A production logistics system is often subject to high operational dynamics due to large working areas, frequent resource interactions, long operation periods and intensive human involvement. Researchers have applied system dynamics to design the structure of statistically robust systems which accommodate common dynamics. Yet this approach begins to lose its feasibility because dynamics anticipation and statistics are becoming more difficult in ever more competitive markets and adjustments to system structure typically incur high costs. In response, this study explores how a robust information structure can be designed and real-time control schemes for controlling the dynamics inherent to real-life systems applied. Motivated by the wide application of industrial Internet-of-Things (IoT) systems, this paper investigates the typical production logistic execution processes and adopts system dynamics to design cost-effective IoT solutions. The internal and external production logistic processes are first investigated separately. Using sensitivity analysis, the optimal IoT solutions are evaluated and analysed to provide guidance on IoT implementation. Internal and external production logistic processes are then combined into an integrated structure to offer a generic system dynamics approach. This research does not only enhance the use of system dynamics, but also presents a quantitative IoT system analysis approach.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the world’s largest infrastructure projects, with its potential political and economic impact being widely discussed since its inception in 2013. Yet the phenomenon has received only limited attention in the Supply Chain Management (SCM) literature. In response, we first conduct a broad systematic review of the literature to assess how China’s BRI is portrayed. Using this as a backdrop, we then distil the likely impact of the BRI on location decisions and supply chain flows. Finally, in a broader discussion of the SCM literature, we explore the implications of the BRI for future research in four key areas: supply chain configuration, supply chain resilience, sustainable SCM, and cross border SCM. While these areas are not new, the BRI presents a unique context that can be used to enhance theory and understanding in each area. The BRI reduces time distance independent of geographical distance by diverting supply chain flows from established routes to new routes via far less accessible regions. This introduces new risks and sustainability issues that call for multi-criteria decision support systems. Another important issue is the adoption and diffusion of the BRI since this will ultimately determine project success.

Purpose: The objective of this research is twofold. First, we aim at identifying the pairwise relationships between Lean Production (LP) practices and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. Second, based on these results, we propose a framework for Lean Automation (LA) implementation, in which I4.0 technologies are integrated into LP practices.Design/methodology/approach: To achieve that, a cross-sector survey was performed with 147 manufacturers that are undergoing a LP implementation aided by novel information and communication technologies from I4.0. Multivariate data analysis was applied in order to underpin the proposed framework for LA.Findings: Findings indicate that I4.0 technologies are positively correlated with LP practices, providing evidence to bear the proposition of a LA framework that can potentially overcome traditional barriers and challenges of a LP implementation.Originality/value: As previous studies have approached LA implementation from a narrow perspective or including a limited set of LP practices and I4.0 technologies, the proposition of an integrated framework unfolds a wider range of synergistic implementations that may corroborate to a holistic approach for continuous improvement in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.