# A Taxonomy of Technologies for Human-Centred Logistics 4.0
## 3 The Taxonomy Categories, Dimensions and Objects
### Taxonomy Categories and Dimensions Identification
#### 3.1.2 Flow Types  
There are mainly three flows that intercede between suppliers and customers in logistics: flows of materials, information, and money [27]. Leaving aside the flows of money that usually go up the chains from the customers to the suppliers and are out of the scope of our analysis, the other two types of flow can go in both directions. Flows of materials and products usually go from the suppliers to the customers, but can include also inverse flows of returned products or products to dispose. In the same way, information flows can go both from supplier to customer and vice versa. The information flows from supplier to customer allow, in fact, correct management of the supplies (as an example, communicating in advance the eventual delays in supplying the raw materials is crucial for the production scheduling). In contrast, the information flows from the customers to the suppliers allow a better forecast of the demand and a better production planning (as an example, avoiding the so-called bullwhip effect). Moreover, in the last years, the concept of digital supply chains (DSC) has been emerging as the next generation of designing, producing, and supplying goods, relying on interconnected systems, automatization of plants, and collaborative digital platforms [28]. In particular, the literature showed that the use of technologies is positively correlated to the joint performance of the suppliers and the focal company, and digitalization allows companies' openness to share core information with their suppliers and vice versa [29]. Horizontal integration is one of the Industry 4.0 pillars since it supports dynamic and flexible supply chains, which allows more intelligent and optimized internal logistics processes [28; 30]. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Internal Logistics Activities** & **Definition** & **References** \\ \hline Material Handling & Material handling is the movement of raw materials and products inside a factory throughout manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. & [19] \\ \hline Storage & Storage is the activity of storing products at warehouses and logistics centers. Its role is to provide a steady supply of goods to the production line or to the market to fill the temporal gap between two different production lines or between producers and consumers. & [20] \\ \hline Order picking & The order picking or order preparation operation is one of a logistic warehouse’s processes. It consists of taking and collecting articles in a specified quantity before shipment to satisfy internal production or customers’ orders. & [21] \\ \hline Storage & The storage decision determines how arriving products are distributed in a storage system or warehouse. This activity is particuacular important for large warehouses that are organized into distinct storage zones. & [22] \\ \hline Packing & Packing is a coordinated activity of preparing goods for safe, secure, efficient, and practical handling, transport, distribution, and storage. Packing activities also have to facilitate distribution, protect both products and the environment and provide information about products conditions and production information. & [23] \\ \hline Labelling & Labelling is the activity related to the product identification. It is a printed information that is bonded to the product for recognition and provides detailed information about it (e.g., content, origin, usage modes). & [24] \\ \hline Kitting & Kitting is the activity of compiling multiple components/products into a single “kit” for bring the materials to be processed on the production line or for directly shipping finish products to the customer. & [25] \\ \hline Consolidation & Consolidation is the process where a company combines several smaller shipments into one full delivery. & [26] \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Internal logistics activities.