IoT-Enabled Sustainable and Cost-Efficient Returnable Transport Management Strategies in Multimodal Transport Systems

Yanqi Zhang, Xiaofei Kou (), Haibin Liu, Shiqing Zhang and Liangliang Qie
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Yanqi Zhang: School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Xiaofei Kou: School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Haibin Liu: School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Shiqing Zhang: School of Management Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Liangliang Qie: School of Chemistry and Material Science, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan 432000, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-22

Abstract: Returnable transport items (RTIs) are widely used in multimodal transport systems. However, due to the lack of effective tracking methods, RTIs management efficiency is low and RTIs are easily lost, which directly and indirectly causes economic losses to enterprises. Internet of Things (IoT) technology is proved to be effective in realizing real-time tracking and tracing of various objects in diverse fields. However, an IoT-enabled RTIs management system in a multimodal transport system has not been widely accepted due to a lack of an effective cost decision model. To address these problems, this research first presents three typical schemes of RTIs management. through extensive field studies on collaborative logistics service providers in multimodal transport systems. Then, the cost–benefit analyses of these three schemes are conducted while the decision models on whether to adopt IoT technologies are built. Finally, based on the decision models, the main factors affecting the application of IoT-RTIs management systems are studied by numerical analysis, based on which several managerial implications are presented. These results can serve as a theoretical basis for enterprises interested in finding out whether IoT technology should be used in RTIs management.

Keywords: multimodal transport system; RTIs management; Internet of Things; cost–benefit analysis; decision models (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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