Kandó Kálmán Doctoral School of Transportation and Vehicle Engineering  

BME KJK, Department of Material Handling and Logistics Systems

Supervisor: Dr. Bóna Krisztián

Consolidation-based developments in the city logistics system of the concentrated sets of delivery locations

Introducing the research area

Today, the importance of the green aspects has led to considerable attention being paid to urban transport systems, but the focus is primarily on urban passenger transport, whereas urban freight transport is also responsible for significant emissions, and road damage. These systems can be improved primarily by introducing consolidation-based city logistics solutions, which have been the subject of several studies, but their major shortcoming is that they do not pay sufficient attention to where a significant improvement can really be done, and where is it worthwhile to introduce innovative city logistics systems. In my research, I focus on urban areas where there are many delivery locations in a relatively small area. My research assumes that consolidation-based city logistics developments can be efficiently introduced in these clusters of delivery locations, i.e., in the so-called concentrated sets of delivery locations.

 

Brief introduction of the research place

My research is carried out at the Department of Material Handling and Logistics Systems at KJK, in the City Logistics Research Group founded by Krisztián Bóna, Ph.D. The Research Group had several research projects on modeling city logistics systems and has also played an active role in the development of new city logistics concepts for Budapest.

 

History and context of the research

Today, green considerations and reducing emissions are becoming increasingly important. With more than 50% of the world's population living in urban areas [1] and changing consumer habits [2], it is essential to address the development of city logistics systems. The European Union has set ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions [3], with current targets to reduce them by 55% by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 [4], which will require significant improvements in urban freight transport systems. This requires the identification of urban areas where real developments can be made. Based on the results of existing city logistics projects [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], there is a good opportunity to do this in areas where delivery locations and customer needs are concentrated in a small area; these are the cases where consolidation-based systems [10] can be introduced efficiently. The basic concept of the consolidation-based multi-stage systems is illustrated in Figure 1, using Budapest and Győr as examples.

 

Figure 1: Basic concept of consolidation-based multi-stage systems

 

Despite the positive results, such concentrated demands (e.g., in shopping malls) are not given much attention in the literature, with only a few papers examining them [11] [12] [13] [14], and they merely focus on some elements of the systems. In my research, I have therefore focused on these clusters of delivery locations.

 

The research goals, open questions

Based on the research experiences, the purpose of my research was to investigate clusters of delivery locations where the demands are concentrated. One of my basic objectives was to investigate the concentration itself. Regarding this, it was important to develop a clustering that would allow the identification of the sets of delivery locations. In the process of developing this clustering, I introduced the term concentrated sets of delivery locations. The next aim of my research was to develop a data collection methodology that is suitable for the analysis of concentrated sets of delivery locations and the quantification of their characteristics. The application of this methodology was also important because there are currently no data available in public databases that can be used to model the current and future city logistics systems of concentrated sets of delivery locations. The results of the data collection allowed my research to explore the current city logistics systems of the concentrated sets of delivery locations, develop consolidation-based concepts, model them, and compare the concepts based on the models. Primarily, I investigated concepts using road and urban railways-based freight transport, but I also looked at how zero-emission small vehicles (e.g., cargo bikes) could be integrated into this system. The developed models allowed the evaluation of the city logistics performance of the concentrated sets of delivery locations, but I also aimed to develop a ranking methodology that could quantify the current city logistics development of urban zones or concentrated sets of delivery locations, as well as their development potentials, providing a basis for future city logistics developments.

 

Methods

To examine the concentrated urban needs, I first analyzed the concentration itself. To do this, I introduced the term degree of concentration, which in the simple case is the average number of delivery locations (e.g., stores, accommodation) in a given area [delivery locations/km²], and in the area-proportional case the average area of delivery locations in a given area [m² delivery locations/km²]. By using these indicators, I demonstrated in Hungarian and Austrian examples, that the characteristics of concentrated sets of delivery locations (e.g., shopping malls) differ significantly from other urban areas, and based on this, I also developed a new classification of urban delivery locations, introducing the term of the concentrated sets of delivery locations. Next, I developed a data collection methodology to study the concentrated sets of delivery locations. The methodology consists of expert interviews, processing of the available documentation (internal rules, floor plans), the examination of the logistic areas and the transport connections, a complex questionnaire covering all logistic aspects, and topological modeling in the case of open areas (e.g., shopping streets). I applied this methodology to 6 concentrated sets of delivery locations in Budapest to provide data for the next steps of my research.

Based on the data obtained, I described the current city logistics system of the concentrated sets of delivery locations, developed the mathematical model of the logistics processes, and a model of the cost structure, and created a mesoscopic simulation model of the current city logistics system in MS Excel environment (see Figure 2). Based on the experience of previous research and implemented city logistics systems, I developed consolidation-based concepts for the concentrated sets of delivery locations using road freight and urban railways-based transport. In this case, I also developed the mathematical model of the processes, and a model of the cost structure, and prepared a mesoscopic level simulation model. Using these models, I have investigated the operation of the city logistics system of the 6 concentrated sets of delivery locations in Budapest examined earlier. Based on the mesoscopic simulation model, I have also constructed a macroscopic level model to investigate the integration of cargo bikes, based on graph theory-based models of the geometrical structure of the logistics network.

 

Figure 2: Part of the MS Excel-based mesoscopic simulation model

 

To investigate the urban logistics development of urban areas or concentrated sets of delivery locations and their potential for urban logistics development in addition to the operational characteristics of the different concepts, it was necessary to develop a ranking model to complete the data collection methodology and the simulation models. For the implementation of this model, I chose the AHP methodology [15], built a set of criteria for the analysis of the current development and the development potentials, and applied the ranking model to the previously examined concentrated sets of delivery locations. As the last step, I performed correlation tests between the degree of concentration, the city logistics development, and development potentials.

 

Results

According to the first result of my research, and the basis for the next steps, the concentration of urban delivery locations results in a concentration of customer and delivery needs in a small area, which can facilitate consolidation-based city logistics developments. Previously, no grouping was available that would have allowed the exact classification of urban delivery locations, so I developed a new classification from a city logistics perspective, as shown in Figure 3. To examine the concentrated sets of delivery locations identified in the new classification, I developed a methodology and applied it to survey 4 Budapest shopping centers, 1 market, and the “Váci utca” shopping area, thus providing data for a total of 627 stores for modeling. Based on the obtained data, I was able to model the current and the consolidation-based city logistics systems of the concentrated sets of delivery locations.

 

Figure 3: Classification of the urban delivery locations

 

Based on the results of the simulation runs (see Figure 4, where the current system is 100% in every case), I concluded that the number of delivery transactions, and hence the sum milestone and emissions in the system of the concentrated sets of delivery locations can be reduced with the introduction of consolidation-based city logistics solutions. A reduction in the number of deliveries implies a reduction in the delivery costs, which in turn reduces the logistics operation costs when a consolidation-based system is applied.

 

Figure 4: Comparison of the concepts based on the simulation results

 

The AHP-based ranking model was also applied to the examined concentrated sets of delivery locations, and the results confirmed that Budapest's concentrated sets of delivery locations are currently moderately developed with medium-level development potential. Based on the correlation analyses, I concluded that the higher the simple degree of concentration, the more developed and the less developable the zone under study is likely to be; and the higher the area-proportional degree of concentration, the less developed and the more developable the zone is likely to be.

The results of my research demonstrated the importance of concentrated sets of delivery locations in city logistics and helped identify possible development directions. In addition, a city logistics toolkit has been developed that can support various city logistics developments in the future, helping with data collection, modeling, and ranking.

 

Expected impact and further research

As a result of my research, a city logistics toolkit has been developed, which can lay the foundation for future city logistics projects related to the concentrated sets of delivery locations. I have published the results so far in several journals and at conferences, as well as incorporated them into university teaching materials. We also intend to use these tools in research proposals (e.g., HORIZON2020) and are in the process of establishing cooperation with the Municipality of Budapest, Centre for Budapest Transport, and Budapest Market Halls Ltd, so my results will be available for city logistics developments in Budapest. In the next steps of my research, I will focus on further simulation possibilities (e.g., Python) and the integration of drone and waterway-based freight transport and loading areas, so that we can get a full picture of the possibilities for the concentrated sets of delivery locations.

 

Publications, references, links

List of corresponding own publications.

[1]        Bálint Mészáros, Dávid Lajos Sárdi, Krisztián Bóna, PhD. Developing and testing a methodology for acquiring the logistical characteristics of shopping malls in Budapest, for city logistical solutions (2016). 5th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Logistics and Transport, Krakow, Poland. pp 154-159. ISBN: 978-1-5090-2342–4

[2]        Bálint Mészáros, Dávid Lajos Sárdi, Krisztián Bóna, PhD. Monitoring, measurement, and statistical analysis (MMSA) based methodology for improvement of city logistics of shopping malls in Budapest (2017). World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research, 6 (4), pp. 352–371. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1504/WRITR.2017.10009827

[3]        Dávid Lajos Sárdi, Krisztián Bóna, PhD. Developing a mesoscopic simulation model for the examination of shopping mall freight traffic in Budapest (2017). Smart Cities Symposium 2017, Prague, Czech Republic. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1109/SCSP.2017.7973835

[4]        Krisztián Bóna, PhD, Ádám Róka, Dávid Lajos Sárdi. Mathematical Modelling of the Cost Structure of the Logistics System of Shopping Malls in Budapest (2018). Periodica Polytechnica Transportation Engineering 46 (3), pp. 142–150. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.3311/PPtr.12073

[5]        Dávid Lajos Sárdi, Krisztián Bóna, PhD. Macroscopic simulation model of a multi-stage, dynamic cargo bike-based logistics system in the supply of shopping malls in Budapest (2018). Smart Cities Symposium 2018, Prague, Czech Republic.

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1109/SCSP.2018.8402680

[6]        Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. Koncentrált városi igénypontok áruellátó logisztikai rendszereinek elemzése és mezoszkópikus szintű modellezése (2018). Logisztikai Évkönyv 2019, pp. 121-130. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.23717/LOGEVK.2019.11

[7]        Krisztián Bóna, Dávid Lajos Sárdi. Simulation modelling in the sizing of city logistics systems – a study for concentrated delivery points (2019). International Journal of Engineering and Management Sciences (IJEMS) 4 (1). DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.21791/IJEMS.2019.1.1.

[8]        Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Róka Ádám, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. Városi koncentrált igénypont-halmazok áruforgalmi zsilipeinek méretezése Budapesten (2019). XIII. IFFK Conference, Budapest, Hungary. ISBN: 978-963-88875-4-2. URL: https://mmaws.bme.hu/2019/pages/program/papers/Paper_10_Bona_K_Roka_A_Sardi_D_IFFK_2019.pdf

[9]        Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. A városi koncentrált igénypont-halmazok áruellátási rendszerének új koncepciói a különböző közlekedési alágazatok lehetőségeinek kihasználásával (2019). XIII. IFFK Conference, Budapest, Hungary. ISBN: 978-963-88875-4-2. URL: https://mmaws.bme.hu/2019/pages/program/papers/Paper_07_Bona_K_Sardi_D_IFFK_2019.pdf

[10]      Dávid Lajos Sárdi, Krisztián Bóna, PhD. Examination of the logistics systems of concentrated sets of urban delivery points by simulation (2019).

The 21th International Conference on Harbour, Maritime & Multimodal Logistics Modelling and Simulation, Lisbon, Portugal. Editors: Eleonora Bottani, Agostino Bruzzone, Francesco Longo, Yuri Merkuryev, Miquel Angel Piera. pp. 1–10. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.46354/i3m.2019.hms.001

[11]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. Áruszállító kerékpárok alkalmazási lehetőségeinek értékelése a bevásárlóközpontok logisztikai rendszerében a hálózat geometriai struktúrája alapján (2019). Logisztikai Évkönyv 2020, pp. 163–173. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.23717/LOGEVK.2020.16

[12]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos, Kormos Henriett, Major Petra, Posta Máté Imre. Kötött pályás városi áruszállítási lehetőségek vizsgálata Budapesten az AHP-módszer alkalmazásával (2020). XIV. IFFK Conference, Budapest, Hungary. ISBN: 978-963-88875-6-6 URL: https://mmaws.bme.hu/2020/pages/program/papers/IFFK_2020_Paper_03_Bona-Sardi-Kormos-Major-Posta_Kotottpalyas.pdf

[13]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. Sztochasztikus folyamatok kezelése a városi koncentrált igénypont-halmazok szimulációs modellezésében (2020).

XIV. IFFK Conference, Budapest, Hungary. ISBN: 978-963-88875-6-6. URL: https://mmaws.bme.hu/2020/pages/program/papers/IFFK_2020_Paper_18_Bona-Sardi-Sztochasztikus_folyamatok.pdf

[14]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. AHP-alapú multikritériumos minősítési modell kidolgozása és alkalmazása városi övezetek city logisztikai szempontú értékelésére (2020). International Conference on Transport Sciences 2020, Győr, Hungary. Editors: Dr. Horváth Balázs, Horváth Gábor. ISBN: 978-963-8121-89-9

[15]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Dr. Lipovszki György, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. A városi koncentrált igénypont-halmazok city logisztikai rendszereinek Python-alapú szimulációs modellezése (2020). Logisztikai Évkönyv 2021, pp. 115–127. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.23717/LOGEVK.2021.12

[16]      Krisztián Bóna, Dávid Lajos Sárdi. A geometrical structure-based new approach for city logistics system planning with cargo bikes and its application for the shopping malls of Budapest (2021). Applied Sciences, 11 (8), 3300 (Special Issue Intelligent Mobility in Smart Cities). Web of Science IF 2,679 (2020). DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.3390/app11083300

[17]      Dávid Lajos Sárdi, Krisztián Bóna, PhD. AHP-Based Multicriterial Ranking Model for the City Logistics Analysis of Urban Areas (2021). 10th International Conference on Logistics, Informatics and Service Sciences (LISS2020), Beijing, China. Editors: Liu S., Bohács G., Shi X., Shang X., Huang A. Springer, Singapore. pp. 45–60. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4359-7_4

[18]      Krisztián Bóna, Dávid Lajos Sárdi. Mesoscopic simulation model of the logistics system of concentrated sets of urban delivery locations (2021).

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling 16 (2), pp. 116–129. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1504/IJSPM.2021.115865

[19]      Krisztián Bóna, Dávid Lajos Sárdi. City Logistics Analysis of Urban Areas: An Analytic Hierarchy Process Based Study (2021). Journal of System and Management Sciences, 11 (2), pp. 77-105. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33168/JSMS.2021.0206

[20]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. AHP-alapú, kétszintes minősítési modell kidolgozása városi övezetek vizsgálatára és alkalmazása a budapesti koncentrált igénypont-halmazok city logisztikai rendszerében (2021). International Conference on Transport Sciences, Győr, Hungary. Editors: Dr. Horváth Balázs, Horváth Gábor. pp. 234-247. ISBN: 978-615-5837-86-9

[21]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos. Áruszállító drónok alkalmazása a városi koncentrált igénypont-halmazok city logisztikai rendszerében (2021). Közlekedéstudományi Szemle, LXXI. évfolyam 4. szám, pp. 19-38. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.24228/KTSZ.2021.4.2

[22]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián, Sárdi Dávid Lajos, Büki Aletta, Domaniczki Viktória. Intelligens eszközök jövőbeli szerepe a városi koncentrált rakodóhelyek rendszerében (2021). XV. IFFK Conference, Budapest, Hungary. ISBN: 978-963-88875-5-9. URL: https://mmaws.bme.hu/2021/pages/program/papers/IFFK_2021_Paper_01_Bona-Sardi-Buki-Domaniczki.pdf

[23]      Sárdi Dávid Lajos, Karakai Mátyás Gergely, Kövér István Bence, Dr. Bóna Krisztián. Cargo hajók alkalmazási lehetőségei a Váci utca bevásárlóövezet city logisztikai rendszerében (2021). Logisztikai Évkönyv 2022, pp. 154–163. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.23717/LOGEVK.2022.14

[24]      Dávid Lajos Sárdi, Krisztián Bóna, PhD. Application possibilities of delivery drones in the case of concentrated sets of delivery locations in Budapest (2021). 19th European Transport Congress of the EPTS Foundation e.V, Maribor. - Conference proceedings: European Green Deal Challenges and Solutions for Mobility and Logistics in Cities. Editors: Tomislav Letnik. pp. 127–142. URL: https://www.fgpa.um.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Conference-Proceedings.pdf

 

Table of links.

https://www.logisztika.bme.hu/en/

https://www.logisztika.bme.hu/citylog/en/

https://budapest.hu/sites/english/Lapok/default.aspx

https://bkk.hu/en/

https://piaconline.hu/en/about-us/

 

List of references.

[1]        Martin Savelsbergh, Tom Van Woensel (2016). City Logistics: Challenges and Opportunities. Transportation Science 50 (2), pp. 579–590. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2016.0675

[2]        GKI Digital (2021). 2020-ban három évet ugrott előre az e-kereskedelem. URL: https://gkidigital.hu/2021/03/25/2020-online-kiskereskedelem (Downloaded: 2022. 06. 07.)

[3]        European Commission (2022). 2030 Climate Target Plan. URL: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/european-green-deal/2030-climate-target-plan_en (Downloaded: 2022. 06. 07.)

[4]        European Commission (2020). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic, and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/HU/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0562&from=EN (Downloaded: 2022. 06. 07.)

[5]        Tim Hapgood (2008). Broadmead Freight Consolidation Scheme. URL: https://www.centrallondonfqp.org/app/download/12244698/Bristol+consolidation+scheme+230408.pdf (Downloaded: 2022. 06. 07.)

[6]        Eltis (2015). Padova Cityporto: a success model for urban logistics (Italy). URL: https://www.eltis.org/discover/case-studies/padova-cityporto-success-model-urban-logistics-italy (Downloaded: 2019. 09. 27.)

[7]        Eltis (2015). Urban logistics innovation in the mid-sized historical city of Lucca (Italy). URL: https://www.eltis.org/discover/case-studies/urban-logistics-innovation-mid-sized-historical-city-lucca-italy (Downloaded: 2019. 09. 27.)

[8]        Tariq van Rooijen, Hans Quak (2010). Local impacts of a new urban consolidation centre – the case of Binnenstadservice.nl. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2 (3), pp. 5967-5979. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.04.011

[9]        BESTFACT (2013). Zero-Emission Beer Boat in Utrecht. URL: http://www.bestfact.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/CL1_151_QuickInfo_ZeroEmissionBoat-16Dec2015.pdf (Downloaded: 2022. 06. 07.)

[10]      Dr. Bóna Krisztián (2011). Külföldi városellátási gyakorlatok tapasztalatai a magyarországi nagyvárosokban történő alkalmazhatóság szempontjából. Logisztikai Évkönyv 2011, pp. 86–93. URL: http://mle.hu/logisztikai-evkonyv-2011/ (Downloaded: 2022. 06. 07.)

[11]      Zhong Zhen Yang, Douglas Rome Moodie (2011). Locating urban logistics terminals and shopping centres in a Chinese city. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 14 (3), pp. 165–177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13675567.2011.609159

[12]      Giacomo Dalla Chiara, Lynette Cheah (2017). Data stories from urban loading bays. European Transport Research Review, 9, 50. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s12544-017-0267-3

[13]      Maria K. Triantafyllou, Tom J. Cherrett, Michael Browne (2014). Urban Freight Consolidation Centers: Case Study in the UK Retail Sector. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2411 (1), pp. 34–44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3141/2411-05

[14]      Roel Hoyer (2010). Distributing the benefits of Urban Consolidation Centers: An application on Westfield Shopping Center, London. Eindhoven University of Technology, Master thesis. URL: https://pure.tue.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/46920518/750539-1.pdf (Downloaded: 2022. 06. 07.)

[15]      R. W. Saaty (1987). The Analytic Hierarchy Process – What It Is and How It Is Used. Mathematical Modelling 9 (3-5) pp. 161–176., DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0270-0255(87)90473-8