SOPs in manufacturing: from operating procedures to process knowledge
Manufacturing does not need more procedures. It needs better ways to govern the knowl...
L’Ispra Living Lab, presso il Centro Comune di Ricerca (JRC) della Commissione Europea, gestito da e-Novia, sta dimostrando risultati promettenti per una logistica più ecologica grazie a un innovativo sistema di consegna ibrido. Combinando in modo intelligente le cargo bike Measy con i droni YAPE, il sistema ottimizza le consegne di pasti e offre un esempio convincente di come ridurre l’impatto ambientale nelle aree urbane.
The process begins with customers placing their lunch orders through a dedicated platform, specifying their preferred delivery times. The canteen prepares and packages the meals, which are then transported by a cargo bike to an intermediate “Hub point.” From there, YAPE droids take over the last-mile delivery to offices, with their routes optimized based on proximity, route efficiency, battery levels, and user preferences. The initial part of the delivery from the Canteen to the Hub is exclusively handled by cargo bikes, while the final leg from the Hub to the offices can be managed by both YAPE droids and cargo bikes.
The first demonstration round, conducted in two phases in November 2024 and February 2025, successfully delivered 45 orders to four different buildings. This test phase leveraged a suite of platforms: the JRC’s Canteen orders platform, the proprietary YAPE platform, and two new systems developed within GREEN-LOG: BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device) and Data Space. The BYOD system is an application enabling users to manage parcel-related tasks. Complementing this, the DataSpace provides essential infrastructure for historic data, acts as a context broker, and supports IoT Backend for device management.
A second demo round is already scheduled for October 2025, with plans to expand the service to five, and potentially more, buildings. This upcoming phase will see the integration of new platform functionalities, notably the Augmented Intelligence Modelling Platform (AIMP). This sophisticated platform is designed to empower logistics service providers and city stakeholders by offering tools for planning and simulating efficient delivery operations through advanced demand forecasting, route optimization, and scenario-based simulation. Future expansion aims to reach more employees through the YAPE droids, with ongoing coordination with the YAPE team to map new delivery areas.
To evaluate the effectiveness and acceptance of the service, an anonymous questionnaire was distributed to all users. This feedback is vital for understanding users’ perceptions and directly contributes to the development of the project’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Early results from the societal KPIs are highly encouraging: more than 70% of users believe that delivery speed is superior to traditional methods, and nearly two-thirds shows positive opinions about the GREEN-LOG solutions. In this testing phase, the YAPE drones have demonstrated their capabilities by traveling over 10 km and gaining valuable field experience in providing last-mile delivery services to Ispra employees.
The GREEN-LOG project at Ispra is clearly demonstrating that integrating innovative technologies like cargo bikes and autonomous droids, supported by intelligent platforms, can significantly enhance urban delivery efficiency while promoting environmental sustainability. The positive user feedback and continuous development of the AIMP underscore the project’s potential to redefine last-mile logistics, paving the way for greener, more efficient, and user-centric urban environments across Europe.
