Cyberintelligence for logistics: The promise and challenges of cyber-physical systems

Today's business environment is complex, requiring companies to be resilient and agile in managing their supply chains, where cargo facilities play a crucial role. Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are instrumental in supporting these capabilities in terms of resilience and agility. CPSs integrate physical processes with computational intelligence and thus provide a useful solution for cargo facilities. Large-scale cargo facilities need to efficiently manage and track a vast number of operations every day. We discuss important issues related to CPSs, including networking infrastructure, appliances, devices, sensors, and software. Based on a case study, we examine the relevant CPS technology solutions, their applications and integration, and the key issues related to project implementation and operations in a large cargo facility. The implications highlight the importance of technology selection and integration, technology redundancy, compatibility with CPSs, well-structured contracts, crossdisciplinary perspective, technology upgrades, and appropriate testing and commissioning in CPS implementations.