Purpose

Academics and practitioners have long acknowledged the potential of multiagent systems (MAS) to automate and autonomize decision-making in logistics and supply chain networks. Despite the manifold promises of MAS, industry adoption is lagging behind, and the exact benefits of these systems remain unclear. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by analyzing 11 specific MAS use cases, highlighting their benefits, clarifying how they can help enhance logistics network resilience and identifying existing barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-stage Delphi study was conducted with 18 industry experts. In the first round, these experts identified 11 use cases of MAS and their potential benefits, as well as any barriers that could hinder their adoption. In the second round, they assessed the identified use cases with regard to their potential to enhance logistics network resilience and improve organizational productivity. Furthermore, they estimated the complexity of MAS implementation. In the third round, the experts reassessed their evaluations in light of the evaluations of the other study participants.

Findings

This study proposes 11 specific MAS use cases and illustrates their potential for increasing logistics network resilience and enhancing organizational performance due to autonomous decision-making in informational processes. Furthermore, this study discusses important barriers for MAS, such as lack of standardization, insufficient technological maturity, soaring costs, complex change management and a lack of existing use cases. From a theoretical perspective, it is shown how MAS can contribute to resilience research in supply chain management.

Practical implications

The identification and assessment of diverse MAS use cases informs managers about the potential of this technology and the barriers that need to be overcome.

Originality/value

This study fills a gap in the literature by providing a thorough and up-to-date assessment of the potential of MAS for logistics and supply chain management. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the relevance of MAS for logistics network resilience using the Delphi method.

中文翻译：

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多代理系统对自主生产和供应链网络的影响：用例、障碍和对物流网络弹性的贡献

目的

学术界和从业者早就认识到多代理系统 (MAS) 在物流和供应链网络中自动化和自主决策的潜力。尽管 MAS 做出了多方面的承诺，但行业采用仍然滞后，这些系统的确切好处仍不清楚。本研究旨在通过分析 11 个特定的 MAS 用例来填补这一知识空白，强调它们的好处，阐明它们如何帮助增强物流网络的弹性并确定现有障碍。

设计/方法/途径

与 18 位行业专家一起进行了三阶段德尔菲研究。在第一轮中，这些专家确定了 MAS 的 11 个用例及其潜在优势，以及可能阻碍其采用的任何障碍。在第二轮中，他们评估了已确定的用例在增强物流网络弹性和提高组织生产力方面的潜力。此外，他们还估计了 MAS 实施的复杂性。在第三轮中，专家们根据其他研究参与者的评价重新评估了他们的评价。

发现

本研究提出了 11 个特定的 MAS 用例，并说明了由于信息流程中的自主决策，它们在提高物流网络弹性和提高组织绩效方面的潜力。此外，本研究讨论了 MAS 的重要障碍，例如缺乏标准化、技术成熟度不足、成本飙升、复杂的变更管理以及缺乏现有用例。从理论的角度来看，它展示了 MAS 如何为供应链管理中的弹性研究做出贡献。

实际影响

对不同 MAS 用例的识别和评估让管理人员了解这项技术的潜力以及需要克服的障碍。

原创性/价值

这项研究通过对 MAS 在物流和供应链管理方面的潜力进行全面和最新的评估，填补了文献中的空白。据作者所知，这是第一项使用德尔菲法研究 MAS 与物流网络弹性相关性的研究。