Sustainability Impact of Automated Warehouses in Industry 4.0 scenario

Abstract

The need to increase competitiveness and market success drives companies to promote continuous technological advancements. In today’s society, logistics, including in-house logistics, is no less important than production itself. The Industry 4.0 paradigm marked a turning point, having a significant impact on manufacturing companies and paving the way for its natural continuation in consolidating sustainability principles within the Industry 5.0 paradigm. Internal logistics primarily means automated warehouses. The application of 4.0 technologies to warehouses enables the transition from traditional to smart systems. Elements such as IoT, autonomous robots, and big data, which are the pillars of Industry 4.0, form the foundation for automating warehouse activities. This work presents an extensive literature review, examining which areas of sustainability are addressed by scientists concerning the triple bottom line. From the literature analysis, it is possible to recognize that technological innovation brings benefits not only from an economic standpoint but also in terms of environmental and social impact. Finally, a case study quantitatively demonstrates the extent of the aforementioned advantages.