Bridging Warehousing 4.0 and 5.0: a DSR-based methodology to guide the shift towards Industry 5.0 principles

The logistics sector has undergone significant transformation due to ever-evolving customer expectations and the rise of e-commerce, leading to the adoption of Industry 4.0 paradigm to enhance efficiency. With the emergence of Industry 5.0 (I5.0), which emphasizes human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience, a reassessment of existing warehousing solutions is required. Although academic literature addresses these I5.0 pillars, a practical methodology to guide such reassessment and support the decision-making, in the warehousing context, is still lacking. This study proposes a novel methodology based on Design Science Research, introducing a general framework, an operational guideline, and an assessment procedure useful for practitioners. The methodology supports the evaluation of current warehousing solutions and the design of interventions compliant with I5.0 principles. Its applicability is demonstrated through a pilot business case. The contribution is twofold: offering practitioners actionable guidance and providing scholars with a replicable methodological, that can be further enhanced in future research.