Global Journal of Researches in Engineering, G: Industrial Engineering, Volume 23 Issue 2

Figure 8: Conceptual design of MCs in a truck, with central driving unit (CDU) shown in (b) The modular design of the MCs is designed to fit into various types of pick-up vehicles or equipment. In addition, the CDU maintains the required temperature and humidity, which enables companies to mix material or food in the same load, reducing the number of truckloads required to transport items. Overall, there are reductions in the cost, energy consumption, and GHGs emission when compared to using traditional loading methods [19]. c) Centralized Warehousing The location of industrial facilities is a significant determinant of their sizes, construction time, and proximity to local markets, seaports, and intermodal terminals. The reason is that the location increases the potential industrial impact on the population. Also, the size of warehouse and logistics facilities indicate their environmental impact, as discussed by Mashudet al. (2022) [21] When developing warehouse & logistics facilities, a large portion of the surrounding natural environment is consumed usually (by Ulucak et al. (2019) [22] and Clayton et al. (2021) [23]. These facilities require a lot of power to operate due to their various machineries and equipment, and this power is extracted from local services and local infrastructure, which they are highly dependent on [19]. The implication here is that the location of a warehouse & logistics facility is strategic, with numerous ESG considerations to take into account, as well as profitability. IV. D iscussion The discussion in this paper intends to go in depth in the challenges and factors that existing and future warehouse & logistics facilities will face, from ESG-related concerns and their compliance, and to their organization’s bottom line. This section will serve as a platform for further analysis and discussion on the aforementioned factors and more. Smart systems will undoubtably significantly benefit from advancements in technologies, with better power savings and energy efficiency. Advancements and higher adoption of Internet of Things, A.I. and machine learning (as part of the Industrial Revolution 4.0) will provide organizations for more opportunities to automate temperature and humidity control, among other benefits. b) Investment Opportunities There are many measures to go about reducing a warehouse & logistics facility’s energy consumption or emitted GHGs. From adjusting the lighting system, temperature control, or using renewable energy, organizations might be discouraged or hesitant to invest in these measures. Depending on the organization’s size, investing in these measures might be costly. However, investing in them will net a positive Return on Investment on their operation costs, environmental impact, and consumer goodwill. A holistic investment in all the facilities’ factors will generate the most returns. However, as a good starting point, companies should invest in their lighting systems and try to control the temperature of their facilities. c) The Role of Automation Automation will shape the future warehouse & logistics facilities in a major way. Automation will affect operations costs, energy consumption and emitted GHGs. However, the labor force will be disrupted significantly, as we increase the level of automation, the need of some job positions might be diminished or be eliminated entirely. While increasing levels of automation is inevitable, the changes in the labor force is a material issue that needs to approached carefully, as organizations have commitments all relevant shareholders, which include the labor force. d) ESG Commitments The case of reducing energy consumption in warehouse & logistics facilities is clear. Organizations have environmental, social, and government compliance commitments, as well as commitments to their bottom line. Organization who invest in these measures in their future facilities will have lower environmental impact by reducing their emissions, which in turn will satisfy and ever increasing environmentally conscious consumers. Moreover, they have higher probability of converting consumers into loyal or life-long consumers. With increasing scrutiny and regulations from multiple governments, organizations can protect themselves from increased regulation or litigation, which will decrease their costs. On the operational side, reducing energy consumption will also decrease their operational costs. Organizations have the opportunity to march into the next transformative period while balancing more than their bottom line, so the balancing act of fulfilling all © 2023 Global Journals Global Journal of Researches in Engineering Volume XxXIII Issue II Version I 43 Year 2023 ( ) G Optimizing Energy Consumption in Warehouse & Logistics Facilities: Measures for Existing and Future Facilities a) Developing Technologies (IoT, Industrial Revolution 4.0 and others)