Economic exchanges between Africa and the rest of the world have always been on the rise. In terms of intercontinental trade, Asia has become Africa's most important partner, followed by the US and the EU. However, Africa's place in international trade unfortunately remains low. There is a risk that Africa will continue to be an object rather than a subject of trade, and that the fate of African peoples will be decided by others. This situation raises several questions: can international trade really bring peace and prosperity to all parties involved; are "win-win" deals really possible; is the current system of international trade suitable for the requirement of common well-being and a sustainable world?

We believe that "logistics", as we present it in this article, can be a real lever for the development of Africa, not only as a simple supplier of raw materials, but above all as the pilot and master of its Integrated Logistics System (ILS). COVID-19 yesterday and the threat of a world war tomorrow must help us to review our way of considering the "logistics chain" beyond its links and by privileging the link between these links. 

Logistics in 2022

The analysis and design of a supply chain is part of the design of a complex socio-technical system.^[1]This system requires a global view and an interdisciplinary approach to technical tools, models, methods, uses and their interrelationships.

We call it SLI (Integrated Logistics System). Often logistics integration is linked to the logistics service provider; several transport companies have called themselves logistics integrators. Today, these integrators must have mastery of information flows which is becoming as decisive as that of physical flows. Advances in the field of data science can help with this integration.

The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), via the Internet of Objects (IoT) and Blockchain, now allows us to automatically capture all signals in the form of data related to ruptures, failures and risks. Thanks to the Deep Learning, AI will learn how an ILS works and then enable a high-performance supply chain. This is a real step forward compared to the expert systems we used in the 80s; the principle of deduction (inference) comes after deep learning.

Figure 1: Concepts induced by SLI 

In our research work, we have experienced with the era of Industry 2.0 and 3.0 the importance of new technologies in the industrial sector. The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) "encompasses the digitalization of horizontal and vertical value chains, the innovation of products and services and the creation of new business models"^[2].

However, Industry 4.0 makes no sense without flow management. According to DHL, " As many as 95% of companies are not yet taking sufficient advantage of the multiple benefits of new physical and analytical technologies, such as Big Data analytics, artificial intelligence, Blockchain and robotics. The potential of these technological developments remains underutilized in the supply chain of companies »^[3]. As researchers, we must react to this state of affairs, for this we propose the SLI concept summarized by figure 1

The complexity of this system cannot be understood without rigorous management of the project linked to the implementation of the SLI.

LogiSTIC©

The modeling, design and management of an intelligent supply chain platform is, more than ever, a crucial subject for the future of the post-COVID 19 industrial fabric.

The aim of this article is to raise awareness among stakeholders interested in "logistics" (industrialists, students and future researchers, etc.) of this issue. We are dealing with the compromise between two scientific fields that seem far apart but both relate to the complexity of systems:

• ICT^[4]  for engineering sciences;
• logistics for management sciences.

We introduce the LogiSTIC paradigm^© which deals with the “virtuality/reality” couple of a supply chain.

The common thread is the design of an efficient and optimized supply chain based on the concept of the Extended Enterprise. It is a question of highlighting the complexity of this chain in the form of an integrated system. In our work[5] We summarize the major research directions in this field since the 80s. We thus provide milestones for the modeling and management of an intelligent platform for the complete logistics chain. We highlight the complexity of this chain in the form of a system that we designate as SLI.

Today we can read about this subject:

« The cost reduction target has never been lower for purchasing departments, with only 55% pursuing such a goal in 2022, compared to 77% last year. Because currently, we cannot reduce prices"^[6]

Or again;

“Now that we have faced the initial shock with this COVID-19 pandemic, we need to better prepare by improving visibility into these supply chains and connecting all the data…”^[7]

« Extracting value from data then relies on our ability to visualize and exploit it through statistical analysis and artificial intelligence… The democratization of data makes rapid decision-making possible as close as possible to the action."^[8]

Long before COVID, digital had largely replaced analog. High-speed digital communication networks on the one hand and more powerful computers on the other have enabled the IT system to ensure, in real time and in the field, the correct execution of increasingly complex and diverse production and management process operations. IT, correctly grafted to the company, makes it possible to meet the dual challenge of reliability and flexibility.

These terms must be considered in the context of the company extended to subcontractors and various logistics intermediaries. The (STIC) will gradually modify the company and the way of working within it and with its "external" partners, in a context of permanent evolution and increased competition.

It is in this competition that the new keys to the performance of companies (costs, value) are located, which, in order to maintain their competitiveness, have entered into a process of permanent innovation in its technological, informational, functional, commercial and organizational dimensions at all stages of the life cycle of products and production systems.

The implementation of new design and production organizations induces profound changes in the exchange of information and knowledge between the different internal and external actors (individual, group, services) (client, supplier, subcontractor, etc.) and, more generally, poses the problem of capitalization and reuse of knowledge and practices and cooperation between actors (sharing of resources, control of technological, social and economic risks, co-design, etc.).

These issues are at the heart of the concerns of researchers in Integrated Logistics and lead them to propose new models of representation and specification.

The control and management of any supply chain therefore requires the use of IT tools both in terms of physical and information flow management. The production part is the subject of an application of modeling and simulation techniques in order to plan and schedule the different tasks on the resources. The constraints and the size of the data to be handled make the scheduling problem very difficult.

Simulation software is difficult to configure to simulate the behavior of a production unit. It is then necessary to design new simulation systems to describe the specific behavior of a production. Modeling in this case is the preliminary step. But then what are the tools for this modeling, what methodology should be used for choosing these tools?

We consider this question along several axes; conceptual, chronological and applicative. It is obvious that any modeling is only of interest if it allows the design of a technological system or a solution to a scientific phenomenon or both. Modeling is the representation of a real fact or part of a fact. The goal of this representation is precisely to control this part of reality that interests us.

Whatever the nature of our research orientations, all our modeling work must lead at one point or another to a design of a system.

One of the objectives of the SLI is to offer the various partners of the extended enterprise a cooperative and innovative environment allowing them to work together and share information relating to a product at the same time and throughout its life cycle, from design to maintenance.

In our research on the approaches, methods, concepts and tools for the design of Integrated Logistics Information Systems, we situate ourselves in a context of reorganization of industrial processes, for which information systems remain the dominant element.

Our objective is the study of logistics systems using the concept of Integrated Logistics (IL) through the systemic approach. We then speak of Integrated Logistics System (ILS). The ILS is a field very loaded with references, standards, procedures…. The transport system is both a subset of the ILS and a subset of the design of a product life cycle (PLM). For us, it is an industrial sector considered essential for scientific research in the field of logistics.

As in the case of industry, transportation illustrates very well the concept of business network. For a transportation company, integration concerns freight management, fleet management, and park management. How to use the efficiency and productivity of transport operations by introducing and mastering new technologies and setting up a Transport Information System.

"In the field of transport, integrative approaches are currently in their conceptualization phase, they are far from having entered the public domain, which is offered "files" which juxtapose presentations on the various tools and services and only too rarely attempt to develop an integrated image in the form of a global system... Every manager and decision-maker must keep in mind that the full effectiveness of any telematics solution (technical and tool) depends on its integration into a global scheme… ».

In this context, and to address the issues raised by the integration of the IS for transport, our objective is to: design, test, implement and validate a global approach aimed at the integration of various telematics tools likely to be used to improve multimodal transport of goods through the use of new intelligent information processing technologies (RTI, EDI, embedded systems, intelligent systems, etc.)

This platform, which will have an open and distributed architecture, requires a communication system that meets the needs of all the players in this chain. Our goal is to move towards broader control of the supply chain by taking into account the entire flow (whether virtual, such as information, or real, such as materials and goods).

When we are interested in flows, it is necessary to also understand all the channels that represent the means implemented to operate communications. It is therefore necessary to study the problems related to the emission, transmission, reception and interpretation of the various flows.

Current developments in computer science are leading to models that represent highly reactive systems. In these models, it is difficult to have a precise and simple idea of ​​the overall behavior. The many constraints of logistics systems require flexibility and adaptability to enable real-time reaction to events and intelligent operation of the system.

In a supply chain, we have identified the following objectives:

Significant improvement in productivity;

• Optimization of logistics procedures;
• Optimization of transport network services;
• Real-time knowledge of the status of the chain;
• Quality guarantee.

The information available at the starting point of the supply chain, transmitted in real time, must benefit all stakeholders and enable optimization of resource management. In a supply chain, it is necessary to integrate, in addition to an information system, fleet management, freight management and a representation of the site topology. This management must be done in real time. The design of an ILS must take this complexity into account in order to achieve a sustainable supply chain.

To go further, you can find in our book elements to develop such a system. We will draw inspiration from case studies and research work carried out over thirty years in Europe, Asia and the Maghreb through the CEMUR networks.^[9] and Unitwin/UNESCO^[10].

[1] We use the concept of system defined by Edgar Morin as "a relationship between parts which can be very different from each other and which constitute a whole which is at once organized, organizing and organizing" (Morin, nd).

[2] Industry 4.0 For a highly competitive company https://www.cgi.com/sites/default/files/white-papers/

[3] https://www.dhl.com/be-fr/home/presse/archives-presse/2018/

[4] Information and Communication Sciences and Technology

[5] https://www.editions-harmattan.fr/livre-systeme_de_logistique_integree_abdellatif_benabdelhafid-9782140251825-74379.html

[6] https://www.linfodurable.fr/entreprises/face-aux-penuries-les-entreprises-devront-relocaliser-leurs-achats-30312

[7] https://www.magicsoftware.com/factoryeye/fr/comment-la-covid-19-change-la-gestion-de-la-chaine-dapprovisionnement/

[8] https://www.lajauneetlarouge.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Pages-de-JR_772-11.pdf

[9] CEMUR (Coopération Europe Maghreb des Universités en Réseau), is a "network composed of universities or autonomous higher education establishments". We initiated it in 1998. The original idea retained during the creation of CEMUR is the implementation of projects carrying know-how around a real expertise in the 3 fields of Training, Research and Incubators.

[10] http://cs-dc-15.org/e-tracks/territories/#integrative-logistic

Abdellatif BENABDELHAFID

• Emeritus University Professor at the University of Le Havre Normandy, France
• Associate Professor, Universiapolis, International University of Agadir, Morocco
• Co-founder and CSO of AIMESolutions
• Author of the book Integrated Logistics System, published by l'Harmattan

https://www.editions-harmattan.fr/livre-systeme_de_logistique_integree_abdellatif_benabdelhafid-9782140251825-74379.html