A Framework for a Holistic Information System for Small-Medium Logistics Enterprises

Logistic or freight networks have gained considerable interest lately, calling for intelligent methods in order to deal with the increasing load requirements while maintaining sustainable costs. In this work, we focus on addressing the needs of small-medium freight companies so that they can cope with the emerging challenges in the post-COVID era. More specifically, we initially identify the requirements and the architecture of a candidate holistic information system that such a company would need to ensure optimal deliveries and efficiency of its operation. Then we focus on the scheduling-routing component of the proposed information system framework. We review the proposed solutions and propose a novel one based on the concept of backpressure joint scheduling-routing inspired from telecommunication networks. We believe that this approach can seamlessly and efficiently provide the means for small-scale companies, and larger ones as well, to optimize their operations and improve their offered quality of service.