Introduction

Abstract

Logistics is a multi-player business which has changed significantly in the last decade. The changes are driven by several factors, e.g. by smaller batch sizes (because of customisation and individual orders) or by technological changes (Radio Frequency Identifications (RFIDs), WSNs). Information technology becomes an integral part of logistics and helps in lowering costs, while additionally allowing supervision of the transport conditions of the goods. Changing to a more decentralised control of logistic processes and application of information technology in logistics is the topic of the inter-disciplinary Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 637 ’Autonomous Cooperating Logistics Processes – A Paradigm Shift and its Limitations’ [Col].