Enhanced Warehousing Operations Through Platform-Driven Horizontal Collaboration Between Service Providers and Customers

Abstract

Introduction: This study is a research article. The study investigates the problem of customer assignments to existing warehouses within the scope of supply chain management, aiming to achieve cost savings and operational efficiency in warehouse operations. Specifically, the customer assignment problem is modeled under the assumptions of horizontal collaboration, utilization of a shared digital infrastructure, fair distribution, and cold chain logistics. These assumptions are applied within a framework consisting of clusters of service receivers and service providers. Objective: This research aims to assess the impact of horizontal collaboration, common digital infrastructure, cold chain logistics, and fair income distribution assumptions on assignment problems under the title of warehouse management. Methods: A decision support model is proposed for the assignment problem under the title of warehouse management. This model incorporates the key assumptions and operational parameters to optimize customer assignments under varying scenarios. Results: The findings obtained from the study reveal that in the presence of horizontal collaboration among service providers, the costs of service providers are minimized, the demands of service receivers are met more, the profit obtained from service receivers increases, and the number of warehouses used increases. Under the assumption of fair distribution, it has been observed that cold warehouses contribute more to the total profit, in other words, the income obtained per volume of warehouses, since they generate more income compared to standard warehouses. Conclusion: This study highlights the benefits of fostering horizontal collaboration and fair income distribution among supply chain actors through a shared online platform. The results underscore the potential for improving profit levels, meeting customer demands more effectively and optimizing warehouse utilization. These insights provide valuable guidance for decision-makers aiming to enhance supply chain efficiency and equity. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Bentham Open.