Agent-based inter-organizational systems in advanced logistics operations

Abstract

“Agent-based Inter-organizational Systems (ABIOS) in Advanced Logistics Operations” explores the concepts, the design, and the role and impact of agent-based systems to improve coordination and performance of logistics operations. The dissertation consists of one conceptual study and three empirical studies. The empirical studies apply various research methods such as a multiple-case study research, coordination mechanism design, and predictive analytics using big data. The conceptual study presents a theoretical exploration and synthesis explaining the demand for inter-organizational systems (IOS) and the corresponding IOS functionalities. The first empirical study presents a multiple-case study exploring real-life ABIOS implementations in the warehousing and transportation business. The second empirical study provides an auction based coordination mechanism design for the container’s pick-up/delivery appointment reservation problem that involves the seaports and drayage operators. The third empirical study presents a seaport service rate prediction system that could help drayage operators to improve their predictions of the duration of the pick-up/delivery operations at a seaport by using the subordinate trucks’ trajectory data. Based on these studies, the dissertation offers new insights on the role of inter-organizational systems in mitigating coordination equivocality and uncertainties; the interplay among the ABIOS applications, required structural adjustments, and the potential of business performance improvement opportunities; and the development of two ABIOS prototypes: an auction based coordination mechanism and a predictive analytics application based on big data