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Utilisation of drones in achieving various applications in smart warehouse

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Article in Benchmarking An International Journal · April 2023

DOI: 10.1108/BIJ-01-2023-0039

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Utilisation of drones in achieving Smart

warehouse
various applications in smart management

warehouse management
Sadia Samar Ali
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Received 20 January 2023
Shahbaz Khan Revised 8 March 2023
Institute of Business Management, GLA University, Mathura, India Accepted 12 March 2023

Nosheen Fatma
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India, and
Cenap Ozel and Aftab Hussain
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract
Purpose – Organisations and industries are often looking for technologies that can accomplish multiple tasks,
providing economic benefits and an edge over their competitors. In this context, drones have the potential to
change many industries by making operations more efficient, safer and more economic. Therefore, this study
investigates the use of drones as the next step in smart/digital warehouse management to determine their socio-
economic benefits.
Design/methodology/approach – The study identifies various enablers impacting drone applications to
improve inventory management, intra-logistics, inspections and surveillance in smart warehouses through a
literature review, a test of concordance and the fuzzy Delphi method. Further, the graph theory matrix
approach (GTMA) method was applied to ranking the enablers of drone application in smart/digital
warehouses. In the subsequent phase, researchers investigated the relation between the drone application’s
performance and the enablers of drone adoption using logistic regression analysis under the TOE framework.
Findings – This study identifies inventory man agement, intra-logistics, inspections and surveillance are three
major applications of drones in the smart warehousing. Further, nine enablers are identified for the adoption of
drone in warehouse management. The findings suggest that operational effectiveness, compatibility of drone
integration and quality/value offered are the most impactful enablers of drone adoption in warehouses.
The logistic regression findings are useful for warehouse managers who are planning to adopt drones in a
warehouse for efficient operations.
Research limitations/implications – This study identifies the enablers of drone adoption in the smart and
digital warehouse through the literature review and fuzzy Delphi. Therefore, some enablers may be overlooked
during the identification process. In addition to this, the analysis is based on the opinion of the expert which
might be influenced by their field of expertise.
Practical implications – By considering technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework
warehousing companies identify the opportunities and challenges associated with using drones in a smart
warehouse and develop strategies to integrate drones into their operations effectively.
Originality/value – This study proposes a TOE-based framework for the adoption of drones in warehouse
management to improve the three prominent warehouse functions inventory management, intra-logistics,
inspections and surveillance using the mixed-method.
Keywords Intelligent logistics, Industrial development, Smart warehouse, Inventory management,
Operational effectiveness, Socio-economic, Technology, Logistic regression
Paper type Research paper

The authors express gratitude to the experts for the discussions which improved the inputs for the
study. The authors are much obliged for the repeated feedback that helped in shaping the manuscripts
and completion of this study.
Benchmarking: An International
Funding: This research work was funded by Institutional Fund Projects under grant no: IFPRC- Journal
124-135-2020. Therefore, the authors gratefully acknowledge the technical and financial support from © Emerald Publishing Limited
1463-5771
the Ministry of Education and King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. DOI 10.1108/BIJ-01-2023-0039
BIJ 1. Introduction
The introduction of Industry 4.0 in 2011 by the German government led to a high-tech
industrial strategy reliant on digital manufacturing in terms of smart factories to connect
industrial units, including processing and logistics, through the integration of innovative
business models composed of cyber-physical systems (CPSs). Industry 4.0 concerns the
links between cyberspace and the physical world, connecting consumers to production
lines and logistics effectively using the Internet of things (IoT), big data, artificial
intelligence (AI), machine learning, deep learning and blockchain (Van Geest et al., 2022).
However, new technological integration has more significant social and economic benefits
where IoT and embedded systems are the central pillars interlinking humans and machines
in collaboration (Javaid et al., 2022). However, achieving a well-connected, intelligent and
linear supply chain will undoubtedly lead to more complexity in technical, organisational
and manufacturing processes at the micro- and macro-levels. This poses significant
challenges to small- and medium-sized industries (Zhao et al., 2016). Some of these
challenges involve financing the integration of newer technology and finding a qualified
workforce to deal with the increased complexity of future production in smart industries
and delivery through smart warehouses.
The proliferation of e-commerce has been the cause of drastic change due to its double-
digit annual growth for the past 20 years, which is showing no signs of slowing down
(Benarbia and Kyamakya, 2021). From a conceptualisation perspective, integrating
innovative technologies consists of the adoption-early use of technology in a specific
context, diffusion-relative diffusion and absorption-the widespread application of
technology across various settings and diverse user groups over time. Innovative
technologies may be revolutionary, incremental, or disruptive, as well as regional or
sectoral in origin. In response to growing and evolving needs, emerging technologies and
innovative practices are adopted across various geographical and operational areas.
An innovative technology integrates into a system, altering its structures and operations to
create opportunities or to pose challenges. Organisations excel when they have a structure,
strategies, resources and capabilities that drive their performance. The development of the
warehouse industry has also been driven by innovation to achieve rapid growth in recent
years (Kumar et al., 2021).
Traditional warehouses worldwide are becoming smart due to the cost, safety and
revenue benefits (Revilla et al., 2016), using advanced technologies such as drones, the
IoT and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Warehousing has gone through worldwide
growth of 7–8% yearly, integrating new and massive technological facilities in the
logistical zone, coupled with unemployment and labour shortages. Drone technology
could change how warehouses work by making them more efficient and cutting costs.
Drones can be used for tasks such as inventory management, order picking and package
delivery within a smart warehouse setting. They can also be used for tasks such as
facility inspections and maintenance. In a smart warehouse, drones can be integrated
with other automation technologies, such as robots and conveyor systems, to create a
fully automated and efficient logistics operation. Drones can operate on a predetermined
flight path or be programmed to adapt to changing conditions in the smart/digital
warehouse. They can also be equipped with various sensors and cameras to gather data
and perform tasks such as visual inspection or quality control. In the logistics industry,
drones are multiplying due to their potential to reduce costs and improve
responsiveness. As suggested by Huang et al. (2020a, b, c), due to limited battery
capacity, the flight range of these drones is limited. This is where the need for an
indoor drone is felt more for managing operations in smart warehouses, ranging
from inventory management (Van Geest et al., 2022) to intralogistics, space
optimisation, inspection and surveillance. Indoor UAVs or autonomous drone
delivery can replace conventional inventory management methods involving hard Smart
labour and human safety issues (Benarbia and Kyamakya, 2021 Khan et al., 2022 and warehouse
Companik et al., 2018a, b).
There are several ways that drones can be used in a smart warehouse to improve
management
efficiency and productivity. Drones can be used to scan and track inventory in real-time,
allowing managers to have a more accurate and up-to-date view of their stock levels. This
can help prevent shortages and improve the overall flow of goods within the warehouse.
Drones assist with pick and pack operations by identifying and retrieving items from
shelves or storage areas and bringing them to the packing station. Drones can deliver
small items or packages within the warehouse or transport goods from the warehouse to
external locations. This can reduce the need for human labour and speed up delivery
times. Drones can monitor and inspect the warehouse for potential hazards or
maintenance issues, keeping workers safe and preventing accidents. Drones can train
new hires and show them how to perform tasks, cutting down on the time and expense of
onboarding. Nevertheless, there has been an increase in the use of drones in digital
warehouses for infrastructure monitoring and inventory management using industrial
Internet technologies, such as QR codes and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags,
which has led to significantly better inventory management. The cost, convenience and
value of rapid delivery are the primary driving forces behind the adoption of drones.
Apart from that, consumer awareness motivates the use of green technologies in
industries.
Walmart reported a cut in the warehouse inventory count process from 30 days of
manual labour to 1 day of automated processes. The robotic powerhouse Kiva, acquired by
Amazon for a price tag of $775m, is acknowledged for its ability to dispatch next-day or
two-day deliveries effectively (Kim, 2016; and Nichols, 2016). Deja et al. (2020) proposed this
method to optimise space utilisation, increase warehouse flexibility and reduce downtime.
Any warehouse is incomplete without an inventory and its management is time-consuming
and resource intensive. Optimising costs and time and ensuring worker safety represent
significant challenges in inventory management (Kwon et al., 2020). Maghazei and Netland
(2019) state that drones can do inventory audits, cycle counts, item searches and
stocktaking. RFID and QR technology speed up these processes and make them safer by
letting people get into hard-to-reach places. Objects are retrieved via path-planning
algorithms. Drones can also transport light objects from one location to another. Their
ability to follow predefined paths makes them useful for intra-logistics applications.
Additionally, warehouses are subject to routine inspections, which skilled inspectors
perform. Using drones, roofs, racks, walls and ceilings can be easily monitored. For
surveillance, drones can be a viable option to avoid theft. Instead of human patrols, drones
can be used to monitor the safety of workers. Thus, plants can operate with better
regulatory compliance and enhanced safety.
Given how important it is to improve automated warehouse process management by
integrating technology, decision-makers must make hard choices about how to integrate
newer technology like drones and robotics. Currently, various drones are being used in the
industry based on variations in autonomy levels, including delivery, agricultural,
quadcopters, warehouse and combat drones. A Chinese robotics company, Geekþ, has
made a drone system that can be used in a warehouse to sort and move packages. A British
online grocery store called Ocado uses drones to check and restock its automated
warehouses. DHL Supply Chain, a global logistics company, uses drones to inspect
warehouses and transport small packages. A Chinese e-commerce company (JD.com), is using
drones to deliver packages to customers in rural areas of China.
However, various issues need to be addressed for their successful adoption.
Warehouses usually have complex structures, and manoeuvring drones in those spaces
BIJ requires skilled pilots. Another major aspect is the legislation associated with drone flight,
which restricts their movement (Culus et al., 2018). When it comes to adopting such
technologies, executives need to be better informed. They may be optimistic about drone
use in the supply chain yet remain firm in their traditional views on the physical aspects of
the supply chain (Companik et al., 2018a, b). The integration and adoption of drones are
interactive processes that depend on demand, consumer preferences, economies, people
and other factors. We must understand what drives some organisations to choose to
integrate these technologies and what factors influence their decisions. For this study, we
investigated the feasibility of warehouse drones used for operations in warehouse
management, including intra-logistics, inventory management and inspection and
surveillance in contemporary industrial settings. Successful implementation of drones
can completely revolutionise warehouse management by reducing cost, increase
efficiency (Clarke 2014). Despite these benefits, drone is not completely viable in
logistics and supply chain management (Lin Tan et al., 2021). Several studies have been
conducted to address this issue by catering to different research objectives (Sah et al.,
2020; Raj and Sah, 2019). However, it is challenging to find prominent studies in the field of
smart and digital warehouse management. In addition to this, most of the drone adoption
studies focused on the barriers rather than providing solutions or enabling factors (Rejeb
et al., 2021); therefore, this study was conducted to fill this research gap by addressing the
following research questions:
RQ1. What is the significant application of drone applications in smart warehouses?
RQ2. What are the major enablers for drone adoption in smart warehouse
management?
RQ3. How these enablers for drone adoption are evaluated as per the smart warehouse
application?
RQ4. How can a drone application be utilised to estimate the performance of a
warehouse?
The above-mentioned research questions are addressed by fulling the following research
objectives:
RO1. Identifying drone applications in smart warehouses.
RO2. Determining the enablers of effective drone adoption in smart warehouse
management
RO3. Prioritising the final list of enablers for drone adoption.
RO4. Estimating the warehouse performance by using a drone application
This study holds significant importance as the integration of drone technology in
warehouse management is a relatively new concept. It provides valuable insights for
managers and researchers involved in smart/digital warehouse management. In addition
to examining current drone applications in warehouses, the study also identifies key
enablers that can offer early recommendations for successful drone adoption. The
primary objective was to provide background information on the enablers of drone usage
for individuals who are currently using or planning to use this technology. This study
focus is through the TOE framework, researchers determine the enablers that facilitate
the successful adoption of drone technology in smart/digital warehouses. These enablers
are used to overcome the potential hindrances to the adoption of warehouse drone by
using two different group of experts opinions before the three phased mixed-method
application.
 The remainder of this paper is structured as follows: Section 2 provides a literature review Smart
of drone applications and the relevant framework; section 3 deals with the methodology warehouse
adopted for determining the enablers, and section 4 presents the analysis and reports the
results. Section 5 discusses the study’s findings, and section 6 concludes the study and
management
provides future recommendations.

2. Literature review
A drone is an unmanned vehicle that can operate autonomously or be controlled remotely
(Sah et al., 2020). Drones have become increasingly popular in the contemporary world for
military purposes and almost every aspect of life, from disaster relief to aerial
photography. Drones were associated with military use for the past few decades until
Amazon announced its first UAV delivery in 2016 to a customer in England (Bort, 2017
and Huang et al., 2020a, b, c). Since then, the company has needed help making significant
changes in legal and financial issues, flight limits and customer satisfaction. The
challenges posed by regulations have slowed aerial drone usage for delivery purposes.
Imagine the arrival of an ordered package within 30 min to an hour. This may seem
impossible to consumers accustomed to conventional delivery systems. Amazon is
confident that it can leverage the newly emerging technology of drones to improve
delivery processes. Different projects in process management focus on using drone
technology to connect a company’s internal logistics with its subordinate companies
(Huang et al., 2020a, b, c). Many companies worldwide use drones in the logistics and
warehouse business to improve efficiency and cut costs. Zipline, a company in California,
sends medical supplies and other necessities to remote areas in Ghana and Rwanda using
drones. Flirtey, a company in Nevada, sends packages and groceries to customers in the
US California-based Matternet uses it to transport medical specimens and other small
packages in urban areas. DHL, a global logistics company, has been using drones to
deliver packages to customers in rural areas of Germany and to transport medical
supplies to the island of Saba in the Dutch Caribbean. Even though there are signs that
this technology could make deliveries cheaper, more comparative research needs to be
done on the subject.
Technological advances are generally considered significant sources of achievement in
the competitive market and industries and are significant factors for economic growth and
improved standards of living (Ansoff, 1965; Andrews, 1971; Rosenberg, 1982; Porter, 1985).
However, the beneficial outcomes of technological advances depend on how efficiently
these technologies are integrated into process management. Other than in warehouses,
drones have multiple uses (Barmpounakis et al., 2016). They are used to monitor pollution,
conduct accident investigations, investigate fires, deliver packages, support first-responder
efforts, deliver medicine, monitor traffic and supervise construction sites (Agatz, 2018). Due
to the integration of advanced sensors, data processing systems and rechargeable batteries,
drones can access hazardous and disaster areas, allowing communication under
challenging scenarios (Silvagni et al., 2016) and in civil and construction applications
(Ham et al., 2016). Newer technologies have aided in prolonging the duration of drone
flights. The effects of plug-in charging and battery swaps have been studied and can be
used accordingly (Chittor et al., 2021). Technological determinists also think that social
capital, which is made up of values, cultural values, needs and legal structures, is vital to the
success and acceptance of technology. Drone technology integration helps save resources,
minimise power consumption, reduce pollution and better prepare for emergencies. The
benefits of drone technologies are endless, but the real question is how to integrate drone
technology into existing warehousing systems. Indoor UAVs can replace conventional
methods of inventory management that require labour and present human safety issues
BIJ (Companik et al., 2018a, b). Drones can collect data in a warehouse while flying
autonomously, unlike the often-hyped delivery drones, with comparatively fewer
regulations and privacy issues when carrying out complex tasks. The data collected in
the second phase can be uploaded to the cloud. The data can be analysed using AI
algorithms and machine learning to extract insights for the customers. The third phase is
report delivery, making reports available to the company and the customers. In this regard,
the inclusion of warehouse drones is a logical extension to combine the physical and virtual
processes within a smart/digital warehouse.

2.1 Drone applications in the warehouse

The various applications of drones in warehouse management such as inventory
management, inspection and surveillance and intra-logistics are discussed separately in
this section.
2.1.1 Inventory management. The critical goals of smart warehouse management are to
obtain an accurate inventory by lowering financial risks, shortening response times and
increasing productivity (Companik et al., 2018a, b). Warehouse drones in this area can
perform tasks such as inventory audits, inventory management, cycle counting, item
searches, buffer stock maintenance and stocktaking (yearly physical verification of the
number of items stored in the warehouse). Unlike stocktaking, cycle counting is carried out
more frequently (Xia et al., 2017). In one study, it was estimated that a drone operator can
scan barcodes 119 times faster than a manual barcode operator in warehouses (Varmus and
Bosko, 2022). In 2015, VIL (the innovative platform for logistics), KUL and 11 other
companies studied the possible use of drones in inventory management. They looked at the
case of NHS, a terminal operator at the Antwerp port, where operators located steel bars
manually. However, when this function was switched to a pre-programmed drone, the
process was made more efficient by automatically updating the inventory and saving time
(Culus et al., 2018). Cristiani et al. (2020) developed architecture for UAV-based inventory
management in warehouses. Products are identified by QR codes, and a prototype
implementation has been carried out with small drones (Ali et al., 2021). Another attempt
was made to extract 1D barcodes using drones by applying a Harris corner detector and
Hough-transform-based algorithm. Video data were analysed in a large warehouse, and its
performance was satisfactory. Jhunjhunwala et al. (2019) compared multiple sampling-
based algorithms and found that RFID scanning by drones has shown satisfactory results.
Innovative solutions may be used to assist UAVs, such as mounting LIDAR (light detection
and ranging) for mapping, which helps in traceability tasks (Fern
andez-Caram
es
et al., 2019).
2.1.2 Inspection and surveillance. In a smart warehouse, drones replace manual inspection
and surveillance operations. Many industries already rely on drones for these operations,
including the power generation, petrochemical, construction, oil and gas industries.
In warehouses, drones can be used to inspect roofs, pallet placement, racks, walls and
ceilings. Drones are also used to perform inspection tasks in hazardous sites such as those
in the oil and gas industry (Rathlev et al., 2012). Due to the growth of warehouse operations,
inspection, surveillance and surveying (Silvagni et al., 2016; Ali and Kaur, 2022) have
become expensive and complicated. These tasks often need skilled inspectors (Ali et al.,
2019), and there could be disruptions in the ongoing operations. Using indoor drones for the
purpose could be a perfect solution for tasks requiring monitoring in dangerous areas at
heights without interrupting operations. Drones could also prevent theft (Duffy, 2015) and
unwanted behaviour on a site during regular surveillance. Drones can be more cost-
effective when harnesses and other safety equipment (Vattapparamban et al., 2016) are
required to inspect a warehouse. In addition, their capacity for 24/7 surveillance can
identify threats from natural disasters and send signals (Marris, 2013) and alerts. Another Smart
example is Virus, a US-based drone partner testing its advanced high-precision indoor warehouse
observation navigation technology (Wawrla et al., 2019). Both 3D depth sensors and 3D
scanners are used to achieve high accuracy. They use a vision-based simultaneous
management
localisation and mapping algorithm (SLAM), which processes millions of camera pixels in
parallel. It can reproduce a 3D map and locate the drone inside it. Advanced image
processing, computer vision and geometrical processing techniques can be used to conduct
surveys, safety inspections and monitoring (Silvagni et al., 2016). Even in the maritime
industry, air inspection patrols of bulk cargo, oil depots and storage wharves are carried out
using UAVs (Chung-Shan Yang, 2019).
2.1.3 Intra-logistics. In indoor settings, drones can also be used to deliver tools and parts
from warehouses to factory workshops. The fact that drones can carry a load and follow
predetermined flight paths shows that they could be used to quickly deliver tools, parts and
lubricants to car repair sites. A drone’s payload depends on the type of Drone used for
internal operations. However, this area of drone application has substantial limitations, such
as a small payload, gripping, movements and navigation (Benarbia and Kyamakya, 2021;
Moshref-Javadi and Winkenbach, 2021).
Cavalcante et al. (2017) developed a mission planner for a UAV that picks up inventory
from the warehouse, takes it to the production line, and delivers the final product to the
depot. In France, civil aviation has authorised the DPD group to operate UAVs for regular
delivery between Saint-Maximin-La-Sainte-Baume and Pourrieres in the south of France

(Provence region) (Skrinjar et al., 2018). Researchers have created a sophisticated
formulation for the vehicle routing problem (VRP) (Huang et al., 2020a, b, c). Walmart is
testing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to deliver goods to customers inside their stores
in cooperation with the Flytrex drone delivery service (Kuan and Chau, 2001). A deep
neural network (DNN) is used to process RF data, and a convolutional neural network
(CNN) is used to process image data, in an artificial neural network-based detection
system that has also been tested for drone-based detection in challenging environments
(Zhu et al., 2002).

2.2 TOE and drone applications in a warehouse

Using the TOE (technology, organisation, environment) theory as a framework, the
application of drones in smart warehouses can be analysed in terms of the impact on
technology, the organisational changes required and the environmental considerations.
It involves integrating drone control and communication systems with other warehouse
technologies, such as robots and conveyor systems. In order to accommodate the
introduction of drones, it may be necessary to reallocate tasks and train employees on
how to operate and maintain drones. There may also be environmental concerns,
including the impact of drones on air quality and the noise they produce. The use of
drones in smart warehouses can significantly improve efficiency and productivity, but
technological, organisational and environmental implications must be carefully
considered.
The research literature on drone adoption was reviewed in a recent article by Ali et al.
(2019). We reviewed the TOE framework for drone adoption, as a newer technology, to
identify possible adoption opportunities. TOE is an interdisciplinary approach that covers a
wide range of aspects of the adoption of innovative technologies, as summarised in (Kuan and
Chau, 2001; Zhu et al., 2002). The adoption of technology is influenced by three major
contexts: technical, organisational and environmental (Baker, 2011).
Technology refers to the tools, systems and processes that enable an organisation to
function. In the context of drones in smart warehouses, technology includes the drones
BIJ themselves and the systems and processes that control and coordinate their operation. This
may include software for programming and monitoring the drones and hardware, such as
sensors and cameras that enable the drones to gather data and perform tasks (Dorling et al.,
2017). Using drones in a smart warehouse requires the integration of various technologies,
including drone hardware and software, sensors and communication systems. Logistics
companies must consider how these technologies can work together and how they will be
optimised for their specific needs.
The organisation is a term for an organisation’s structure, its culture and the roles and
responsibilities of its employees. Adding drones to a smart warehouse means making
changes to the way things are set up. Employees will need to be trained on how to use and
take care of the drones. As people get used to working with drones and other forms of
automation, the organisation’s culture needs to change as well.
The term “environment” refers to the outside forces that affect an organisation, such as the
state of the economy, legal requirements and social and cultural norms. Drone use in a smart
warehouse could affect the environment, possibly causing noise or air pollution. Regulations
pertaining to the use of drones in a commercial environment may also apply to it. A variety of
external factors, such as governmental regulations, legal issues and social and cultural
considerations, have an impact on the use of drones in a smart warehouse. The TOE
framework can be used to comprehend how drones impact technology, organisation and the
environment in a smart warehouse. In order to maximise the benefits of drones and reduce
any adverse effects, it is crucial to consider these factors when introducing them to an
organisation (Su and Yang, 2018).
The TOE framework is frequently used in studies of technological innovations, including
blockchain technology, IT integration, drone integration in various studies (Ali et al., 2021)
and many more, in modern literature. However, we have yet to discover a significant
application for integrating drones in smart warehouses. As a result, using the TOE
framework lens to examine our study will fill this gap and point out the factors that make it
possible to integrate drone applications into warehouse management. The framework offers
a robust theoretical foundation and reliable empirical support. It may be used for locating,
assessing, deciding upon and ranking the various enablers for integrating drones into
warehouse operations.

3. Research methodology
The research objectives are fulfilled through the three-phase methodology as shown in
Figure 1. In the first phase, the significant drone application is identified through the
literature review and validated with expert’s input. Further, the selection of drone application
areas in a smart/digital warehouse setting depended upon the number of enablers. These
enablers are assessed through two separate expert groups, one is industry professional and
the second is academia. In order to evaluate the decisions made by the two groups of experts,
Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (a nonparametric statistical test) was applied. It provides
a measure of agreement between the experts from Group 1, representing industry
professionals, and Group 2, representing academia. Depending on the given case, it may
be computed on an ordinal scale. As a rule, the value of the agreement indicator lies in the
range of 0 (no agreement) to 1 (complete agreement). Once the test for an agreement had been
done, a fuzzy Delphi method was used in this study to determine the significant enablers
related to drone integration in the smart warehouse. The second phase prioritises the
finalised enablers for drone adoption in the smart warehouse. Different multicriteria
approaches such as Techniques for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution
(TOPSIS), analytical hierarchy process (AHP), analytical network process (ANP) and data
envelopment analysis (DEA) could be applied to evaluate the priority ranking of these
 Goal: Analyse the drone adoption enablers in warehouse based on application
Smart
warehouse
management
Identification of drone application and drone adoption enablers in warehouse management
using the literature review

Expert Group A (Industry

Expert Group B (Academia)
Professional)

Kendall’s test of agreement between two groups of experts for the

consensus of initial enablers selection of drone adoption

Phase 2: GTMA
Phase 1: Fuzzy Delphi
Identification of drone
Identification of enablers application in warehouse

Develop a digraph for the

Collection of response through drone application
linguistic scale

Transform the diagraph into

Establish the TFN by matrix
converting the linguistic assessment
Relative importance of a
drone application
TFN is transformed into a
crisp number
Determine the importance of
each enabler

Setting threshold value

Permanent function of Matrix

Selection/rejection of enablers
Rank the enablers

Apply the logistics regression to measure the warehouse performance and test
Phase 3: Logistic

the significance of each enabler on the corresponding performance

Regression

Interpret the result and provide insights

Figure 1.
Proposed framework
Source(s): Authors own creation for the study

enablers (Kumar et al., 2022; Ramadani et al., 2022; Rao and Padmanabhan, 2006). However,
these methods have limitations in one or more proposed study areas. ANP does not
correspond to the ranking of enablers based on the TOE framework, DEA needs extensive
computation, and if the number of factors is too large, it could be a poor differentiator of the
BIJ enablers’ performance in terms of the areas of application in warehouse management (Rao
and Padmanabhan, 2006). In AHP, the enablers are considered independent and a
hierarchical structure is required (Rao and Padmanabhan, 2006). While using TOPSIS, a
strong deviation of one indicator from the ideal solution strongly influences the results
(Ceballos et al., 2016). Conversely, the graph theory matrix approach (GTMA) is a structured
and consistent approach for decision-making. It preserves the hierarchical structure and
maintains the interdependencies among the enablers simultaneously. Moreover, the GTMA
has an advantage over conventional illustration, which also provides a visual picture of the
problem. In contrast to the other methodologies, the GTMA can depict the interactions among
the problem’s components and express them mathematically.
The GMTA facilitates comprehension of the issue through a visual examination of the
system’s parts and their interdependencies. In addition, it provides a matrix representation of
the problem that can be handled by computers. Due to these advantages, the GTMA has
widely been applied in various studies such as quality management (Rao and Padmanabhan,
2006), flexible manufacturing systems (Ceballos et al., 2016), reverse logistics (Grover et al.,
2006; Raj et al., 2010), cleaner technology implementation (Agrawal et al., 2016a), lean
manufacturing (Agrawal et al., 2016b), electroplating systems (Bhandari et al., 2019),
sustainable supplier selection (Anand and Kodali, 2010) and risk management
(Kumar et al., 2011).
Therefore, we applied GTMA in this study to evaluate the enablers of applying drones in
warehouse management. The GTMA is an area of combinatorial mathematics that builds on
the advanced theory of graphs and networks (Sinha and Anand, 2018). The three components
of GTMA are as follows:
(1) Digraphs that allow visual analyses are utilised to depict the system and its
components;
(2) Matrix-based representation of the components and their interactions for computer
processing;
(3) Permanent function computation, which is appropriate for representing the influence
of each dimension with a single value.
GTMA describes edges as digraphs and matrices, defined as two essential elements
referred to as node and edges. As a result, these nodes represent the three selected
applications that contribute to the integration of drones into warehouse operations. Once
the drone application area has been decided, the diagram is prepared, which shows how the
application areas and the interdependency of these applications are arranged. Diagraphs
represent the number of nodes in a warehouse, and the connecting edges (or arrows/
directions) demonstrate their relative importance in the areas of drone application. When
node i is connected to node j through an arrow from node i to node j, this indicates the
relative importance of application area i over application area j. The matrix of relative
importance is formed by transforming this digraph into a square matrix. Each diagonal
element of the relative importance matrix refers to the relative importance (or inheritance)
of a parameter in the overall system. The off-diagonal elements describe the relative
importance of one application area over another. A standard form of matrix function named
the permanent function is computed if the matrix is affected by changes in the number of
parameters. The permanent function is similar to the determinant in general, except that it
consists only of positive signs rather than negative ones. Historically, researchers have
preferred to use the permanent function rather than the determinant function, as the latter
loses information due to negative signs. The permanent function of an M 3 M matrix is as
follows:
 Y
M X
M−1 X
M X
M Smart
Per ðAÞ ¼ Ai þ ...... ðaij aji ÞAk Al Am An Ao . . . At AM . . . M ≠ pus warehouse
i¼1 i¼1 j¼iþ1 M¼tþ1
management
X
M−2 X
M−1 X
M X
M
þ ............ ðaij ajk aki þ aik akj aji ÞAl Am An Ao . . . At AM k; . . . M ≠ pus
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼jþ1 M¼tþ1
"
M−3 X
X M X
M−1 X
M X
M
þ . . . . . . :: ðaij aji Þðakl alk ÞAm An Ao . . . At AM k; l; . . . M ≠ pus
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼iþ1 l¼iþ2 M¼tþ1
#
M−3 X
X M−1 X
M X
M X
M
þ ...... ðaij ajk akl ali þ ail alk akj aji ÞAm An Ao . . . At AM k; l; . . .
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼iþ1 l¼iþ2 M¼tþ1
"
M−2 X
X M−1 X
M X
M−1 X
M X
M
M ≠ pus þ ...... ðaij ajk aki þ aik akj aji Þðalm aml ÞAnAo . . .
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼iþ1 l¼1 m¼lþ1 M¼tþ1

X
M−4 X
M−1 X
M X
M X
M
At AM k; l; m . . . M ≠ pus þ .................. ðaij ajk akl alm ami
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼iþ1 l¼iþ2 M¼tþ1
# "
X
M−3 X
M−1 X
M X
M X
M−1 X
M
þ aim aml alk akj aji ÞAn Ao . . . At AM k; l; m . . . M ≠ pus þ ::
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼iþ1 l¼jþ1 m¼lþ1 n¼mþ1

X
M
... ðaij ajk akl ali þ ail alk akj aji Þðamn anm ÞAo . . . At AM k; l; . . . M ≠ pus
M¼tþ1
M−5 X
X M−1 X
M X
M−2 X
M−1 X
M X
M
þ :: . . . . . . . . . ðaij ajk aki þ aik akj aji Þðalm amn anl
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼jþ1 l¼1 m¼lþ1 n¼mþ1 M¼tþ1

X
M−5 X
M X
M−3 X
M X
M−1 X
M
þ a lnanm aml ÞAo . . . At AM k; l; . . . M ≠ pus þ ::
i¼1 j¼iþ1 k¼jþ1 l¼iþ2 m¼kþ1 n¼kþ1

X
M X
M−5 X
M−1 X
M X
M
... ðaij aji Þðakl alk Þðamn anm ÞAo . . . At AM k; l; m; n . . . M ≠ pus þ
M¼tþ1 i¼1 j¼1 k¼iþ1 l¼iþ1
#
X
M X
M X
M
:: . . . . . . . . . ðaij ajk akl alm amn ani þ ain anmaml alk akj aji ÞAo . . . At AM k; l; . . . M ≠ pus
m¼iþ1 n¼jþ1 M¼tþ1

(1)

In the statement above, “pus” stands for a previously used subscript as considered by other
researchers in the study. In the next phase, logistic regression is used to identify the
effectiveness of drone warehouse’s application area in terms of various enablers identified.
The GTMA proceeds as follows:
Step 1. Determine the key enablers of drone adoption in warehouse management and the
most significant applications (functions) for drones.
Step 2. Develop a digraph for the drone function and convert it to a matrix.
Step 3. Determine the relative importance of a drone function on the basis of the scale
provided in Table 1. In this table, the off-diagonal elements of relative importance in
Matrix [A] are selected.
BIJ Step 4. Determine the importance of each enabler concerning the drone functions based
on the scale provided in Table 2. This table is used to select the diagonal elements of the
relative importance Matrix [A] (see step 5) for the respective enablers.
Step 5. Develop a matrix for categorising the enablers according to the drone functions.
This is an M x M matrix indicated by the letter “A” (see step 4). The matrix is derived from
the input values from the matrix of the relative importance of the drone functions and the
matrix of the enablers’ importance relative to drone function. The values of the off-
diagonal elements of Matrix [A] are filled with the relative importance of the drone
functions derived from Table 1. A value is selected for the diagonal elements of the matrix
for each enabler from Table 2. Thus, each enabler generates a matrix, so the number of
matrices should be the same as the number of enablers.
Step 6. Determine the permanent function of Matrix [A] for each enabler using above
equation. Alternatively, the permanent function can be calculated manually by a program
developed in any computational engine such as C, Cþþ, Java, MATLAB, or R. A program
has been developed by us in R 4.0.2 to calculate the permanent function of the matrix. We
calculated the maximum and minimum values to compare the permanent functions across
enablers. The maximum expression of the permanent function has been determined by
substituting a value of 1 for all diagonal elements, since this is the maximum possible
expression as per Table 2; correspondingly, the minimum expression has been determined
by substituting 0 for all diagonal elements as shown in Table 1.

3.1 Survey and data collection

In this phase, data were gathered from the warehousing hub by using the questionnaire to
gather information on the region, organisation type and enablers of drone adoption and
warehousing performance in terms of three identified application using the survey tools.

Description a ij a ji ¼ 1 − a ij

Both parameters are equally important 0.5 0.5

One parameter (i) is slightly more important than the other (j) 0.6 0.4
Table 1. One parameter (i) is much more important than the other (j) 0.7 0.3
Comparative One parameter (i) is very much more important than the other (j) 0.8 0.2
significance of One parameter (i) is extremely more important than the other (j) 0.9 0.1
parameter c One parameter is exceptionally more important than other(j) 1 0

Qualitative measure of attributes Assigned value

Exceptionally low 0.0

Extremely low 0.1
Very low 0.2
Table 2.
Scale for the Low 0.3
importance of the Below average 0.4
enablers for each drone Average 0.5
function (Anand et al., Above average 0.6
2016) in the next phase, High 0.7
the data are gathered Very high 0.8
with the help of the Extremely high 0.9
questionnaire Exceptionally high 1.0
Our next step was to examine the ground reality of warehouse performance based on the Smart
enablers of drone adoption that were identified and prioritised. The following is a description warehouse
of the process used for the survey:
3.1.1 Survey area. The sample area selected for further investigation was the industrial
management
warehousing hub of Jeddah-a booming industrial district of Mecca region. This region is
famous for its established and advanced industrial clusters through well-connected national
highways and surrounded by sea. The warehousing clusters are expanding due to global
demand and the rise in the manufacturing and consumption sectors.
3.1.2 Survey organisation. Organisations were selected based on warehousing operations
in the sample area, digital integration initiatives taken, the number of employees, ten years of
operations and minimum employee strength. It was essential to select organisations that had
diverse warehouse backgrounds in order to get a better understanding of drone initiatives
and practices. A total of 350 organisations were initially selected as part of the initial selection
process. Further investigation revealed that 136 organisations did not meet the criteria
selected. A detailed questionnaire was sent to 350 respondents; after a careful review, 135
were found to be correctly filled for further evaluation. Green’s method was used to ensure
that the sample size was adequate (Green 1991). This method requires at least 122
(N > 50 þ 8(K) 5 N > 50 þ 8 (9); K is the number of predictor variable) respondents for the
further analysis (Ali and Kaur, 2022).
3.1.3 Survey respondents. A brief explanation of the objectives and requirements of the
study was provided to participants. There was a wide range of backgrounds among our
respondents, such as senior managers, human resources professionals, supply chain
executives and warehouse operators, who had decent exposure to automation and reporting
in warehouse operations. Some had national and global work experience as well. Over half of
the respondents (56%) were warehouse managers who did international and domestic
deliveries. The following categories of respondents are supply chain managers with logistics
responsibilities (34%), inventory analysts in organisations managing international and
national account networks (25%) and IT managers with digital transformation
responsibilities (44%).
3.1.4 Data collection instrument development. A detailed questionnaire (refer to Appendix
4) was prepared to assess smart/digital warehousing performance based on three
application in the context of drone adoption following TOE framework as per literature
review and further validation with experts using tests of concordance and fuzzy Delphi.
There were questions regarding demographic information, company information and
specific questions about TOE enablers and warehousing performance. After the
demographic questions, the respondents were asked to mark their response related to
adoption of Drone on a five-point Likert scale from “5-very strongly effective” to “1-strongly
ineffective”.
Lastly, sets of questions listed are about how drones affect smart warehousing in intra-
logistics, inventory management and inspections and surveillance. Respondents rated the
effectiveness of each application based on a five-point Likert scale, with five being very
strongly effective and one being merely effective.

4. Results
4.1 Identification of the enablers
We sought opinions from 17 experts who had over 10 years’ expertise in warehouse
management. An initial questionnaire was sent via email to all of the potential 17 experts.
After careful consideration and follow-up, 14 experts agreed to participate. In the next
phase, 10 experts provided valid responses (please refer to the experts’ profiles in Appendix
1). According to Kendall’s W tests, Group-1 has a value of 0.71 and Group-2 has a value of
BIJ 0.56. Among the industry experts, there is the greatest agreement concerning their
interpretation of enablers of drone adoption associations. The implications of this are that
diverse experts“ perceptions toward drone adoption enablers begin to converge based on
their practical day-to-day expertise in the industry. However, there is a medium level of
agreement among the Group-2 experts. The fuzzy Delphi method was then applied to the
responses obtained through the fuzzy Delphi questionnaire (See Appendix 2), and the
linguistic input received as a response from the experts was transformed into triangular
fuzzy numbers (TFNs). Furthermore, the experts” decisions were determined by using the
geometric mean methodology. We then converted the TFNs into crisp numbers utilising the
centre of gravity (COG) method. The obtained data are analysed in Microsoft Excel 365.
The threshold value for all enablers can be taken to be 0.7, as suggested by Chang et al.
(2000) and Ali et al. (2022). If the de-fuzzy value for an enabler is greater than 0.7, it is
considered to be significant. Otherwise, it is not and is therefore dropped from the list. The
enablers of the adoption of drone logistics are presented in Table 3, based on the suggested
threshold value. After the application of the fuzzy Delphi method, nine enablers were
identified as necessary for adopting drones in warehouse management. These enablers are
discussed in detail below:
4.1.1 Compatibility of drone integration. A study found that updating the infrastructure of
smart warehouses is easier than updating human capital in an organisation (Van Geest et al.,
2022). During the integration of new technologies with existing systems, it is imperative to
ensure proper alignment among the infrastructure, procedures and norms to ensure
compatibility (Awa et al., 2017). In order to achieve success, existing and incoming
technologies must be properly integrated. Easy integration of hardware and software for
industrial use will lead to faster adoption.
4.1.2 Operational effectiveness. Van Geest et al., (2022) highlighted that the use of smart
warehouses minimises manual tasks, increases automation and improves operational
scalability. It is vital to have clear communication to improve operational effectiveness.
In focussing on knowledge and operational learning, a system’s efficiency can be improved.

Geometric De-
Category Enablers Min mean Max fuzzy Decision Code

Technological Compatibility of drone 0.5 0.7937 0.9 0.7312 Accept TN1

integration
Drone availability 0.1 0.5389 0.9 0.5129 Reject NA
Operational effectiveness 0.5 0.7741 0.9 0.7246 Accept TN2
Quality/value offered 0.5 0.8139 0.9 0.7379 Accept TN3
Organisational Top management 0.1 0.3297 0.7 0.3765 Reject NA
knowledge about drones
Top management 0.5 0.8139 0.9 0.7379 Accept OG1
perspectives
Employee training and 0.5 0.7937 0.9 0.7312 Accept OG2
adaptability
Cost 0.5 0.7548 0.9 0.7182 Accept OG3
Environmental Changed work environment 0.1 0.2785 0.7 0.3595 Reject NA
Customer pressure 0.1 0.2034 0.7 0.3344 Reject NA
Table 3. Regulatory pressure 0.5 0.8139 0.9 0.7379 Accept EN1
Finalisation of the Stakeholders’ readiness 0.5 0.7548 0.9 0.7182 Accept EN2
enablers using the Competitive pressure 0.5 0.7548 0.9 0.7182 Accept EN3
fuzzy Delphi method Source(s): Authors own creation
The implementation of drones may help solve problems such as inventory accuracy, the Smart
inventory’s lack of visibility and redundant processes (Companik et al., 2018a, b). warehouse
4.1.3 Quality/value offered. When customer demands or processes change, smart warehouses
automatically adjust to the changes by using different prediction models. Smart warehouses
management
are more versatile than traditional warehouses in adapting to new situations (Van Geest et al.,
2022). With drones, inventory, distribution and transportation can be organised more
effectively, resulting in cost reductions. This will, in turn, benefit consumers through lower
prices. Another advantage of green energy is that it is environmentally friendly. Researchers
have found that drone deliveries substantially cut carbon emissions compared with trucks
(Yoo et al., 2018). Good governance, institution, industry and legal regulations are critical to
maximising the value of technology integration in a system.
4.1.4 Top management perspectives. Top management support is an important element
that facilitates the adoption of innovation. This information helps differentiate between
adopters and non-adopters (Sinha and Anand, 2018). The top management provides a
supportive working environment and articulates a clear vision for the future (Awa
et al., 2017).
4.1.5 Employee training and adaptability. Drone pilots need to be trained and certified to
ensure the safety of both the drones and their surroundings. It is known that the presence of
knowledgeable people within a system leads to innovation and the development of better
products and solutions (Maghazei and Netland, 2019).
4.1.6 Cost. Technology costs vary depending on the nature (breakthrough and ever-
evolving), purpose (competitive advantage, flexibility in work and ease of operation), use
(routine, specific) stage (developmental, established) and demand of the technology (product,
process, industry and market-specific). Currently, this technology is not widely used in
industrial settings. In addition, when its application in various fields begins, it should be
robust enough to adapt to changing requirements. Infrastructure such as dedicated charging
stations and landing spaces will inevitably become necessary as drone sophistication
increases (Companik et al., 2018a, b). Government support in the form of tax breaks and
incentives may also help relieve the burden of these additional costs (Yoo et al., 2018). Ali et al.
(2023) identified that these innovative technologies need to be evaluated from their cost
benefit perspective also, so their integration should be followed by a new creation and
commercial exchange of the same to measure the benefits through indicators of profitability
and share market.
4.1.7 Regulatory pressure. Drone operations were previously subject to stringent
government regulations. It is crucial to consider factors such as privacy, consent to shoot
pictures and illegal use. A policy that regulates drone usage was legalised by the Ministry of
Civil Aviation in India in 2018. Some countries are starting to relax their laws (Sah et al., 2020).
Operators in emerging economics must obtain a license, a unique identification number (UIN)
and an unmanned aircraft operation permit (UAOP) to operate an uncrewed aircraft. For
example, to use these tools for inventory management, Mahindra Logistics (mainly based in
India) is awaiting further indoor regulatory approvals.
4.1.8 Stakeholder readiness. The various stakeholders include the government, the
drone industry, investors, regulatory authorities and corporations. All parties must
comprehend the evolving nature of this technology and refine their strategies to create
additional value (Mishra et al., 2020). Changing regulations can also encourage drone
adoption. The drone industry must remain flexible in adapting to the changing needs of
various other industries. These benefits must thus be proven to investors to ensure their
investment.
4.1.9 Competitive pressure. Companies always feel pressure to adopt a particular
technology to gain a competitive advantage. In today’s business environment, this
competition is between one industrial group and another (Cohn et al., 2017), which
BIJ previously used to come from one dominant group. The dominant suppliers and customers
of a firm also make a firm adopt new changes to show its fitness as a business partner
(Chang et al., 2000). Sensors in smart warehouses monitor expensive equipment and
minimise downtime, and the same is possible with drones (Van Geest et al., 2022; Cohn
et al., 2017).

4.2 Prioritisation of the enablers

A GTMA approach was applied to evaluate the enablers of drones in warehouse
management. For this purpose, the significant applications of drones in warehouse
management were identified through a literature review and through discussions with
experts in warehouse management. The experts were selected based on their working
experience and positions in the industry. The experts in this study have more than 10 years of
experience in logistics management, warehouse operations management and smart
technology development. The expert panel also included two members from academia
involved in supply chain management and smart technology implementation. The experts
ultimately agreed on three drone applications: inventory management, intralogistics and
inspection and surveillance. Figure 2 illustrates the three major functions that drones can
perform effectively in warehouse management and their relative importance.
We identified the application of the drone and discussed adoptions-related issues in
warehouse management. Through this discussion, we finalized the crucial enablers/factors
that facilitate the successful adoption of drones in warehouse management. The first step in
the process was the identification of enablers from the literature. These thirteen enablers were
discussed with two groups of experts regarding their relevance and context. The discussion
regarding the fuzzy Delphi led to the adoption of nine enablers for warehouse management to
facilitate the drones’ adoptions. These enablers were ranked according to their importance
regarding the drone functions. We finalised the ranking of the enablers by assessing their
ability to support all three drone functions as opposed to only one or two drone functions.
Hence, the enabler with the top ranking were focused on the warehousing based three
application areas. As discussed earlier, nine enablers and three functions of drones in the
warehouse were finalised. After that, the expert group determined the relative importance of
the drone functions for the various enablers. The expert group was requested to choose the
values for the off-diagonal elements using the scale provided in Table 1. The experts’
responses were collected with the GTMA questionnaire (see Appendix 3) and analysed, and
the highest mode value was chosen based on consensus. The finalised responses are shown in
Matrix [F]:

Figure 2.
Establishing different
functions of drones in
warehouse
management
 IM IL IS Smart
2 3 warehouse
IM F1 0:8 0:6
6 7 management
½F ¼ IL 4 0:2 F2 0:7 7
6
5
IS 0:4 0:3 F3

Furthermore, the expert group was asked to select each enabler’s importance rank based on
the drone functions. The experts provided their responses for all nine enablers, and these
were used for the diagonal elements of Matrix [F]. The experts assigned values for the nine
enablers as shown in Table 4. The diagonal values for each enabler were entered into Matrix
[F]. In this manner, nine matrices were formed for all nine enablers, and these matrices are
presented as [TG1], [ TG2] to [EN3] as follows:
IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:7 0:8 0:6
6 7
½TG1 ¼ IL 6 7
4 0:2 0:4 0:7 5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:8
IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:7 0:8 0:6
6 7
½TG2 ¼ IL 6 7
4 0:2 0:4 0:7 5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:9
IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:9 0:8 0:6
6 7
½TG3 ¼ IL 6 7
4 0:2 0:3 0:7 5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:7

Inventory Inspection and

Enablers management Intralogistics surveillance

TG1: Compatibility of drone 0.7 0.4 0.8

integration
TG2: Operational effectiveness 0.7 0.4 0.9
TG3: Quality/value offered 0.9 0.3 0.7
OG1: Top management perspectives 0.5 0.3 0.7
OG2: Employee training and 0.6 0.4 0.7
adaptability
OG3: Cost 0.4 0.7 0.5
EN1: Regulatory pressure 0.6 0.2 0.6 Table 4.
EN2: Stakeholders’ readiness 0.6 0.3 0.7 Diagonal element
EN3: Competitive pressure 0.9 0.2 0.8 values for each
Source(s): Authors own creation alternative
 IM IL IS
BIJ 2 3
IM 0:5 0:8 0:6
6 7
½OG1 ¼ IL 6 7
4 0:2 0:3 0:7 5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:7

IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:6 0:8 0:6
6 7
½OG2 ¼ IL 6 7
4 0:2 0:4 0:7 5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:7
IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:4 0:8 0:6
6 7
½OG3 ¼ IL 6 7
4 0:2 0:7 0:7 5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:5
IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:6 0:8 0:6
6 7
½EN1 ¼ IL 6 7
4 0:2 0:2 0:7 5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:6
IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:6 0:8 0:6
6 7
½EN2 ¼ IL 6
4 0:2 0:3 0:7 7
5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:7
IM IL IS
2 3
IM 0:9 0:8 0:6
6 7
½EN3 ¼ IL 6
4 0:2 0:2 0:7 7
5
IS 0:4 0:3 0:8

The value of the permanent function for all nine enablers was determined by using
Equation (1). A computer program was developed by the authors in R4.0.2 software based on
the above Equation (1) to calculate the value of the permanent function for all nine enablers.
Based on the permanent function value, these enablers were ranked as shown in Table 5.

4.3 Data analysis

A discussion of the details of the mixed methodology used for analysing the collected data
after the expert’s ranking is presented in this section.
Logistic regression: Logistic regression (LR) is a quantitative statistical analysis that
uses a model to predict binary outcome Y from response variables X’s. In situations where the
category or continuity of data is either unclear or lacking, LR is helpful when it is necessary to
establish a relationship between a categorical variable and a set of predictor variables Smart
(Archer et al., 2007). Logistic regression involves a coefficient “b” which measures the partial warehouse
contribution of each independent variable towards variations in the dependent variable. We
have investigated the relationship between drone adoption enablers and warehouse
management
performance by using three application areas under the TOE framework.
This section provides information related to the dependent and independent variables of
the logistic regression model. An evaluation test is done initially to proceed further. Most
researchers used a cut-off value of 0.5, which we also used for cross-classification (Talpov
a,
2012). This table classifies observed dependent outcome values and predicted values to
evaluate the logistic model by using SPSS 21.0. As shown in Table 6, the logistic regression
predicted that 115 respondents would agree and 15 would disagree, yielding a prediction rate
of 85.2. The model predicted that 5 of 25 respondents who chose not effective would disagree
and 20 would agree, yielding a 75% prediction rate. Our model predicts Drone effectiveness
and ineffectiveness in social sustainability. The model is 88.5% accurate.
4.3.1 Assessing test model fit. An acceptable fit is determined by p > 0.05 using Hosmer–
Lemeshow’s goodness-of-fit test. According to Hosmer–Lemeshow’s goodness-of-fit test (HL
test in Table 7), the model Chi-square is 4.456 with 8 df, which indicates a good logistic
regression model fit as indicated by a p-value of 0.613 (>0.05).
Since there is a significant difference in the observed responses and expected outcomes
from the regression model, therefore, the null hypothesis of Hosmer and Lemeshow test is
rejected, which means that our overall model fit is good (Fagerland and Hosmer, 2012).

Enabler Permanent (E) Rank

TG1 0.855 2
TG2 0.899 1
TG3 0.822 3
OG1 0.654 8
OG2 0.762 5
OG3 0.732 6
EN1 0.602 9
EN2 0.696 7 Table 5.
EN3 0.769 4 Ranking of the
Source(s): Authors own creation enablers

Predicted
Impact of drone
adoption on warehouse
performance by three
application areas
Non Percentage
Observed Effective effective correct

Impact of drone adoption on warehouse Effective 115 20 85.2

performance Non 15 5 25.0
effective
Overall Percentage 88.5 Table 6.
Source(s): Authors own creation Classification table
BIJ To further enhance the stability of the fit, two additional measures were applied (Talpov
a,
2012) based on the sensitivity of Chi-square analysis to the sample size (ideally greater than
400). These measures were pseudo-R2 value developed by Cox and Snell (1989) and
Nagelkerkeare (Talpov
a, 2012) and are shown in Table 8.
The predictability of the proposed model, Nagelkerke R-square, is the adjusted value of
Cox and Snell R-square (Table 7). It is a Pseudo R-square value. It is not technically
explaining the variation but can be used as an approximate variation in the criteria variable
(warehouse performance in our case). It is found accurate as the value falls between 0 and 1.
Further, a 65.4% change in the criterion variable is accounted to the predictor variable in
the estimated model 9 (refer to Table 8). As a result of the estimation of eq (2) with the help of
Table 9 which presents the empirical results of Logistic regression. The binary logistic
model represents the effectiveness of drone adoption in warehouse operations as a result of
various application performed by drones.
Table 9 shows the relationship between the predictor and the outcome. Eight independent
variables are identified as statistically significant predictors of the model either at p-values
<0.05 or <0.01. Beta (β) is the predicted change in Log odds, for one unit change in the
predictor, there is Exp(β) change in the probability of the outcome. In order to determine
whether or not these independent variables have a positive or negative impact on the
outcome, the odd ratios of beta exponentials are considered. An odd ratio of Exp(β)> 1
indicates the probability of an event occurring, i.e., the probability of falling into the target

Step Chi-square Df Sig

Table 7.
Hosmer and 1 4.456 8 0.613
Lemeshow test Source(s): Authors own creation

Step 2 Log likelihood Cox and Snell R square Nagelkerke R square

Table 8. 1 77.330a 0.267 0.654

Model summary Source(s): Authors own creation

Variables Estimated coefficient (β) Standard error Wald df Sig Exp(β) Lower Upper

TG1 0.140 0.112 1.765 1 0.033 1.124 1.090 1.444

TG2 0.313 0.101 22.345 1 0.04 2.34 1.089 1.347
TG3 0.110 0.002 0.324 1 0.001 1.051 1.789 1.999
OG1 0.245 0.176 4.223 1 0.48 0.156 0.454 0.566
OG2 0.342 0.103 1.234 1 0.002 0.783 1.02 1.65
OG3 0.002 0.233 7.237 1 0.04 1.123 1.23 1.539
Table 9.
Estimated binary EN1 0.123 0.189 0.982 1 0.30 0.386 1.234 1.56
logistic regression for EN2 0.231 0.001 2.344 1 0.026 1.563 1.093 1.703
impact of drone EN3 0.561 0.004 7.116 1 0.003 1.347 1.22 1.51
adoption on warehouse Constant 1.334 0.664 3.761 1 0.052 3.0970
performance Source(s): Authors own creation
group (effective warehouse performance) is greater than the probability of falling into the Smart
non-target (non-effective warehouse performance). Conversely, an odd ratio of Exp(β)< 1 warehouse
indicates the probability of an event occurring decreases, i., e. Probability of falling into the
target group (effective warehouse performance) is less than the probability of falling into the
management
non-target (non-effective warehouse performance) (Eicker and Cilliers, 2019). The odds ratio
is “1” probability of falling into the. target group (effective warehouse performance) is the
same as the probability of falling into the non-target (non-effective warehouse performance).
The results show that TG1, TG2, TG3, OG2, OG3, EN2 and EN3 enablers/criterion variables
of drone adoption positively affect warehouse performance. However, OG1 and EN1 have
contributed to negative effects.
The odds of an organisation choosing the adoption of drone effectiveness for warehousing
performance offering TG2 are 2.34 times better than those who selected adoption is ineffective
for TG2 with a 95% CI of 1.089–1.347. The confidence interval does not cross “1,” and both
values are greater than 1. It means that enablers/predictor/independent variables increase, so
that odds of (here it is effective warehouse performance) also increase. A value less than 1
means if the predictor increases, the odds decrease. All the values found indicate that predictors
and outcomes are either positively or negatively related to measuring the effectiveness of
warehouse performance after adopting drones. Hence it supports the selection of enablers/
predictors by using a literature review, test of concordance and fuzzy Delphi method.

5. Discussion
Firstly, we prioritised the drone integration enablers based on three application areas in
warehouse management. The order of importance of the enablers is as follows: operational
effectiveness ≻ compatibility of drone integration ≻ quality/value offered ≻ competitive
pressure ≻ employee training and adaptability ≻ cost ≻ stakeholders’ readiness ≻ top
management perspectives ≻ regulatory pressure.
Secondly, the logistic regression estimated is as follows:
LogitðPrðY ¼ 1 ÞÞ ¼ 1:334 þ 0:140 ðCompatibility of drone integrationÞ
þ 0:313 ðOperational effectivenessÞ þ 0:110ðQuality=value offeredÞ
 0:245 ðTop management perspectivesÞ
þ 0:342ðEmployee training and adaptabilityÞ
þ 0:002ðCostÞ – 0:123ðRegulatory pressureÞ
þ 0:231 ðStakeholders’ readinessÞ þ 0:544 ðCompetitive pressureÞ:
(2)

The enabler with the highest priority is operational effectiveness, and it is also significant
with a positive beta coefficient value of 0.313(refer to Table 9) which can be achieved through
the adoption of drones in warehouses through effective utilisation of resources such as space,
labour, reduced travel time and distance, material, equipment and energy. These benefits
should be shared with the top management to convince them about the adoption of drones in
the warehouse.
The next enabler is the compatibility of drone integration with the existing system
required for the successful adoption of drones in the warehouse. It is significant with a beta
coefficient (β) value of 0.144(refer to Table 9). The drone should be compatible with the IoT,
RFID and sensor systems and have the computing power to optimise the route and resources.
A drone does not efficiently perform its functions without compatibility with smart systems.
BIJ Furthermore, the quality/value offered is another significant enabler of integrating drones
in warehouse management. As shown in Table 9, the result is significant with a beta
coefficient value of 0.110. Investment in such smart components is expected to lead to health,
safety and governance advancements. It will increase economic competitiveness, social
security and ecological sustainability by delivering intelligent functions, transportation
power, smart surveillance and reduced resource consumption. Drones increase flexibility,
reduce operational redundancy, improve safety and optimise responses. This helps the
warehouse improve its quality and provide more to the customers. The next significant
enabler is competitive pressure, which can motivate warehouse stakeholders to adopt drone
technologies. The current industry trends are to become more automated and smarter, thus
driving the organisation to develop competitive benchmarking. Moreover, through the
adoption of drones in warehouses, the energy requirements and carbon footprint are also
reduced. These benefits motivate organisations to adopt drone technology, which creates
pressure on organisations that are not willing to adopt these technologies. Employee training
and adaptability are also critical enablers that are essential for the effective adoption of drone
technology. The employees’ technical background, education and previous training play an
important role in readiness for drone adoption. If employees are reluctant to change and they
are willing to adopt drone technology, effort from the top management is required for
intensive skill development.
Cost is also an enabler associated with drone adoption. Moreover, statistically, it is
significant with a beta coefficient value of 0.002 (refer to Table 9). The costs include the
expenditure associated with the physical infrastructure, the design and development of
charging stations, purchasing equipment such as drone hardware and batteries, maintenance,
software and software installation, training and insurance. There is a huge cost associated with
integrating drones in a warehouse. This cost must be met to implement drones in warehouse
management. It requires much investment to support all its integral smart components, grids
and tools for managing data and information. Besides infrastructural costs, operational and
maintenance costs of technology, the cost of IT training and skill development (Ali et al. 2023)
are other significant components of the economic potential of technology.
Stakeholder readiness is also crucial for integrating drones in a warehouse. As can be seen
from the table, it is significant with a value for the beta coefficient of 0.231. Drone integration
can lead to different advantages such as enhanced logistic efficiency, quality assurance,
quick delivery, real-time inventory monitoring and improved customer satisfaction. These
benefits must be shared with stakeholders to create more interest in adopting drones in
warehouse management. The top management perspectives are another critical enabler for
adopting drones in a warehouse, as drones are an emerging technology, so they have some
risks. Therefore, the top management’s risk-taking capability and formulation of risk-
management policies play an essential role.
Further, the top management’s willingness to adopt drones in warehouse operations and
invest in innovation also supports the adoption of drones. Based on the results of the table, it
is non-significant with a beta coefficient of 0.245. Another important enabler is regulatory
pressure, which motivates the warehouse to adopt drone technology for its operations.
National and international regulations focus on sustainable operations, energy-efficient
processes and low carbon-footprint generation. These objectives could be met by adopting an
energy-efficient drone (Awa et al., 2017) that could reduce unnecessary logistics and enhance
resource efficiency (Ali and Kaur, 2022). Top management also navigates through all the legal
and bureaucratic hurdles for Drone technology inceptions, as these investment-heavy entities
are prone to government regulations and zone and area restrictions. Top management is
viewed as pioneers and visionaries, providing long-term plans with guidance, motivation and
support. Technology related to drones comes with its own set of privacy, security and trust
problems, so legal frameworks and policies must be considered carefully.
6. Implication of the study Smart
6.1 Managerial implications warehouse
This study is significant, as incorporating drone technology in warehouse management
application is a relatively new concept. It offers useful insights for managers and researchers
management
working in smart warehouse management. Aside from discussing drone applications in
warehouses, important enablers have also been identified, which can provide early
recommendations for successful drone adoption. These enablers will help to overcome the
potential hindrances to the adoption of drones in warehouses. The main goal was to provide
some background information, by using TOE framework, on the enablers of drone use to
individuals who are now utilising or planning to use this technology.
The most important enablers are operational effectiveness, compatibility of drone
integration and quality/value offered. Therefore, managers need to be well informed about
the details of drone integration. This can be achieved through employing a skilled workforce
and thorough planning. Further competitive pressures exist, which may lead to the adoption of
newer technologies. With the results presented in this work, managers can benefit from
knowledge regarding the main technique related to drone integration for smart warehouse
management and gain relative strength over their competitors (Ali et al., 2021).
Hiring a skilled workforce and their proper training will prove beneficial in the long run, as
they can contribute to improving the efficiency and robustness of the technology. Here,
managers play a vital role in attracting the right talent.
Some other fundamental enablers are cost, stakeholder readiness, top management
readiness and regulatory pressure. Since the research indicates that drones in warehouses
have not been widely used, managers must evaluate the potential hidden costs.
Managers must be well-versed in the regulations governing drone implementation in
order to ensure that their incorporation in warehouses is not hampered. As a result, managers
and practitioners will benefit greatly from this research.
This study will also be helpful for identifying and removing the obstacles to successful
drone implementation. In the context of using a warehouse drone, stakeholders could include
the company operating the drones, the employees of the company, the customers of the
company, the local community in which the warehouse is located, and any regulatory bodies
that oversee the use of drones.
The company operating the warehouse drones may be primarily interested in improving
efficiency and reducing costs, while employees may be concerned about job security and
safety. Customers may be interested to use Drone logistics for faster delivery times and lower
prices, while the local community may be concerned about issues such as noise and privacy.
Regulators may be concerned about issues such as safety and compliance with regulations.
It would be the company’s responsibility to consider the interests of all stakeholders and to
ensure that its drone warehouse operations are conducted in a way that is fair and beneficial
to all parties involved. This involves measures such as engaging with the local community to
address concerns about noise and privacy or working with employees to ensure that they are
properly trained and have the necessary safety equipment.

6.2 Theoretical implications

The TOE framework is a theoretical framework that stands for “technological, organisational
and environmental” factors. It is commonly used in the field of information systems and
technology to examine the factors that affect the adoption and implementation of new
technologies in organisations.
By applying the TOE framework perspective to the integration of drones into warehouse
management, we identified the technological, organisational, and environmental enablers
that are crucial to the successful implementation of drone applications in warehouse
activities. Our mixed approach framework provides a theoretical basis for understanding the
BIJ drivers that influence the adoption of drone technology in warehouse management, as well as
empirical evidence that supports the effectiveness of these drivers.
Using the TOE framework perspective, researchers identified the technological factors
that enable the incorporation of drones into warehouse management, such as the capabilities
and limitations of the drones themselves and the software and hardware required to operate
them. This study examined the organisational factors that affect the integration of drone
technology, such as the top management structures, the culture of the organisation and the
skills and training required of the employees.
Finally, the study considers environmental enablers that have impacted the integration of
drones into warehouse management, such as the regulatory and legal frameworks governing
the use of drones in commercial settings, as well as economic and market conditions that may
affect the viability of drone applications in warehouse activities.
By applying the TOE framework perspective, researchers evaluated and prioritised the
different enablers for integrating drones into warehouse management and develop strategies
for successful implementation of drone technology in warehouse activities.

7. Conclusions
Drone technology adoption is customer demand specific so careful selection of target markets
is must so that these technologies are made easily available to the customers. Additional
focus should be given to identify market segments that offer the greatest promise, size of
markets and the anticipated timing and amount of potential revenue flows. Efficient
warehouse management is an integral part of a reliable supply chain (Kumar et al., 2021). In
the present decade, e-commerce has picked up at a tremendous pace. Consequently,
businesses are inclined to incorporate automation in most of their processes, which is a
characteristic of Industry 4.0 (Zhao et al., 2016). Greater benefits can be achieved by
leveraging automation with drones (Ali et al., 2023) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in
warehouses. Our study investigated the feasibility of warehouse drones in supply chain
management, including self-driving trucks, aerial delivery drones and warehouse robots used
in industrial settings. Warehouse functions could be automated through drones’ aerial
capabilities, RFID, sensors and AI (Ali and Kaur, 2022).
The adoption of drones in warehouses can transform traditional warehouse operations,
reducing delivery time and carbon footprints. In order to achieve these benefits, organisations
are trying to adopt drones in their warehouses (Charlesraj and Rakshith, 2020). In this study,
we addressed the issue of drone adoption by identifying the major application areas and
enablers of drone adoption in warehouse management. Initially, three significant drone
applications in warehouses were identified (Brar et al., 2015; Lichao et al., 2017) through a
literature review and consultation with industry experts. These three areas are inventory
management, inspection and surveillance and intra-logistics.
Further, based on the TOE framework, the enablers of drone adoption in warehouses were
identified through the combined literature review, a test of experts’ agreement and fuzzy
Delphi approach. A technological context encompasses the internal as well as external
technologies that are relevant to the organisation. It considers both the firm’s current
operations and equipment and the technologies available outside the firm. An organisation’s
organisational context refers to its management structure, resources and internal
communications. The environment of an organisation includes its industry, competitors
and government regulations (Su and Yang, 2018).
In this manner, nine enablers of drone adoption in warehouse management were
identified. These enablers were analysed further using the GTAM method to obtain better
insights. They were prioritised based on the three applications of drones in the warehouse.
This analysis shows that operational effectiveness, compatibility of drone integration and
quality/value offered are the most significant enablers of drone adoption in warehouses. The Smart
results were further validated by feedback from industrial experts and academics. warehouse
management
8. Limitation and future research
The findings of this study might help managers/practitioners to move toward sustainable
operations and competitive advantages, but this study has some limitations. The first
limitation of this identification of drone adoption enablers is based on the literature review
and expert’s input. Therefore, there is a possibility to overlook some significant enablers.
Second limitation of the study is the expert’s opinion which could be biased as per their
working position, however we tried to overcome this by applying test of agreement and
further validation is done with the help of survey data to reduce the biases.
Third, the number of enablers increases with the advancement of drone technologies.
With an increased number of enablers, the complexity of the permanent matrix increases.
The experts’ opinions were used to prioritise the enablers, and these could be inconsistent.
This limitation can be overcome by integrating grey numbers with the existing methodology.
Further, the enablers can change over time and across different countries and types of Drone
technology. Fourth, an additional focus should be given to identifying market segments with
the most promise and the size, timing and potential revenue stream of those segments. Fifth is
despite this, the proposed framework can be validated through case studies to generalise the
research findings in future implications. Expert-based MCDM research can be done for
surveillance and security, thereby reducing crime and enhancing safety in the warehouse
management. Drones can be used to send small packages and goods to remote or hard-to-
reach places, making it easier for people to get to services and goods they need.
Future research can be done for inspecting infrastructure like roads, bridges and pipelines
with drones to save time and lower the risk of accidents in the transportation network.
The finding can be generalised and validated through the multiple case studies by taking the
sample from developed countries. One can extend this study by comparing the enablers in the
context of developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. In future studies, these enablers
are modelled using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM), total interpretive structural
modelling (TISM) and DEMATEL method to understand the interplay among these enablers.

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Further reading
Bose, N. (2017), “Wal-mart says it is 6-9 Months from using drones to check warehouse inventory”,
Reuters, June 2, available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-wal-mart-drones-
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comparison between new ventures and established firms”, IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management, Vol. 66 No. 1, pp. 73-83, doi: 10.1109/TEM.2018.2803061.
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aerial vehicles using a novel framework”, IEEE Access, Vol. 9, pp. 6571-6595, doi: 10.1109/
access.2020.3049094.
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providers in China”, International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable
Development, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 19-38.
Singh, S., Agrawal, V. and Mohanty, R. (2022), “Multi-criteria decision analysis of significant enablers
for a competitive supply chain”, Journal Of Advances In Management Research, Vol. 19 No. 3,
pp. 414-442, doi: 10.1108/jamr-09-2021-0322.
Xu, L., Kamat, V.R. and Menassa, C.C. (2017), “Automatic extraction of 1D barcodes from video scans
for drone-assisted inventory management in warehousing applications”, International Journal
of Logistics Research and Applications, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 243-258, doi: 10.1080/13675567.2017.
1393505.

Corresponding author
Sadia Samar Ali can be contacted at: [email protected], [email protected]
Appendix 1 Smart
warehouse
management
Experience (in
SN Expert Education years) Major roles and responsibilities

1 Manager B. Sc. (Industrial 10þ Supply chain planning and strategy

Engg), MBA formulation for improving efficiency
2 Manager B. Sc. (Engg), MBA 10þ Managing dig data, predictive analytics
and machine learning
3 Manager (legal L.L.B., MBA 12þ Managing legal -based modules
affairs)
4 Consultant/ M. Tech Pursuing 12þ Consultancy related to delivering
visiting PhD specialised courses
academic
5 Senior manager B. E. MBA 15þ Senior supply chain manager,
identification of problem areas and
management operations
6 Assistant B. Tech (Industrial) 10 Warehouse maintenance and
manager MBA management
7 Consultant/ MBA, PhD 15þ Consultancy related to environmental
academic (Sustainable integration
Management)
8 Senior manager B. Sc. (Mechnical) 15þ Planning of inventory management for
MBA managing the procurement of raw
materials
9 Manager B. E. MBA 12þ Vendor selection for technology and
equipment
10 Consultant/ MBA pursuing PhD 10þ Academics and consultancy regarding Table A1.
academic Industry 4.0 practices Experts’ details
BIJ Appendix 2

Dear Respondent,

As part of our research, we would like to assess enablers affecting the adoption of drones in smart warehouse by
requesting your valuable inputs. The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather data from experts who are involved
with warehouse management, inventory management and smart production system design. We will only use the
information you provide for academic purposes.

In your opinion, to which extent do the following enablers of drone adoption in the smart warehouse are
significant.
S. No Enablers of drone adoption in smart Very Low Medium High Very
warehouse Low High
1. Compatibility of drone integration
2. Drone availability
3. Operational effectiveness
4. Quality/value offered
5. Top management knowledge about drones
6. Top management perspectives
7. Employee training and adaptability
8. Cost
9. Changed work environment
10. Customer pressure
11. Regulatory pressure
12. Stakeholders’ readiness
13. Competitive pressure
Respondent Profile

Name (Optional):
Gender:
Age:
Qualification:
Year of experience: Designation: Job
responsibility
Company Name:
Table A2. E-mail:
Questionnaire Address:
Appendix 3 Smart
warehouse
Dear Respondent,
management
As part of our research, we would like to assess enablers affecting the adoption of drone in smart warehouse by
requesting your valuable inputs. The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather data from experts who are involved
with warehouse management, inventory management and smart production system design. We will only use the
information you provide for academic purposes and treat it in the strictest of confidence.
Two sections are included in this questionnaire:

● Section [A] assesses the relative importance of one warehouse application (i) over other applications (j)
through your valuable responses. Further, the drone adoption enablers are assess based on the
warehouse application using your input.
● Section [B] deals with the general information of the respondents and their respective background.

It may take 10-15 minutes for you to complete this questionnaire. Your time and response are greatly appreciated.
Section [A]
1. In your opinion, what is the relative importance of one warehouse application (i) over other (j) using the
scale (equally important-0.5; slightly important- 0.6, strongly important- 0.7, very strongly important- 0.8;
extremely important-0.9 and exceptionally more important- 1.0).
Inventory Intralogistics (IL) Inspection and
Warehouse Applications Management (IM) Surveillance (IS)

Inventory Management (IM)

Intralogistics (IL)

Inspection and Surveillance (IS)

2. What is the degree of importance of enablers of drone implementation in smart warehouse management
on a ten-point scale (Exceptionally low: 0.0; Extremely low: 0.1; Very Low: 0.2; Low:0.3; Below Average: 0.4;
Average: 0.5; Above Average:0.6; High:0.7; Very high: 0.8; Extremely high: 0.9; Exceptionally high: 1.0).

Inventory Intralogistics (IL) Inspection and

Management (IM) Surveillance
Enablers
(IS)

Compatibility of drone integration

Operational effectiveness

Quality/value offered

Top management perspectives

Employee training and adaptability

Table A3.
(continued ) Questionnaire
BIJ
Cost

Regulatory pressure

Stakeholders’ readiness

Competitive pressure

Section B
Respondent Profile
Name (Optional):
Gender:
Age:
Qualification:
Year of experience: Designation: Job
responsibility
Company Name:
E-mail:
Table A3. Address:
Appendix 4 Smart
warehouse
management
Dear Respondent,
We would like to assess enablers affecting the adoption of drone in smart warehouse by requesting your valuable
inputs. The purpose of this questionnaire is to finalize the enablers and assess their impact on performance, from
the expert’s in the area of warehouse management, inventory management and smart production system design.
The data you provide is used for academic purposes and treat with confidentiality.
It may take 10-15 minutes for you to complete this questionnaire. Your time and response are greatly appreciated.

1. How do you rate the following enablers to assess warehousing performance in the context of drone
adoption using ‘5- very strongly effective’ to ‘1- strongly ineffective’ ?

Category Enablers 5- ‘very 4- ‘strongly 3- ‘neither 2- ‘very 1- ‘strongly

strongly effective’ effective nor strongly ineffective’
effective’ ineffective’ ineffective’
Compatibility of drone
Technological

integration
Operational
effectiveness
Quality/value offered
Top management
Organisational

perspectives
Employee training and
adaptability
Cost
Environmental

Regulatory pressure
Stakeholders’ readiness
Competitive pressure

2. How do you rate the following applications to assess warehousing performance in the context of drone
adoption using ‘5 -very strongly effective’ to ‘1-merely effective’?

Drone application in warehouse 5 4 3 2 1

Inventory Management
Intralogistics
Inspection and Surveillance
Respondent Profile
Name (Optional):
Gender:
Age:
Qualification:
Year of experience: Designation: Job responsibility
Company Name:
E-mail: Table A4.
Address: Questionnaire

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