Collaborative Design of Warehousing 4.0 Using the Concept of Contradictions

Abstract

The general context of this paper is the strategic planning of distribution centre warehouses. The idea is to anticipate changes in the warehouse based on objectives and issues generally linked to market (e.g.: electronic trade, etc.) and environmental developments (e.g.: last-mile logistics, etc.). Planning requires overcoming the consequences of the choices made as well as their interactions. To inform and justify projected technological choices, it is crucial to identify and understand design rules which are often contradictory. Problems arise out of contradictions! To support strategic planning, the decision-making aid proposed in this paper consists of extracting and formalising all problems in the form of contradictory design rules.