CLOUD LOGISTICS

Abstract

The development of ITC technologies and the appearance of cloud computing leaded to the virtualisation of logistics services. There are in the literature three different types of cloud computing models: software as service, platform as service and infrastructure as service. Within the frame of this paper the author describes a new cloud computing model, the service as service model, which can be determined as cloud logistics. After a careful literature review this paper introduces an approach, which uses Internet based technologies to support virtual logistic networks. This work considers the requirements of design and operation and focuses on the capabilities of optimisation framework. The present paper contributes to the knowledge of design and control of logistic networks and supply chain and offers new insights in theory and modelling, paving the way for further research works on this topic.