Lean Thinking to Foster the Transition from Traditional Logistics to the Physical Internet

Vanessa Rodríguez Cornejo, Ángel Cervera Paz, Luis López Molina and Víctor Pérez-Fernández
Additional contact information
Vanessa Rodríguez Cornejo: Business Organization Department, Higher School of Engineering, Cadiz University, Avenue of the University of Cádiz nº 10, Puerto Real, 11 519 Cádiz, Spain
Ángel Cervera Paz: Business Organization Department, Higher School of Engineering, Cadiz University, Avenue of the University of Cádiz nº 10, Puerto Real, 11 519 Cádiz, Spain
Luis López Molina: Business Organization Department, Higher School of Engineering, Cadiz University, Avenue of the University of Cádiz nº 10, Puerto Real, 11 519 Cádiz, Spain
Víctor Pérez-Fernández: Business Organization Department, Higher School of Engineering, Cadiz University, Avenue of the University of Cádiz nº 10, Puerto Real, 11 519 Cádiz, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: This paper studies the relationship between Lean paradigms and the Physical Internet (PI). Lean thinking is a philosophy that allows one to obtain the right amount of the right items in the right place at the right time; it seeks to minimize waste and is flexible to change. In fact, applying Lean not only helps to reduce costs, but it also adds value and improves results across the supply chain. By using a value stream map, we can map the process from the supply chain to the customer, while trying not to add value activities. Such activities include excessive production, overstorage, waiting times poorly adjusted to needs, defects and rejects that require reprocessing, and, finally, unnecessary transport and movements. Storage, waiting times, and unnecessary transport and movements are at the core of the PI. A value stream map can also help to identify empty transport and unnecessary CO 2 emissions. This study analyzes value stream mapping as a tool that can enable the objectives of the different Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration (ALICE) roadmaps for logistics innovation to be achieved, and can also allow PI principles to be reached on the established dates.

Keywords: physical internet; lean thinking; value stream map; supply chain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/15/6053/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/15/6053/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:15:p:6053-:d:390838

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().