The current paradigm in freight transport is based on economies of scale, batch handling and standardization. In order to make the transport system more efficient, the industry may need to enter the real-time data world where informed decisions must be made in seconds on a large scale.
Unsolved problems in freight transport - climbing the three mountaintops of real-time data
1. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS
UNSOLVED PROBLEMS IN
FREIGHT TRANSPORT
CLIMBING THE THREE
MOUNTAINTOPS OF
REAL-TIME DATA
Per Olof Arnäs
Chalmers University of Technology
@Dr_PO
per-olof.arnas@chalmers.se
about.me/perolofarnas
Slides: slideshare.net/poar
En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
2. Northern LEAD
Logistics Research Centre
Founded by:
Chalmers University of Technology
University of Gothenburg
Logistics and Transport Society LTS
3. Northern LEAD coordinates and supports logistics
research at Chalmers and University of Gothenburg
in order to increase volume, quality and
relevance of the research
What we do
stairs by Denis Jacquerye on Flickr
4. Tomorrow’s logistics. We are finding the answers.
Around 70 researchers
Research centre for
sustainable logistics
solutions
Five core research
groups Organises, facilitates,
disseminates highly
relevant logistics
researchCollaboration between
Chalmers and University
of Gothenburg
6. Thought leadership
through
high quality
research and
innovation
Challenges
and trends
Outcomes for
policy and
business
Volatility and risk
Demographic
changes
Complexity and
structural
flexibility
Resource
limitations
Manufacturing
and retail
revolution
Environmental
impact
Focused areas
Urban Transport
Long Distance Transport
Purchasing of
transport
Logistics and Production Networks
Information,
planning and
control
Measurements
and measuring
Service
development in
networks
Resource
utilisation
Intermodality
7. Per Olof Arnäs
The Transport
industry
3 things:
Carbon-free transport by Stéfan on Flickr
16. Startups compete with airlines by
inventing videoconferencing.
http://bryce.vc/post/18404303850/the-problem-with-innovation
Startups don’t compete with airlines...
Miniature Airport by disparkys on Flickr (CC-BY,SA)
by purchasing a bunch of planes
hiring a bunch of pilots
and locking up a bunch of terminals at airports.
19. Safety imbalance
Variation in resource demand
Chain imbalance
Caused by the chain
Technological imbalance
E.g. mismatch in equipment
Operational imbalance
Goods and resource flow not compatible
Structural imbalance
Uneven transport demand
20. Safety imbalance
Variation in resource demand
Chain imbalance
Caused by the chain
Technological imbalance
E.g. mismatch in equipment
Operational imbalance
Goods and resource flow not compatible
Structural imbalance
Uneven transport demand
Several of these
imbalances can be
reduced by reducing
uncertainties
22. The transport industry
does not like real-time
decisions.
At all.
DSC_9073.jpg by James England on Flickr (CC-BY)
23. The transport industry
does not like real-time
decisions.
At all.
Batch-handling
Zip codes
Zones
Time-tables
DSC_9073.jpg by James England on Flickr (CC-BY)
24. Image: Alain Delorme, alaindelorme.com
The current model is
focused on economy of
scale and standardization
25. Image: Alain Delorme, alaindelorme.com
The current model is
focused on economy of
scale and standardization
28. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS
Strategic Tactical Operational Predictive
Time horizons
We are approaching
this boundary
…and we are
starting to
move past it!
Real-time!
31. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS
Business
processes
Infra-
structure
Paperbased
Phone
Papers
Road
signs
A
nalogue
tools
R
D
S
M
onitorfuel
cosnum
ption
Digitization version 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0E-mail
Fax
TMS-
systems
Excel
Route
planning
G
PS
fornavigation
Electronically
generated
freightdocum
ents
Barcodes
RFID-tags
Simple order
handling
Advanced order
handling
Openinterface
W
eb
based
UI
Platform
based
system
s
Hardware-
oriented
Datacollection
systems
(proprietary)
Communication
withvehicles
E-invoice
W
eb
based
booking
Route
optimisation
ThesocialwebOpenconnectivity
Integrated
prognosis
Data
collection
system
s
(open)
Tolling
system
s
Webservices
with traffic data
Dynamic
routing
systems
Performance
BasedaccessPerformanceBasedaccess
Mashups
Multipledata
sources
Probedata
Individual
routing
inform
ation
Platooning
Platooning
Exceptions
handling
Smartgoods
Manual
Computers
Software
Functions
Distributed
decision
making
G
oods
as
bi-
directional
hyperlink
Paperbased
CC-BY Per Olof Arnäs, Chalmers
Goods Vehicle
33. http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2575515
Source: Gartner August 2013
Augmenting
humans with
technology
Machines
replacing
humans
Humans and
machines
working
alongside each
other
Machines
better
understanding
humans and
the
environment
Humans better
understanding
machines
Machines and
humans
becoming
smarter
Gartners Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies
37. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
3 mountaintops to climb…
38. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
Fixed Historical
3 data types
Mountaintop #1
Collection of data in real-time
Snapshot
39. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
5 data domains
Vehicle CargoDriver Company
Infrastructure/
facility
at least…
Mountaintop #1
Collection of data in real-time
40. Length
Weight
Width
Height
Capacity
+ other PBS-criteria
Emissions
Fuel consumption
Route
Position
Speed
Direction
Weight
Origin
Destination
Accepted ETA
Temperature
+ other state variables
Temperature + other
state variables
Education/training
Speed (ISA)
Rest/break schedule
Traffic behaviour
Belt usage
Alco lock history
Schedule status (time to
next break etc.)
Contracts/
agreements
Previous interactions Backoffice support
Fixed Historical Snapshot
Vehicle
Cargo
Driver
Company
Infrastructure/
facility
Map
+ fixed data layers
Traffic history
Current traffic
Queue
Availability
DATA MATRIX
41. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
Mountaintop #2
Processing of data in real-time
Locals and Tourists #1 (GTWA #2): London by Eric Fischer on Flickr
42. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
Mountaintop #2
Processing of data in real-time
43. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
Mountaintop #3
Exploiting data in real-time
Connected. 362/365 by AndYaDontStop
on Flickr (CC-BY)
Lisa for I/O Keynote by Max Braun on
Flickr (CC-BY)
Fulham-Manchester
United 24-02-2007 by
vuhlser on Flickr (CC-BY)
44. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)
Mountaintop #3
Exploiting data in real-time
Boeing-KC-97 Stratotanker by x-ray delta one on Flickr (CC-BY)
48. The Challenger by Martín Vinacur on Flickr (CC-BY)
Not all ideas age with grace
49. The Challenger by Martín Vinacur on Flickr (CC-BY)
Someone must do the work
50. The Challenger by Martín Vinacur on Flickr (CC-BY)
Not everyone will want to
adopt new things…
51.
52. CC-BY PER OLOF ARNÄS
UNSOLVED PROBLEMS IN
FREIGHT TRANSPORT
CLIMBING THE THREE
MOUNTAINTOPS OF
REAL-TIME DATA
Per Olof Arnäs
Chalmers University of Technology
@Dr_PO
per-olof.arnas@chalmers.se
about.me/perolofarnas
Slides: slideshare.net/poar
En la cima! by Alejandro Juárez on Flickr (CC-BY)