Digitalisation, Online Trade and Smart Production: Opportunities and Challenges for the Logistics Sector

The logistics sector has turned into a key competitiveness factor for economies. Market globalisation, the intensification of labour distribution in manufacturing, which strengthens the trend towards greater specialisation, slim production procedures and minimal stock keeping are all boosting demand for logistics services. To find solutions to increasingly complex user requirements, the logistics branch is driving its own digitalisation. To optimise its management of goods and information flows, the branch has to mirror real transport processes in the virtual world. Internet platforms offer the opportunity to network process information, while a web-based networking of players creates transparency and boosts efficiency.