Digital transformation in e-commerce logistics
a case study on the digital maturity of the last-mile area
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14488/BJOPM.1641.2024Keywords:
Digital Transformation, Digital Maturity, E-commerce, Logistics, Last MileAbstract
Highlights: This article addresses the diagnosis of digital maturity in e-commerce logistics, specifically the final delivery stage, known as the last-mile. The last-mile has greater digitization demand than traditional logistics due to the extreme speed of the virtual world during shopping, where customers transfer these same expectations to delivery services.
Goal: The main objective of this work is to evaluate the digital maturity of the last-mile area of operation of an e-commerce logistics company.
Methodology: This study evaluates the maturity model in a case study with the company E-commerceCo. Interviews were conducted with key employees for data gathering.
Results: The proposed method allows defining and analyzing the digital maturity of the last-mile area of the company in question, understanding strengths, such as a culture open to innovation and digitally mature, and weaknesses, such as technical limitations imposed by the main system used and lack of cybersecurity barriers.
Limitations of the investigation: Since it is a single case study, it does not allow a broad generalization to industries in other branches. Another limitation is that this study is focused on Brazilian logistics operations, which may differ from other countries.
Practical implications: This research is relevant to serve as a reference for other companies in the e-commerce logistics sector to assess their digital maturity from the proposed model and compare common challenges and opportunities. In addition, it will help the studied company to create a successful digital transformation strategy.
Originality / Value: We propose a new approach on how to evaluate the digital maturity of the last-mile area of operation of an e-commerce logistics company.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Verônica Maurer Tabim, Cíntia Wilke Franco, João Pedro Hoerde
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