Intelligent products for enhancing the utilization of tracking technology in transportation
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
ISSN: 0144-3577
Article publication date: 1 April 2014
Abstract
Purpose
Many transportation companies struggle to effectively utilize the information provided by tracking technology for performing operational control. The research as presented in this paper aims to identify the problems underlying the inability to utilize tracking technology within this context. Moreover, this paper aims to contribute to solving these problems by proposing a set of design principles based on the concept of intelligent products.
Design/methodology/approach
The study as described in this paper adopts a design science research methodology consisting of three phases. First, a case study in a transportation company has been performed to identify the problems faced when utilizing tracking technology. Second, to overcome these problems, a set of design principles has been formulated. Finally, a prototype system based on the design principles has been developed and subjected to experimental and observational evaluation.
Findings
This paper identifies the problems associated with the utilization of tracking technology for the control of transport operations. Moreover, the proposed design principles support the development of information systems which overcome the identified problems and thereby enhance the utilization of tracking technology in a transportation context.
Originality/value
The commonly held perception that tracking technology will improve the ability to perform operational control does not unequivocally stand up to empirical scrutiny. While it is widely demonstrated that tracking technology is able to accurately capture the detailed operational information, it remains a fundamental challenge to transform this abundance of information into accurate and timely control decisions. This research provides a valuable contribution with respect to tackling this challenge, by identifying problems and providing solutions related to the utilization of readily available tracking technology.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude to Wilrik Mook and Gijs Roest for their assistance in developing the prototype, to Marco Hoogenraad for his assistance in performing the case study, and to Chee-Wee Tan for his valuable feedback on the paper. This research is supported by the National Energy Project of the National Science Council, Taiwan, under Grant No. NSC101-3113-P-006-020, and by the European Commission through the 7th FP Project ADVANCE (www.advancelogistics.eu) under Grant No. 257398.
Citation
G. Meyer, G., Buijs, P., B. Szirbik, N. and (Hans) Wortmann, J.C. (2014), "Intelligent products for enhancing the utilization of tracking technology in transportation", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 34 No. 4, pp. 422-446. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-11-2012-0530
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited