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Sorting out the sorting in omnichannel retailing

Kembro, Joakim LU orcid ; Eriksson, Ebba LU and Norrman, Andreas LU (2022) In Journal of Business Logistics 43(4). p.593-622
Abstract
The increasing complexity of today's omnichannels has led to challenges with logistics efficiency and customer utility. In this paper, we show how retailers address these challenges by sorting goods at multiple points across the logistics network and inside each material-handling node. As contemporary research on the omnichannel sorting phenomenon is limited and fragmented, we conduct an abductive multiple case study to elaborate omnichannel logistics and transvection theory. It explains why retailers, depending on their omnichannel context, prepone some sorting activities upstream and postpone others to handle trade-offs between customer utility and logistics efficiency. An artifact, including structured terminology, six sorting aspects,... (More)
The increasing complexity of today's omnichannels has led to challenges with logistics efficiency and customer utility. In this paper, we show how retailers address these challenges by sorting goods at multiple points across the logistics network and inside each material-handling node. As contemporary research on the omnichannel sorting phenomenon is limited and fragmented, we conduct an abductive multiple case study to elaborate omnichannel logistics and transvection theory. It explains why retailers, depending on their omnichannel context, prepone some sorting activities upstream and postpone others to handle trade-offs between customer utility and logistics efficiency. An artifact, including structured terminology, six sorting aspects, and an iconographic platform, is constructed to support the analysis of the extent, variety, and complexity of sorting at both the strategic network level and the operational material-handling node level. We conclude by submitting 10 theoretical and actionable design propositions that support decision making in (re)designing omnichannel logistics networks and offer avenues for future research. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
automation, customer utility, logistics network, omnichannel, sorting, transvection, warehouse operations
in
Journal of Business Logistics
volume
43
issue
4
pages
29 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85129313283
ISSN
2158-1592
DOI
10.1111/jbl.12305
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
382a6f52-8723-4510-81d3-b4a3c162e8ce
date added to LUP
2022-06-22 23:22:00
date last changed
2023-04-05 17:44:59
@article{382a6f52-8723-4510-81d3-b4a3c162e8ce,
  abstract     = {{The increasing complexity of today's omnichannels has led to challenges with logistics efficiency and customer utility. In this paper, we show how retailers address these challenges by sorting goods at multiple points across the logistics network and inside each material-handling node. As contemporary research on the omnichannel sorting phenomenon is limited and fragmented, we conduct an abductive multiple case study to elaborate omnichannel logistics and transvection theory. It explains why retailers, depending on their omnichannel context, prepone some sorting activities upstream and postpone others to handle trade-offs between customer utility and logistics efficiency. An artifact, including structured terminology, six sorting aspects, and an iconographic platform, is constructed to support the analysis of the extent, variety, and complexity of sorting at both the strategic network level and the operational material-handling node level. We conclude by submitting 10 theoretical and actionable design propositions that support decision making in (re)designing omnichannel logistics networks and offer avenues for future research.}},
  author       = {{Kembro, Joakim and Eriksson, Ebba and Norrman, Andreas}},
  issn         = {{2158-1592}},
  keywords     = {{automation; customer utility; logistics network; omnichannel; sorting; transvection; warehouse operations}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{593--622}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Business Logistics}},
  title        = {{Sorting out the sorting in omnichannel retailing}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12305}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jbl.12305}},
  volume       = {{43}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}