Article citation information:
Staniek, M., Sierpiński, G. Smart platform for support issues at the
first and last mile in the supply chain - the concept of the S-mile project.
Scientific Journal of Silesian University
of Technology. Series Transport. 2016, 92, 141-148. ISSN: 0209-3324. DOI: 10.20858/sjsutst.2016.92.14.
Marcin STANIEK[1], Grzegorz SIERPIŃSKI[2]
SMART PLATFORM FOR
SUPPORT ISSUES AT THE FIRST AND LAST MILE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN - THE CONCEPT OF
THE S-MILE PROJECT
Summary. The concept of an innovative support tool for
freight transport used in planning, organization and realization is presented
in this paper. In addition to the basic functions of a fleet management tool,
the educative approach towards environmentally friendly behaviour will be based
on promoting ecological solutions, such as unconventionally powered cars, e.g.,
electric vehicles (EVs). The suggested criteria for a routing algorithm, which
will be implemented in the freight transport planner tool, not only allows
routing in relation to time and cost criteria, but also the criterion regarding
the limitation of emissions of harmful factors. The implementation of
innovative the S-mile platform gives rise to environmentally friendly cognition
behaviour in the freight transport sector. This is a fundamental aspect to its
application, which could help to move the planning, organization and
realization of freight transport in the direction of more environmental
friendly solutions.
Keywords:
sustainable transport; supply chains; transport modes; multimodal; ecological
transport.
1. INTRODUCTION
The basic assumption of freight
forwarding and transport companies is focused on transport within the defined
area, in which goods are exchanged between two points. Implementation of freight
transport is based on the assumption of minimizing time and costs. In the
opinion of forwarding and transport companies, the green (ecological) criterion
is marginalized; even worse, it is overlooked in the planning of used modes of
transport and the routes they take [23].
A change in thinking is necessary to
promote electromobility or other new technologies for
powering vehicles. The decarbonizing of the transportation sector is one of the
main challenges facing the whole world. For instance, EVs are more efficient
from an energy viewpoint, more economical in terms of consumption and more
environmentally friendly compared to internal combustion engine vehicles [7,
9-10, 15].
Two distinctive issues can be found
in the literature. The first relates to the proper location of distribution
centres. It is important to minimize the cost of distribution, especially
between centre and the customer [3, 6, 17-19, 21]. The other issue is related
to supply chains [1, 4, 13, 16, 20]. The most
important approach is to look for answer regarding how to optimize connect
deliveries (if fleet parameters are known) in supply chains [5]. The
state-of-the-art options in fleet management are vast, with many tools already
offering routing services for freight transport [8], such as the MyRouteOnline Route Planner or the Freight Journey Planner
Map. Unfortunately, none of them includes the particular restrictions imposed
by the use of the EVs, nor do they address pro-ecological routing
strategies or take into consideration road surface conditions.
Generally, although many tools offer
routing services, they overlook the possibility to choose among many types of
fleet (especially pro-ecological), as well as lack integration between
customers, shippers and freight transport companies. Additionally, any analysis
of the macro implications of these tools is avoided.
Nowadays, the issues for logistics
and supply chains are as follows [25]:
- difficulties in integrating
different transport modes into one supply chain
- issues relating to multiple
aspect at the first/last mile:
–
lack
of transportation availability for the main modes in a supply chain directly to
the customer’s address (lack of infrastructure equipment, such as railroads,
airstrips and docks) and also the possibility of zones with limited traffic for
vehicles
–
the
problem of optimal matching of the route from the loading to individual
recipients (customers) and the opposite when delivering from many to one
- the lack of transport planners
who have implemented criteria other than economic ones for transport
companies (in this case, planners who take into account environmental
aspects)
- the lack of any analysis of
freight transport quality when planning the route, given that the
conditions of road surfaces and traffic congestion significantly impact on
the quality of transport [14]
- approaching the problem at the
micro level of individual transport companies, rather than on a macro
level in accordance with urban policy
The proposed solution by the authors
of the article, the S-mile smart platform, will be implemented with an
innovative routing algorithm at the first and last mile in the supply chain,
taking into account the particularities of environmental impact, the
possibility of using EVs or other new technologies for freight transport, and
the quality of road surfaces along the route. The structure of the
platform will allow for integration between customers, shippers and freight
transport companies by using mobile devices, which are arguably the most
popular tools in the entire world [2].
In addition, the authors will
integrate the innovative algorithm with existing open-source routing platforms
to issue first and last mile routes according to both the clients’ and
freighters’ preferences (in the same way as the MyRouteOnline
Route Planner or the Freight Journey Planner Map). The obtained platform will
offer a significant solution to demonstrate the possibility of using
pro-ecological transport modes and creating pro-ecological corridors for
transport of goods.
2. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON THE S-MILE
PROJECT
The primary idea of the S-mile
project is to create an integrated system of tools, which is utilized in
following the steps of a supply chain, such that freight transport development
is fostered in accordance with general and specific EU guidelines, such as EU
White Papers, with the aim of realizing more efficient, safe, pro-ecological
and also cost-effective freight transport in cities [10-12].
The proposed platform will support
the optimization of supply chains, multimodal transport and the reduction of
emissions, stretch, noise and congestion, as well as the improvement of
transport quality with the help of highly effective and developed routing
optimization algorithms [22]. As the goals of the platform will be related to sustainable
logistics in cities, pro-ecological solutions for urban and suburban areas will
be offered. These solutions will considering the possibility of shaping
transport availability from an urban logistic concept regarding the first and
last mile problem into distribution concepts for urban logistics, which will
also help to foster pro-ecological modes of transport.
The project required an
interdisciplinary research team. Thus, a team has been established under the
leadership of SAITEC. The team consists of people
representing companies and scientific institutions, such as SAITEC,
Factor CO2 and DeustoTech (both from the
Basque Country), the Silesian University of Technology (Poland) and PlusOneMinusOne (Turkey). This international cooperation is
designed to deliver a product that, in the future, will foster the ecological
transportation of goods and support decision-making processes for freighters,
customers and local governments.
The cooperation between the
above-mentioned institutions from the three countries (different in terms of
culture, geography and forms of traffic organization in transport systems) has
one more advantage, namely, that the implementation of the S-mile project
enables testing project products in relation to the three specific research
areas. It aims to unify project solutions and establish universal tools for
developing multimodal transport systems. This will directly translate into the
use of project products in the future.
3. CONCEPTION OF THE S-MILE SMART PLATFORM
The general list of all modules
expected in the S-mile project are shown in Figure 1. In this paper, the
authors only describe a small part of the modules involved in the S-mile
platform. The major usability of the S-mile platform will be to optimize the
freight transport supply chain for customers, freighters or shippers, as well
as the possibility of moving transport system monitoring by local authorities
in the direction of both greater efficiency and ecological sustainability. The
platform will be a great support to these stakeholders in shaping more
appropriate transportation behaviours, especially pro-ecological ones.
Fig. 1. Proposed modules of the
S-mile platform involving three kinds of users
The implemented S-mile smart
platform will use data servers and many types of mobile devices, such as
smartphones and tablets. In the devices will be installed applications
(modules/tools), which are universal for ICT infrastructures and will be
responsible for collecting data about the transport system and changes in road
and traffic conditions. Tips will be shown on the display screen of the mobile
devices in order to foster more efficient,
pro-ecological and cost-effective freight transport in the areas at the first
and last mile.
One of the possible functionalities
of the platform is shown in Figure 2, namely, the concept of a system
operation for two freight transport route options. The red route shows that
there will be a negative impact on the environment because it will involve
travel through the city. As the green route will travel along the highway in
order to bypass the city, this will be indicated as a pro-ecological option.
On the S-mile smart platform, the
freight transport planner tool is a key module of the proposed system and
will support the option of multiple shipments in one direction, as well as
facilitate route optimization according to whichever is quicker, shorter and
greener. Additionally, road conditions and traffic data will be taken into
account in the routing algorithm. The main goal of planning freight transport
is to distribute goods with intermediate points for defined criteria:
1. Minimize the distance along the
route:
·
with
the option of changing the order of points
·
without
the option of changing the order of points
2. Minimize the time of transportation:
·
with
the option of changing the order of points
·
without
the option of changing the order of points
Fig. 2. Concept of two different
freight transport routes [25]
Although the system will display
many solutions as a part of the response list of routes, it will
ultimately propose the one with the lowest level of emissions, namely, the
pro-ecological route. The route including intermediate points will be described
by parameters of time, distance and emissions. Any users of the platform will
have the option of adding fixed start and end points, as well as intermediate
points, which are the order points in the supply chain.
In order to determine the optimal
route for freight transport, all potential freighter companies using the S-mile
platform will have to define the parameters characterized by:
·
payload (in certain units, e.g., a
palette) and its maximum load
·
the time taken to load or unload at
various points
·
dimensions (width and height) of a
vehicle and the vehicle weight
·
type of
fuel (gasoline, oil, LPG, CNG, electric etc.)
·
average fuel consumption (for
determining emissions)
·
year of manufacture of the vehicle
(for estimating emissions)
Online data about options along the
planned route will provide crucial information for drivers of transport
companies. The drivers using the S-mile platform can update the route online in
relation to the state of the roads, thereby ensuring fast and reliable
journeys, improving connectivity, facilitating seamless connected travel,
supporting the option of multiple shipments in one direction and the
optimization of the route, by taking into account road surfaces and traffic
conditions. As such, this freight transport planner tool ought to analyse the
following parameters, which are determined in relation to a section of road:
·
maximum
width of the vehicle
·
maximum vehicle height
·
maximum weight of the vehicle
·
speed limit
3. CONCLUSION
The proposed S-mile smart platform
represents a useful concept to support the planning, organization and realization
of freight transport, as well as shaping people’s behaviours connected with the
transportation of goods. The platform’s stakeholders, such as customers,
drivers, freight companies, logistics centres and local authorities, will be
educated in the spirit of the sustainable development of the transport system.
Promotion of environmentally friendly behaviours will be the main element of
the platform scope. The planning and organization of freight transport, as a
result of the platform’s operation, will reduce the negative impact on the
environment, while ensuring that there is no increase in costs.
One of the objectives of the S-mile
project is that the routing algorithm, one of the main platform tools, must
optimize the routes, not only in terms of time and cost criteria, but also the
criterion about limiting the emission of harmful factors. By presenting the
results regarding the means or routes in freight transport, including
pro-ecological solutions, should be helpful to every stakeholder seeking to choose
the option that will best protect the environment.
Acknowledgements. The present research has been
financed by the National Centre for Research and Development as a part of the
international project within the scope of
the Era-net Transport III Sustainable Logistics and Supply Chains programme,
entitled “Smart platform to integrate different freight transport means, manage
and foster first and last mile in supply chains (S-mile)”.
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