Integration of Ethical Issues in the 4.0 Transition of Internal Logistics Operations

Today, with the advancement of technology and the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, organizations are increasingly implementing automated digital systems in internal logistics. This is giving rise to a new generation of production models with I4.0 technology. This deployment, in turn, raises questions of awareness of the ethical impact produced by the interaction between cyber-physical systems and humans. The purpose of this research is to suggest ways to analyse and evaluate the adoption of Industry 4.0, particularly in internal logistics with a focus on material handling systems (MHS), and to identify ethical risks that need to be addressed for companies to operate in an appropriate and sustainable manner. This study focuses on the importance of the ethical dimension in the implementation of I4.0 technologies. Typical ethical dilemmas that were addressed are relevant to data abuse, stress, social interaction and human surveillance. In this paper, it is proposed to build a methodological guide model to assess ethical risks in the adoption of 4.0 technologies for MHS. The guide exploits concepts from literature on ergonomics, sustainability and ethical risks. This guide has been tested on an order picking system called "Voice picking" to identify potential ethical risks during its use. It was concluded that the methodological guide model could effectively assess the existence of ethical dilemmas in the use of these systems. The results of the study can serve as a starting point for researchers and companies interested in integrating the ethical dimension into internal logistics activities.