Integral Logistics Overview

Principles

Definition

Integral logistics is an academic concept and research field investigating the systemic integration and coordination of all logistics functions, including transportation, warehousing, inventory management, and related activities, within a supply chain. Characterised by a holistic and unified approach, it seeks to optimize the entire flow of goods and information by treating these diverse components as a single cohesive system. Its significance lies in enhancing overall supply chain efficiency, reducing operational costs, and improving responsiveness through synchronized processes and resource alignment from origin to destination.

Ontological type

Core Principles

Integration Mechanisms

Information Systems

Key developments

Key Figures

Digital Logistics Governance era

Girma Gebresenbet [1] is positioned in the Digital Logistics Governance era (2007-2015) with affiliations at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences [3]. One key contribution is the paper Food traceability as an integral part of logistics management in food and agricultural supply chain[6], illustrating how traceability supports governance and decision making in food and agricultural networks. John Ozment [2] is active in this era with affiliations at the University of Akron[4] and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville[5]. His contributions include the paper Logistics capability, logistics outsourcing and firm performance in an e‐commerce market[7] and the paper Research on personnel issues published in leading logistics journals[8], illustrating how outsourcing, capability development, and human capital shape performance under governance-driven logistics networks.

Logistics Platformization era

Krzysztof Witkowski [1] is a scholar shaping the Logistics Platformization era (2016–2022), with affiliations at University of Zielona Góra [3] and Wroclaw University of Economics and Business [4]. His contribution in this era centers on Internet of Things, Big Data, and Industry 4.0 as enabling technologies for integrated logistics platforms, as reflected in the paper 'Internet of Things, Big Data, Industry 4.0 – Innovative Solutions in Logistics and Supply Chains Management' [7], where IoT [7], Big Data [7], and Industry 4.0 [7] enable real-time visibility, data-driven decision-making, and resilience. Chia–Nan Wang [2] contributes to the era through cross-institutional work at National Tsing Hua University [5] and Ton Duc Thang University [6], building foundations for platform-oriented analytics in logistics. Her 2021 papers, 'A Compromised Decision-Making Approach to Third-Party Logistics Selection in Sustainable Supply Chain Using Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy VIKOR Methods' [8] and 'Outsourcing Reverse Logistics for E-Commerce Retailers: A Two-Stage Fuzzy Optimization Approach' [9], advance fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making for outsourcing and reverse logistics, crucial for platform governance and resilience under uncertainty.