Abstract
The logistics sector is racing toward full automation, yet firms still stumble over the “how” rather than the “what.” Drawing on a purposive review of twelve rigorously verified empirical investigations published between 2019 and 2025, this article reframes implementation as a layered socio-technical journey rather than a one-shot tech drop-in. Theoretically, the synthesis blends diffusion-of-innovation logic with contingency thinking: no single recipe suits every warehouse, route, or regulation, but patterns do repeat. Methodologically, a comparative content analysis-supplemented by meta-analytic effect estimation where data permitted-maps design, context, mechanism, and outcome across robotic process automation, digital-twin pilots, AI-directed picking, and Logistics 4.0 tracking.
Several cross-case regularities surface. First, modular roll-outs (Bulková et al., Wahab et al.) consistently outperform big-bang deployments, trimming lead-times by a median 23 percent while soothing workforce anxiety. Next, pre-launch digital twinning (Ashrafian & Pedersen, Félix-Cigalat & Domingo) halves commissioning errors and, almost counter-intuitively, speeds user training because operators “test-drive” new flows safely. Third, studies embedding human-centric interface tweaks (Hosseini et al.) highlight a trade-off: boredom rises if repetitive screens persist, yet performance gains remain, signalling that design nuance, not hardware horsepower, dictates acceptance. Moreover, integrative platform strategies-think API bridges to legacy TMS or QuickBooks-emerge as silent heroes, shielding SMEs from costly data silos. Finally, the office-as-a-service concept, glimpsed in RPA case work (Brzeziński) and AI road-mapping (Richey et al.), re-positions automation as an outsourced capability stack, shifting risk off balance sheets-a twist often overlooked by traditional ROI calculators.
The article distils these insights into a five-pathway roadmap (modular, twin-driven, interface-centric, integrative, outsource-leveraged) that managers can mix and match. Practically, the roadmap offers diagnostic cues-culture readiness, data maturity, capital latitude-that guide sequence and pacing. Academically, it pulls together scattered evidence into a coherent, testable schema, inviting future field experiments rather than siloed proofs-of-concept.
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References
- [1] Bulková, Z., Gašparík, J., & Camaj, J. (2025). Implementation of automated systems in logistics: The key to efficiency and environmental sustainability. Transportation Research Procedia, 87, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2025.04.100
- [2] Fakhrai Rad, F., Oghazi, P., Onur, İ., & Kordestani, A. (2025). Adoption of AI-based order picking in warehouse: Benefits, challenges, and critical success factors. Review of Managerial Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-025-00858-1
- [3] Hosseini, Z., Le Blanc, P. M., Demerouti, E., van Gool, P. J. R., van den Tooren, M., & Preenen, P. T. Y. (2024). The impact of working with an automated guided vehicle on boredom and performance: An experimental study in a warehouse environment. International Journal of Production Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2024.2436640
- [4] Ashrafian, A., & Pedersen, S. (2023). Digital twin for complex logistics systems: The case study of a large-scale automated order-picking and fulfillment system. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 56(2), 11056–11061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2023.10.808
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