Development of a Strategic Accounting and Control System for Freight Forwarding Services in the Industry 4.0 Environment: Opportunities and Challenges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26642/ppa-2025-2(12)-25-32Keywords:
sustainable development, global supply chains, freight forwarding services, Industry 4.0, strategic accounting and control system, customs control, costing, depreciation of digital assets, non-financial reporting, environmental indicators, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, blockchain, digital transformationAbstract
The article investigates the development of accounting and control systems for freight forwarding enterprises amidst the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies. The study analyzes the fragmentation of scientific research regarding the impact of digitalization on forwarding activities and identifies a lack of systematic approaches to assessing implementation risks. Three key benefits of utilizing Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data are revealed: 1) Visibility (ensuring real-time supply chain transparency); 2) Optimization (increasing resource efficiency); 3) Analytics (strategic data-driven planning). The directions for transforming the accounting and control system are defined by transitioning from periodic documentation to continuous monitoring, replacing simplified cost allocation methods with precise costing based on sensor data, and evolving from retrospective reporting to predictive analytics. The main challenges of digitalization are systematized into: 1) Technological (scalability, device incompatibility, data security); 2) Organizational (staff resistance, competency deficits, low implementation success rates); 3) Regulatory (absence of accounting standards for new business models). Strategies to overcome these barriers include investing in training, engaging consultants, implementing iteratively, and developing an organizational culture. Perspectives for further research include unifying digital asset accounting methods and transforming professional competencies for accounting personnel.
References
Ben-Daya, M., Hassini, E. and Bahroun, Z. (2019), «Internet of things and supply chain management: a literature review», International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 57 (15–16), pp. 4719–4742.
Cooper, M. (2025), «Barriers to AI Adoption in Supply Chain Management: Perspectives from Industry Leaders», Preprints.org, doi: 10.20944/preprints202504.0581.v1.
Dong, C., Akram, A., Andersson, D., Arnäs, P. and Stefansson, G. (2021), «The impact of emerging and disruptive technologies on freight transportation in the digital era: current state and future trends», The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 32 (2), pp. 386–412.
Dowling, L. and Haddud, A. (2025), «The Impacts of Digitisation on Freight Forwarders within the Shipping Industry», Operations and Supply Chain Management an International Journal, Vol. 18 (2), pp. 240–255.
«Danone - Everstream Analytics», Everstream Analytics, [Online], available at: https://www.everstream.ai/case-study/danone-real-time-risk-visibility/
«Project44’s Movement and Disruption Navigator are transforming visibility», FreightWaves, [Online], available at: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/project44s-movement-and-disruption-navigator-are-transform
Garg, A. and Vemaraju, S. (2025), «Integrating IoT and smart AI for Enhanced Sustainability in freight forwarding companies Performance», Journal of Intelligent Systems and Internet of Things, Vol. 16 (1), pp. 49–60.
Heinbach, C., Beinke, J., Kammler, F. and Thomas, O. (2022), «Data-driven forwarding: a typology of digital platforms for road freight transport management», Electronic Markets, Vol. 32 (2), pp. 807–828.
Hofmann, E. and Rüsch, M. (2017), «Industry 4.0 and the current status as well as future prospects on logistics», Computers in Industry, Vol. 89, pp. 23–34.
Islam, M.A., Hasan, M.A.R., Zaman, S. and Haque, S. (2023), «Revolutionizing supply chain, logistics, shipping, and freight forwarding operations with machine learning and blockchain», American Journal of Scholarly Research and Innovation, Vol. 2 (1), pp. 79–103.
«How AWS & Cargill unlock sustainability data for shipping», Sustainability Magazine, [Online], available at: https://sustainabilitymag.com/news/cargill-aws-carbon-neutral-shipping
Lapinskaitė, I., Ingaunytė, N., Zemlickienė, V. and Martinkutė-Kaulienė, R. (2024), «Navigating the digital landscape: situation and risk assessment of digital solutions in forwarding companies», Technological and Economic Development of Economy, Vol. 30 (4), pp. 976–1008.
Liu, Y., Pan, S. and Ballot, E. (2025), «Federated digital twins platform for smart city logistics: A knowledge-driven approach», International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 290, 109772.
Maiboroda, O., Bezuhla, L., Gukaliuk, A., Shymanska, V., Momont, T. and Ilchenko, T. (2021), «Assessment of Perspective Development of Transport and Logistics Systems at Macro and Micro Level under the Conditions of Industry 4.0 Integration», International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, Vol. 21 (3), pp. 235–244.
Nozari, H., Szmelter-Jarosz, A. and Weiland, D. (2025), «A Fuzzy Multi-Objective Sustainable and Agile Supply Chain Model Based on Digital Twin and Internet of Things with Adaptive Learning Under Environmental Uncertainty», Applied Sciences, Vol. 15 (19), 10399.
Ooi, T.K., Hsieh, C., Wang, S. and Huang, Y. (2025), «Orchestrating agile omnichannel supply chain planning through big data analytics and end-to-end visibility», The Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics, Vol. 41 (2), pp. 110–117.
«Data-Driven freight management strategies that work», Transportation Insight, [Online], available at: https://transportationinsight.com/resources/data-driven-freight-management-strategies-that-work/
Rajesh, D., Gupta, S.K., Ilinich, S. and Singh, N. (2023), «An assessment of challenges and factor influencing the freight forwarding business in the logistics industry», Economics Finance And Management Review, Vol. 2, pp. 4–23.
«Advanced Freight Data & Analytics», Transfix, [Online], available at: https://transfix.io/insights/advanced-freight-data-amp-analytics
Wang, Y. and Sarkis, J. (2021), «Emerging digitalisation technologies in freight transport and logistics: Current trends and future directions», Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Vol. 148, 102291.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Serhii Lehenchuk, Iryna Zhyhlei, Dmytro Zakharov
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
