State of the Art and Future Directions of Digital Twins for Production Logistics: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Digital Twins (DTs) are widely discussed in the context of the Industry 4.0 paradigm as one of the main opportunities to strengthen the overall competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises. Despite a substantial scientific discussion, there is still no unified understanding regarding the constitution and subsequent usage of DTs within production logistics systems. Therefore, this paper focuses on the application of DTs in production logistics. The authors discuss common definitions, characteristics, and functionalities of DTs and outline current developments and implications from state-of-the-art implementation approaches, by using a systematic literature review. Moreover, based on the research findings, the authors evaluate a set of DT case studies, identify current research gaps, and present potential directions for future research initiatives regarding the field of production logistics in manufacturing enterprises.