Digital twin-based cross-enterprise production-delivery synchronization in a highly dynamic environment

Abstract

Efficient collaboration between production and logistics is crucial for timely order fulfillment and stable operations of system, necessitating closer cooperation between manufacturers and third-party logistics providers. However, achieving cross-enterprise synchronization presents three main challenges. First, concerns regarding information privacy and security lead to disjointed and non-shared resources. Second, the decision-making is not coordinated and consistent in dealing with dynamic interference. Third, differentiated strategies emerge as manufacturers and 3PLs employ different batch processing methods for customer orders in pursuit of economies of scale. This multifaceted disconnect leads to significant asynchronization in cross-enterprise production-logistics, resulting in inefficiencies and increased costs throughout the system. To address these challenges, this paper focuses on three key aspects: a digital twin-based cross-enterprise information-sharing framework, a cross-enterprise synchronized mechanism, and a collaborative optimization based distributed decision method. These aspects provide an intelligent production-logistics synchronization solution in the unique environment of Industry 4.0. Finally, through a case study of a paint enterprise, this paper comprehensively evaluates the differences in performance of the Production-Logistics Synchronization System (PLSS) under various synchronization modes. The results indicate that the proposed solution enhances the collaborative efficiency of production-logistics while ensuring the information security of the collaborating parties, effectively reducing production and delivery costs.