Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-018-0983-0

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

E-commerce decision support system based on internet of things

Shaofei Wu1,2 

Received: 23 June 2018 / Accepted: 11 August 2018

© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018

Abstract
To explore the decision support system of electronic commerce (e-commerce), based on the Internet of things, the business
process and system architecture of the electronic commerce intelligent logistics system are studied. Then, the logistics intel-
ligent mechanism based on Agent is introduced. Combined with the working principle of the expert system and the intelligent
decision support system, the basis for the realization of the ideal Agent logistics intelligent mechanism is put forward, and
the basic framework of intelligent logistics system is designed. To sum up, this research will help speed up the transforma-
tion trend of domestic logistics industry to modern logistics.

Keywords  Internet of things · E-commerce · Decision support system · Intelligent logistics

1 Introduction for logistics specialization and so on are emphasized on. At

With the development of China’s market economy, the eco-
nomic significance of logistics is also being recognized by
the government and the community, and the logistics indus-
try is becoming an important industry in the development of
China’s economy. In fact, the government departments attach
importance to the development of the logistics industry, and
the business departments also attach great importance to it.
With the development of global economic integration, the
global economic industry has undergone major adjustments
and changes. It more emphasizes on strengthening trade
exchanges and the division of labor and cooperation in the
industrial chain, and pays more attention to the mining of
the value of the industrial chain. In addition, the professional
demand for logistics services is more obvious.
Due to the increasing prosperity of electronic commerce
(e-commerce) activities, the global industrial chain division
is refined and the deep mining of the industrial chain value,
the continuous growth of trade, the strong growth of the third
party logistics demand, the improvement of the requirements
* Shaofei Wu
wasbfc@yeah.net
1
Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Intelligent
Robots, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan,
People’s Republic of China
2
School of Computer Science and Engineering, Wuhan
Institute of Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
the same time, the development of the technical conditions
is gradually mature and the policy environment is also very
favorable. The research on e-commerce intelligent logistics
is still in a relatively shallow understanding. Therefore,
under these background factors, the e-commerce intelligent
logistics system in the environment of the Internet of things
will be taken as the research topic which is both forward-
looking and with very strong practical significance.
2 State of the art
Hong and so on proposed a design scheme of logistics
management system based on RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) (Hong and Shi 2018; Huang et al. 2018;
He et al. 2018; Yan et al. 2017a, b, c, 2018). The opera-
tion of the scheme in an express company shows that the
system improved the quality of logistics distribution and
saved the cost of transportation, but mainly focused on the
application of logistics distribution. Wu and so on ana-
lyzed the application of wireless communication ZigBee
technology in storage management, and designed an appli-
cation scheme combined with sensor technology, which
could improve the security of the large warehouse and
reduce the difficulty of management (Wu et al. 2017a, b).
Yu studied and analyzed the Internet of things (IOT) based
on the EPC Global architecture and its application in the
intelligent logistics storage management system, and put

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 S. Wu
forward the view that combining the Internet of things
with EPC and wireless sensor network WSN (Yu et al.
2017a, b; Yang and Wang 2017). Shi et al. on introduced
automatic control technology, intelligent robot stacking
technology, mobile computing technology, intelligent
information management technology, data mining tech-
nology and other Internet of things technology applied in
warehousing industry (Shi et al. 2017; Yan et al. 2017a,
b, c; Wang and Zhang 2017; Yu et al. 2017a). Wang and
Yan analysed the advantages of RFID electronic label and
proposed to establish a network of electronic tags based
on RFID (Wang et al. 2017; Yan et al. 2017a, b, c; Chen
et al. 2017). Ma and Lu described the influence of Inter-
net of things technology on the intelligent logistics supply
chain, and put forward a new model of IOT-based intel-
ligent logistics supply chain management (Ma et al. 2017;
Lu et al. 2017; Zhang et al. 2017; Wu et al. 2016).
3 Methodology
The concept of the IOT was first proposed by Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology in 1999. With the develop-
ment of technology and application, the connotation of the
IOT is expanding. The IOT in modern sense can realize
the organic unification of perception, identification, con-
trol, network interconnection and intelligent processing
of objects, so as to form high intelligent decision making
(Wang et al. 2016; Hong et al. 2016; Xia 2016; Yan et al.
2016; Liao et al. 2016).
The e-commerce intelligent logistics system is first a
kind of logistics system, but in this logistics system, a
lot of artificial intelligence technologies, automation tech-
nology, information technology, and so on, are used to
optimize the logistics link. As a result, the whole logistics
system has the intelligent function. It can automatically
achieve a specific goal of a system to a certain degree
without manual intervention. Logistics intelligent system
is not only a logistics transaction processing system, but
also a business activity system. Therefore, for the center
of the logistics park, the intelligent logistics system is a
comprehensive information service platform of logistics
area. It integrates information display, electronic com-
merce, logistics distribution, storage management, finan-
cial pledge, park security, customs bond, and so on. Intel-
ligent logistics system is the business system set, in which
intelligent enterprise itself and its own business and logis-
tics activities related parties have relations in the industrial
chain. It can be seen that the intelligent logistics system
has great differences for different objects because of their
different business nature (Hua and Liu 2016; Zheng et al.
2015; Wu et al. 2015a, b; Qin et al. 2015).
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4 Results and discussion
4.1 Analysis of the intelligent system
of e‑commerce logistics system
The business and affairs of the electronic commerce intel-
ligent logistics system in the logistics system are basically
the same as those of the traditional e-commerce logistics
system. The difference lies in the ways and mechanisms to
deal with business and affair.
The logistics system can be composed of a few func-
tional structural elements, and one element has the ability
to think independently and take action. This element can
usually be regarded as an “Agent”. Intelligent logistics can
be completed by different “Agents” in different links, or
between different “Agents” in different parts. Intelligent
logistics system is usually described by Agent in distrib-
uted artificial intelligence technology. Agent is usually
considered as an internal coupling, integrated a number of
intelligent technologies, and a small system with a specific
function that can automate the exchange of information
externally. For instance, an automatic sorting system in
the logistics system is a level of Agent.
Generally speaking, transportation, warehousing, and
upstream and downstream business negotiation (order
management, handover mode, return process, and finan-
cial settlement) constitute the main part of the e-commerce
logistics system. In the intelligent logistics system, the
Agent can also be decomposed to find the next level of
the Agent relationship according to the specific business
process link. Through the hierarchical decomposition of
Agent, the intelligent logistics system of e-commerce can
be specific. As long as the technological conditions are
acquired, the design of the whole intelligent system can be
completed in theory. Therefore, it is important to solve the
communication technology between Agent and multiple
Agents. The emergence of Internet of things can solve this
problem theoretically.
A highly intelligent information command center is set
up to explain the intelligent mechanism. This intelligent
information center can help people know when to supply,
and how to reasonably carry out warehousing, process-
ing, packaging, transportation and distribution, and scien-
tifically and rationally allocate the resources of logistics
enterprises. Obviously, it is necessary to provide correct
information to the intelligent information center in the
operation links, and the intelligent center can send the
correct instructions to the operation process.
Therefore, the e-commerce intelligent logistics system
only needs to establish the mechanism that can timely and
accurately provide information and quickly transfer infor-
mation, and also use intelligent information to process
E-commerce decision support system based on internet of things

Decision analysis system
On-line Intelligent decision support
analysis
technology
Data base
knowledge
base
Ddata mining
Data warehouse
Model base
Fig. 1  The composition diagram of the decision analysis system
the information automatically. In this way, intelligent
functions of intelligent logistics system can be accom-
plished. Therefore, the intelligent logistics system can
be constructed through four stages, such as information
acquisition, transmission, processing and utilization. The
intelligent processing of information is the most difficult
part. In general, a computer system will be used to build
an intelligent decision analysis system to achieve this func-
tion. For example, the expert system, intelligent decision
support system, data warehouse and so on are established,
as shown in Fig. 1.
The basic construction of an expert system is made up
of a knowledge base and a reasoning machine. For the
general problem, the inference engine can find the cor-
responding answer in the knowledge reservoir, so it can
be solved intelligently as long as the reasoning program
has no problem and the problem is structured. The modern
Expert system intelligent decision support system usually combines the
function of the expert system, but its structure is a little
complex, and it will also include modules such as database
Inference and model base. Obviously, the models and algorithms of
engine
several important problems in the intelligent logistics sys-
tem can be put into the model base in the decision support
system. In the future, it is necessary to call these models
and functions to analyze the specific problems, so as to
play the role of intelligent decision making. For the prob-
lems when the expert system is used and when intelligent
decision support system is suitable to be applied, the type
of problem should be firstly understood.
For the decision analysis problems, the general logic
structure is shown below in Fig. 2.
In the application of intelligent decision analysis sys-
tem, the model exists firstly, and the scheme is not required
to be put forward manually. The proposal of scheme, the
establishment of model, the system optimization, and so
on can be completed by the intelligent information pro-
cessing technology, while the definition and target deter-
mination are often completed by the input of the problem
parameters in the human–machine interaction link. There-
fore, the logic diagram of intelligent decision analysis can
refer to Fig. 3.

Fig. 2  Logic diagram of deci-

sion analysis
Comprehensive evaluation

Optimal scheme of system

Definition of the problem

System optimization
Determine the goal

Propose a scheme

Build a model

calculation

judge

Return to the definition of non satisfaction

Fig. 3  Logic diagram of intel- YES

ligent decision analysis

Search for matching problem model
Whether to find a Amway match

Model comparison screening

Input data and parameters of
human-computer interaction
Selection of problem types

Case preservation

Output results
Case search
interface

NO

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 S. Wu
In the process of intelligent decision analysis, such as the
minimum cost accounting of a time limited logistics activ-
ity, the intelligent decision support system can be used to
help the intelligent decision analysis. Decision makers only
need to select data such as question type, input condition and
parameters, and they can use intelligent decision analysis
system to help solving them. The decision analysis system
which is highly intelligent should also have the function of
intelligent self-growth for the decision analysis system, that
is, to allow the system to evolve self, without the need to
update the system model and structure manually. At present,
the intelligence technology cannot reach this level.
4.2 Modeling of multi Agent logistics scheduling
system
In e-commerce logistics, logistics scheduling and ware-
housing is a very important link. In order to illustrate the
construction of Agent system, the Agent logistics dispatch-
ing system of a city chain fruit supermarket is taken as an
example to expound the application of this method. There
are many community supermarket stores in the city of the
case to protect the goods and materials in a particular com-
munity. At the same time, in a certain area, for example,
the area of the city is taken as a unit to set up a regional
material warehouse transfer station. In the suburb of a city,
a large material warehouse is set up, which is responsible
for the material guarantee of the whole city. This is a three-
level material security network. At present, there are several
kinds of logistics guarantee methods: the active distribution
type accurate guarantee, the forward mobile adjoint guar-
antee, the three-dimensional direct guarantee, and so on.
The active distribution type accurate guarantee refers to the
real-time tracking and monitoring of the supermarket mate-
rial demand, collection of real-time information, and transfer
of the required materials to the supermarket according to
the needs. The warehouse completes active supply, which
no longer needs the supermarket application. This kind of
guarantee is more rapid and accurate, and the front mobile
adjoint guarantee is the special guarantee department set up
in the supermarket. As a result, the supermarket has its own
guarantee ability, and the three-dimensional direct guarantee
is the direct guarantee for the supermarket in some cases.
For example, if the regional material warehouse fails, the
adjacent regional material warehouse will be temporary to
ensure a three-dimensional direct guarantee of supermarket
that the area guaranteed, so as to ensure the needs of the
supermarket.
Multi Agent is used to abstract the individual in the
logistics scheduling network. There are five types of Agent
in the system: supermarket Agent (Mall), regional material
warehouse Agent (Storehouse), large material warehouse
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Agent (Superior), material delivery Agent (Transporter),
and cooperative process management Agent (CPMA).
Supermarket Agent Material guarantee object. It is
responsible for the supermarket material management
business, including registration, cancellation, material Et
consumption report, material application, receiving mate-
rials and other business activities.
Regional material warehouse Agent Material guaran-
tee unit for supermarket, which is at the lowest level of
logistics scheduling security network. It is responsible for
the supermarket material security service in one area. The
main business activities include monitoring the consump-
tion of goods and materials in supermarkets, supplying
materials to supermarket, monitoring their own inven-
tory, applying for materials to large material warehouses,
and being responsible for emergency security tasks in the
logistics support network.
Large material warehouse Agent Material support at the
city level. It is responsible for material guarantee tasks in
various areas of the city. Its business is relatively simple
and it is responsible for monitoring the material applica-
tion of Agent in the regional warehouse and supplying
materials to the regional material warehouse.
Material transportation Agent it is responsible for the
business of material transportation department. Its main
business includes real-time perception of environmental
information, especially road, weather and other informa-
tion. It makes adjustment plan of transmission line and it
is responsible for material transportation between Agents.
Collaborative process management Agent the global
collaborative process management Agent in material
scheduling system ensures that the collaboration process
can happen and the process of collaboration can be com-
pleted. CPMA is responsible for the management of Agent
collaboration process. The collaboration process repre-
sented by the collaboration model has uniform specifica-
tions. CPMA can monitor data and control of collaborative
process. CPMA can also improve the reliability of mate-
rial dispatching network. System developers, testers and
administrators can dynamically understand and evaluate
the status of material support.
The material scheduling multi Agent system is facing
the open and dynamic environment. In addition to the
four types of Agents, there must be public facilities. The
facilities mainly include cooperation service (CS); mes-
sage transport service (MTS), definition of Agent message
transmission standard open multimode; agent message
(AMS); a list of Agent in the system is a table of Agent
logical names and physical addresses; directory service
(DS), Agent capability tables, and Agent capabilities to
be published to DS in the role of participating in the col-
laboration process.
E-commerce decision support system based on internet of things
4.3 Integration of internet of things and intelligent
technology in e‑commerce logistics system
Storage management or inventory management has always
been an important part of the e-commerce logistics system.
At present, many advanced storage management systems
have realized certain information and automation. In the
process of entry and exit as well as storage, a large amount
of automatic devices, robots, computers, wireless commu-
nication and so on technologies are used. It has basically
achieved initial intelligence, and in fact has formed a simple
Internet of things.
The logistics and transportation links need to consider
various factors such as cost, time, emergency, and so on. The
e-commerce logistics system should be combined with intel-
ligent transportation system, vehicle intelligent dispatching
system of logistics enterprises, vehicle distribution path opti-
mization system and network distribution structure, so as to
achieve intelligent transportation. The vehicle distribution
path optimization system and intelligent scheduling system
can dynamically screen the real-time information provided
by the Internet of things, which can effectively shorten the
logistics time, reduce the vehicle no-load rate, and control
the logistics cost better.
In the era of Internet of things, logistics information will
be huger. The existing information management system
needs upgrading to transform into a super information man-
agement system. In this super information management sys-
tem, it will contain a powerful function of intelligent deci-
sion analysis. In the specific operation, most common and
simple problems can be stored in the way of expert system
to the information management center and the information
Fig. 4  Data center + intel-
ligent decision support system
diagram
Internet of things
processing module of each local area network. The problem
of vehicle allocation, line optimization, inventory analy-
sis, distribution of logistics and so on, which involve the
overall work of the system, are put in a model way in the
intelligent decision system of information management
center. The intelligent decision support system is used to
get a series of solutions, thus assisting managers to make
decisions. In addition, the data warehouse, data mining and
online analysis technology can be used to explore and solve
these new problems. In a simple way, it is, in the terminal
of intelligent logistics, to take the mode of “local Internet
of things + expert system” to deal with most of the informa-
tion of goods. In the intelligent logistics center, the “data
center + intelligent decision support system” is adopted, and
the information that the local Internet of things cannot be
solved is sent to the logistics information center to solve.
The whole system constitutes a powerful intelligent decision
analysis system.
In Fig. 4, the logistics system is divided into four layers
according to the different levels of information collection,
transmission, processing and application.
For general users, they only need to pay attention to the
platform level. For logistics enterprises, logistics activities
such as transportation scheduling are carried out through
the logistics system management platform. The general cus-
tomer is connected with the logistics enterprise through the
e-commerce platform interface. This e-commerce platform
provides ordering, financial settlement, tax declaration, cus-
tomer inquiry and tracking of the goods. The data center is
the location of the logistics enterprise’s intelligent decision
analysis. It can also be regarded as a huge data processing
center of the Internet of things, in which part of the function
IOT of auxiliary
equipment
Dispatch center
Transport tools of the
Freight transport
Internet of things
Transit of goods on the
Internet
13
 S. Wu
Intelligent logistics
User platform system management
platform
Decision analysis
system
Business system
Transportation
scheduling system
Wireless
communication
Network transmission network
Switches and routers
RFID reader
Front end acquisition
RFID electronic label
Fig. 5  Hierarchy diagram of logistics system architecture
is only open to the enterprise, and part of it can be shared
with the outside world. This is the decision-making center
of the intelligent logistics system. Usually, the general staffs
only need to understand the connection between the platform
and the business system layer, but do not need to pay atten-
tion to the M structure below the platform.
The second layer is the business system layer. For logis-
tics enterprises, the functions of the system are embodied in
several major business systems, which is also a centralized
description of the functions of the system. The implementa-
tion of each business system function needs the support of
the lower structure and the coordination of the horizontal
system. This layer is in fact a detailed description of the
functions of the logistics system, which actually needs to
be supported by the two layers of the underlying function.
For example, through a signal controller and a vehicle num-
ber identification device in a freight car, the vehicle can be
incorporated into IOT through the network equipment. The
position of the vehicle can be determined according to the
GPS and sensor devices, the camera and image acquisition
system can be used in the vehicle equipment, and the situ-
ation in the car can be returned to the vehicle information
center. At the same time, it can also take RFID equipment to
monitor whether its performance changes. Of course, in the
use of specific technology, it is not necessary to use all of
the technologies. What kind of plan should be taken needs to
cinsider both the technical factors and the economic factors.
The overall architecture of the e-commerce intelligent
logistics system is to point out the system hierarchy of
13
E - commerce platform
Data center
interface
Storage monitoring
system
Logistics real time
tracking system
INTERNET
Network security and
authorization
Car number recognition
GPS Icon recognition
device
Sensor Image acquisition
Model controller
the e-commerce intelligent logistics system based on the
Internet of things. It is mainly constructed from the point
of view of the technology of IOT. The hierarchy diagram
of the logistics system architecture is shown in Fig. 5.
5 Conclusion
The intelligent mechanism of intelligent logistics is stud-
ied in detail, and the intelligent mechanism of logistics
based on Agent is introduced. In addition, the working
principle of expert system and intelligent decision support
system is introduced in detail, and the real ideal Agent
logistics intelligent mechanism is put forward. The inter-
nal information communication and exterior information
exchange must be realized with the aid of the network
technology. On this basis, according to the application of
the Internet of things technology in the logistics system,
including three important aspects, such as warehousing,
transportation, and logistics information center manage-
ment, a multi-level pattern diagram of the electronic com-
merce intelligent logistics system based on the Internet of
things is put forward, which provides the direction for the
follow-up research.
Acknowledgements  This work was supported by Natural Science
Foundation of Hubei Province of China (Grant no. 2018CFB681).
E-commerce decision support system based on internet of things

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