Abstract for: System Behavior for Automated Parcel Locker as an Urban Logistics Delivery Scheme

Using an automated parcel locker (APL) such as a packstation or a locker box is one of the most promising initiatives to improve urban logistics activities. A system dynamics simulation model (SDSM) is used to understand the APL system components' behavior and interdependencies. We have built the causal-loop and the stock-flow diagrams for APL systems. We addressed the behavior of the number of deliveries and the number of APLs, considering a pessi¬mistic (S1), realistic (S2), and optimistic (S3) scenario of the aver¬age purchases per month through a planning horizon of 60 months. The simulation results of the number of deliveries (units) at the 60th month are 224,022 for S1, S2 672,067 for S2, and 1,120,110 for S3. The number of APLs that a middle-size city needs to implement as an urban logistics delivery scheme is 37 for S1, 112 for S2, and 186 for S3. This research aims to develop an SDSM as a decision support tool for third-party logistics providers that want to implement APLs. The first approximation presented in this paper could be applied to any city around the world.