Forecasting the Diffusion of a Mobile Service for Freight Distribution

Supply chain management supported by digital services is one of the most promising areas of research that have emerged in the last years since it has a tremendous potential to improve both operational and economic performance. In particular, distribution of freight is a field that lends itself to the application of the latest information and communication technologies to enable quick and safe ordering and delivering activities. However, in order to make new smart distribution services desirable for users and profitable for providers careful feasibility studies are necessary to evaluate possible strategies to make the diffusion time as short as possible and secure adequate profits. The present work develops a System Dynamics model to capture the mechanisms of the adoption of a mobile service for the distribution of short life cycle products. The model integrates diffusion and supply chain management aspects and is used to devise appropriate policies the service providing company should implement to stimulate the growth of the community of users and to enable rapid business growth.