Toward human-centric warehousing 5.0 to boost supply chain resilience and sustainable operations: an examination of the retail supply chain

Amely Cuadros, Alinet Fernandez, Edgar Ramos, Victor Pimentel and Angel Hurtado

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2026, vol. 75, issue 9, 3136-3170

Abstract: PurposeThis study identifies key criteria for strengthening resilience and sustainability in retail through a human-centric approach to Warehousing 5.0 (WH5.0). It analyzes how this model improves operational efficiency, environmental impact, and adaptability. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method.Design/methodology/approachA hybrid approach integrating the best–worst method (BWM), interpretive structural modelling (ISM), and cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis was utilized to examine critical adoption criteria for human-centric WH5.0. The BWM prioritizes the relative importance of the criteria, ISM reveals the hierarchical structures and interrelationships among them, and MICMAC classifies the criteria based on their driving and dependence power.FindingsThis study demonstrates that integrating human-centric WH5.0, supply chain resilience (SCRes), and sustainable operations (SO) into retail logistics improves operational adaptability and sustainability. By prioritizing key criteria, strategies are identified for strengthening resilient and responsible warehouse operations. This work drives the long-term robustness of the retail supply chain (RSC).Practical implicationsThe proposed framework enables decision-makers to gain deeper insights into how different adoption criteria influence warehouse performance in RSC. It provides a comprehensive, performance-oriented evaluation that simultaneously considers operational efficiency, resilience, environmental sustainability, and social performance, supporting informed decision-making in the implementation of human-centric WH5.0.Originality/valueThe traditional RSC is increasingly being challenged by volatility and sustainability pressures. This study contributes by conceptualizing warehouse performance in retail as a human-centric and resilience-driven process, integrating WH5.0, SCRes, and SO into a unified performance management framework.

Keywords: Warehousing 5.0; Human-centric; Sustainable operations; Resilience; Retail supply chain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ijppmp:ijppm-08-2025-0846

DOI: 10.1108/IJPPM-08-2025-0846

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