards a unifying framework for automated transport systems
Berry Gerrits is a PhD student in the department Industrial Engineering & Business Information Systems. (Co)Supervisors ar prof.dr.ir. M.R.K. Mes, prof.dr. J. van Hillegersberg and dr. P.C. Schuur from the faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences.
To cope with the many challenges the logistics sector faces and to build future-proof and resilient logistics systems, there is an ongoing paradigm shift from centralised control of ‘non-intelligent assets’, towards decentralised control of ‘intelligent assets’. This shift is motivated by the increasing complexity of global challenges, such as heterogeneous markets with high demand fluctuations, short product life cycles with high product variations, and pressure on logistics systems due to high customer expectations, e.g., short delivery times, delivery time reliability, and delivery flexibility. Logistics companies simultaneously aim for high resource utilization, efficient control methods, robust and changeable logistics processes, sustainable and circular products and services, and the ability to quickly and effectively react to changes, disturbances, and opportunities in the market. The rationale behind tackling these challenges, and to optimize and streamline logistics operations is not only motivated by trying to thrive in a competitive market, but also motived by making a contribution to global sustainability goals such as decarbonization, human well-being, responsible consumption and production and climate actions.
The transition from hierarchical control structures to heterarchical control structures enables assets to become intelligent. Intelligent assets could include raw materials, components or products, as well as transit equipment (e.g., pallets, packages) and transportation systems (e.g., conveyers, trucks and cars). By delegating control to assets, we enable autonomous behaviour, i.e., decision-making without external or central control. Through cooperation with the environment and other assets, the system may be able to organise itself. That is, without external or central control or maybe even without a reference to the global objectives of the system. In other words, a self-organizing system consists of autonomous assets, each with their own goal. Through mutual cooperation they are able to achieve a common goal. In this thesis, we view self-organizing logistics as a way to cope with the complex, dynamic and stochastic nature of the logistics sector and the abovementioned challenges.
