Design Principles of Web-based Services in Large-Scale e-Logistics Processes

E-logistics is defined to be the mechanism of automating the logistics processes and providing an integrated, end-to-end fulfillment and supply chain management service to the players of logistics processes. In this article, we take a look at the design of Web-based Services in the area of e-logistics. We describe our ongoing research investigations aimed at defining a user-centered design approach that uses the concept of persona to analyze and model the future users. It aims also at deriving a conceptual design and prototypes from the different persona. The approach has been applied to identify, define and design Web services in a large-scale complex logistics system used by a large food company.