Table 3 A hierarchical categorisation of ICT use in transport and logistics operations

Level1 – vehicle and load

Baumgartner et al. [20], Stefansson and Lumsden [21], Zeimpekis and Giaglis [22].

On-vehicle or in-cab ICT systems managing individual vehicles or loads; typical applications include:

Digital tachograph, which works by digitally storing data on the driver and vehicle in its memory, and also on a credit card-sized plastic card known as the “driver smart card”. It is an electronic system for recording driving and rest times for drivers and co-drivers of trucks that are driven under EC driver’ hours rules.

Telematics, which is made up of three components: an on-board computer, a satellite receiver/GPS, and a communications device. These are normally combined into a single piece of equipment within the vehicle, supported by office-based equipment and software. It is the wireless backbone of vehicle and load management and helps to monitor the movement of vehicles, fuel consumption and communicate with drivers

Level 2 – company

Botta-Genoulaz et al. [23], Gupta and Kohli [24], Baumgartner et al. [20],

Helo and Szekely [25], Marchet et al. [6], Yusuf et al. [26].

Enterprise systems deployed to manage specific business processes:

Best of breed functional systems: a typical application is transportation management system (TMS) which usually offers the following functions;

Planning and scheduling: daily route and resource planning and strategic what-if scenarios analysis for long term business plan;

Execution and monitoring: driver communication, real time or retrospective tracking, management reporting and financial settlement;

Fully integrated systems: a typical application is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system which integrates all of a company’s major business processes (from order processing to product distribution) within a single family of software modules

Level 3 – supply chain

Brown et al. [27], Evangelista et al. [28], Sweeney et al. [29], Buxmann et al. [30]

Inter-organisational systems managing mainly the dyadic business activities between two organisations. Typical applications include:

Customer relationship management (CRM) system, allowing business to carry out b2b sales on the web and provides support for marketing and customer service;

Supplier relationship management (SRM) or Supply chain management (SCM) system, designed to deal with the procurement of the components a company needs to make a product or service and the movement and distribution of components and finished products throughout the supply chain

Level 4 – network (multiple supply chains)

Auramo et al. [31], Davies et al. [32], Wang et al. [33], Wang et al. [34].

Network systems usually involve multiple participants and communications are simultaneously conducted between two or more companies. Typical applications include:

Open electronic logistics marketplaces, mainly for sport trading of transport services between shippers and carriers. Such systems can be used for identifying backhaul opportunities;

Closed electronic logistics marketplaces, for long-term logistics provision and execution. Such systems integrate shippers (consignors), carriers and customers (consignees) and can be used for horizontal transport collaboration between shippers or between carriers Network systems usually involve multiple participants and communications are simultaneously conducted between two or more companies. Typical applications include