Synchronizing Material Flows in Logistics Systems: Conceptual Framework and Research Opportunities

Logistics systems’ performance has been challenged by increasing complexity due to demanding order fulfillment and delivery requirements and diffused shortages of transportation and warehousing resources. The synchronization of material flows between different storage, handling, and transportation activities emerges as a response to such challenges, enhancing system efficiency and effectiveness. By leveraging integrated decision-making approaches, synchronization promotes the flow-oriented coordination of multiple logistics activities, reducing buffers and waiting times between them. This research contributes to provide a cohesive understanding of the opportunities for synchronizing material flows in logistics systems and the elements to act upon to address such opportunities, offering a structured foundation for future studies and outlining multiple research directions. Moreover, it supports practitioners in the identification of synchronization opportunities along their processes. Starting from a fragmented body of works, a systematic literature review is carried out and the following elements are identified and consolidated in a conceptual framework: the logistics flows presenting opportunities for synchronization, the different operational, tactical, and strategic decisions and the decision-making approaches to tackle such opportunities, and their final effect on system performance. Supporting digital solutions within the Logistics 4.0 paradigm complete the framework elements.