ULaaS: Urban Logistics as a Service – a conceptual platform for digital transformation of logistics services in urban areas

Due to the rapid growth of cities, in addition to high urban flow of goods in cities, aggravated by problems of congestion and air pollution in urban areas, there is a growing need for logistics services to be operated in a digital platform environment. This paper proposes the concept of a collaborative platform for Urban Logistics as a Service (ULaaS) and validates it through a literature review and field research based on primary databases, in-depth interviews, and surveys conducted in the Campinas city, Brazil. The analysis of collected data contributed to the validation of the proposed concept and identified modules that can generate value for the stockholders in the Campinas city: parking space reservations, shared warehousing, e-commerce deliveries and logistics services. Even though the concept is not entirely new, and some similar initiatives are found in the literature, the contribution of this work is to provide a comprehensive conceptual view of the platform. The paper also discusses a possible business model for its implementation and a preliminary canvas for a minimum viable product (MVP).