Applying Industry 4.0 technologies in the COVID–19 sustainable chains

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Acioli ◽  
Annibal Scavarda ◽  
Augusto Reis
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Chain Process ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Research

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is 1) to investigate the effects on the crucial Industry 4.0 technological innovations that interact between the real and virtual worlds and that are applied in the sustainable supply chain process; 2) to contribute to the identification of the opportunities, the challenges and the gaps that will support the new research study developments and 3) to analyze the impact of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators of the sustainable supply chain performance in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).Design/methodology/approachThis research is performed through a bibliographic review in the electronic databases of the Emerald Insight, the Scopus and the Web of Science, considering the main scientific publications on the subject.FindingsThe bibliographic search results in 526 articles, followed by two sequential filters for deleting the duplicate articles (resulting in 487 articles) and for selecting the most relevant articles (resulting in 150 articles).Practical implicationsThis article identifies the opportunities and the challenges focused on the emerging Industry 4.0 theme. The opportunities can contribute to the sustainable performance of the supply chains and their territories. The Industry 4.0 can also generate challenges like the social inequalities related to the position of the man in the labor market by replacing the human workforce with the machines. Therefore, the man-machine relationship in the Industry 4.0 era is analyzed as a gap in the literature. Therefore, as a way to fill this gap, the authors of this article suggest the exploration of the research focused on the Society 5.0. Also known as “super-smart society,” this recent theme appeared in Japan in April 2016. According to Fukuda (2020), in addition to the focus on the technological development, the Society 5.0 also aims at the quality of life and the social challenge resolutions.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the analysis of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators in the sustainable supply chain performance. It addresses the impacts of the Industry 4.0 technologies applied to the supply chains in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it analyzes the research gaps and limitations found in the literature. The result of this study can add value and stimulate new research studies related to the application of the Industry 4.0 technologies as facilitators in the supply chain sustainable performance. It can encourage the studies related to the COVID-19 impacts on the sustainable supply chains, and it can promote the research development on the relationship among the man, the machine and the labor in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Social sustainability in supply chains: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1125-1148
Author(s):  
Patricio Javier Chiesa ◽  
Wojciech Przychodzen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽  
New Research

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review the development of the socially sustainable supply chain management field. Design/methodology/approach The 112 most cited papers in the field until 2017 are analysed using a state-of-the-art structured literature review model borrowed from the accounting field. Findings This study highlights the increasing number of publications across the years, the diversity of journals and the type of authors addressing the topic. It reveals that qualitative studies focused on large companies in the garment, food and electronics sectors and on private regulations capture most of the attention, with Asia, Europe and North America being the most scrutinised locations. Drivers and barriers for socially sustainable supply chain management are summarised, clustered and confronted. This study also evaluates how the sustainability and corporate social responsibility concepts are used in the above field and analyses the existing definitions of social sustainability. Research limitations/implications This study incites researchers to broaden their studies to diverse sectors and locations, addressing different levels of supply chains with quantitative techniques and clearer conceptual foundations. Practical implications This study incites practitioners to further contribute to this scholars-dominated research field, offering their practical insights and perspectives. Originality/value This study offers original insights and critiques of the literature, highlighting its gaps and proposing new research avenues for the future.

Supply chain collaboration for sustainability: a qualitative investigation of food supply chains in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natália Rohenkohl do Canto ◽  
Marilia Bonzanini Bossle ◽  
Luciana Marques Vieira ◽  
Marcia Dutra De Barcellos
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Supply Chain Collaboration ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Capital Perspective

PurposeThis paper investigates how chain members collaborate to ensure the sustainability of supply chains through the social capital perspective.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a case study design, three social capital mechanisms – reach, richness and receptivity – were used as a lens with two eco-innovative food companies and their respective supply chains in Southern Brazil. Data consisted of interviews and other sources of evidence obtained from multiple stakeholders.FindingsResults highlight the importance of a managerial orientation for sustainability and that sustainable chains presuppose a network that is closely linked and with great affinity. Not only does the management of operations improve the green performance of companies for environmental benchmarking but it also expands to include the supply chain. Social capital mechanisms can encourage partners to develop strategic initiatives for sustainability, especially if managers share key drivers for adopting eco-innovations and overall chain sustainability.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to research on collaboration within sustainable supply chain management. Empirical data were gathered from different stakeholders in two food chains in a developing country. Through the lens of social capital mechanisms, the paper shows how different types of companies collaborate in their supply chain for sustainability.

scholarly journals Blockchain technology: implications for operations and supply chain management

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosanna Cole ◽  
Mark Stevenson ◽  
James Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
New Research

PurposeThis paper aims to encourage the study of blockchain technology from an operations and supply chain management (OSCM) perspective, identifying potential areas of application, and to provide an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachAn explanation and analysis of blockchain technology is provided to identify implications for the field of OSCM.FindingsThe hype around the opportunities that digital ledger technologies offer is high. For OSCM, a myriad of ways in which blockchain could transform practice are identified, including enhancing product safety and security; improving quality management; reducing illegal counterfeiting; improving sustainable supply chain management; advancing inventory management and replenishment; reducing the need for intermediaries; impacting new product design and development; and reducing the cost of supply chain transactions. The immature state of practice and research surrounding blockchain means there is an opportunity for OSCM researchers to study the technology in its early stages and shape its adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides a platform for new research that addresses gaps in knowledge and advances the field of OSCM. A research agenda is developed around six key themes.Practical implicationsThere are many opportunities for organisations to obtain an advantage by making use of blockchain technology ahead of the competition, enabling them to enhance their market position. But it is important that managers examine the characteristics of their products, services and supply chains to determine whether they need or would benefit sufficiently from the adoption of blockchain. Moreover, it is important that organisations build human capital expertise that allows them to develop, implement and exploit applications of this technology to maximum reward.Originality/valueThis is one of the first papers in a leading international OSCM journal to analyse blockchain technology, thereby complementing a recent article on digital supply chains that omitted blockchain.

Dynamic capabilities in the “new normal”: a study of organizational flexibility, integration and agility in the Peruvian coffee supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Ramos ◽  
Andrea S. Patrucco ◽  
Melissa Chavez
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Organizational Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains

Purpose Considering the unprecedented supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the agri-food sector, the possession of dynamic capabilities (DCs) – particularly, the need for higher agility – seems to be the key to survival in highly uncertain environments. This study aims to use the dynamic capability view (DCV) theory to analyze how three key supply chain capabilities – organizational flexibility, integration and agility – should be combined to obtain the desired supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors designed a conceptual model in which the relationships between these three key capabilities and supply chain performance were hypothesized. The model was first tested through partial least square regression using survey data collected from 98 members of the Peruvian coffee supply chain. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to uncover how DCs could be combined in successful supply chain configurations. Findings The authors show that organizational flexibility is a driver of higher agility in agri-food supply chains, together with external and internal supply chain integration, that have a direct impact on agility, which positively affects supply chain performance. Higher levels of supply chain agility are necessary but insufficient to guarantee high performance, as sufficiency is reached when both integration (internal and/or external) and agility are present. Originality/value This study represents a pioneering attempt to apply the DCV theory to agri-food supply chains – characterized by many sources of uncertainty. All the DCs are included within the same model and the joint use of PLS regression and fsQCA provides evidence about the relationships between DCs and how they can empower agri-food supply to obtain the desired performance.

Product Deletion and Sustainable Supply Chains

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingyun Zhu ◽  
Joseph Sarkis
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Portfolio Management ◽  
Product Portfolio ◽  
Chain Process ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chains ◽  
Design And Manufacture

Products and their associated material, capital, and information are critical flows within supply chains. Supply chain management needs to facilitate product portfolio management. Some example activities include material sourcing, product design and manufacture, product delivery and transportation, product usage, and service. Closing the supply-chain loop, especially for sustainable supply chains, include end-of-life disposal and repurposing activities. Sustainable supply chain development typically focuses on three major dimensions of organizational competitiveness, economic, social, and environmental. Organizations make product deletion continuously. These decisions can profoundly contribute to sustainability. Alternatively, sustainability performance of various supply chain process and product or material flows may also be strategic product deletion reasons. This chapter will review the integration of product deletion with sustainable supply chain management. It will entail the impact of product deletion on sustainable supply chains.

scholarly journals Performance measurement for supply chains in the Industry 4.0 era: a balanced scorecard approach

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Francisco Frederico ◽  
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes ◽  
Anil Kumar ◽  
Vikas Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Performance Measurement System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical approach based on the balanced scorecard (BSC) with regard to performance measurement – PM in supply chains for the Industry 4.0 era.Design/methodology/approachThis paper combines the literature of PM and specifically the BSC with the literature related to the dimensions of supply chain in the context of Industry 4.0.FindingsDimensions extracted from the literature based on supply chains within the context of Industry 4.0 showed a strong alignment with the four perspectives of the BSC, which make it suitable to be considered as a performance measurement system (PMS) for supply chains in this new context.Research limitations/implicationsFrom theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the limited literature on PM for supply chains in Industry 4.0 era. The study proposes a supply chain 4.0 Scorecard and strongly support researchers to conduct future empirical researches in order to get a deeper understanding about PM in supply chains in the Industry 4.0 era. As limitations, the theoretical framework proposed needs further empirical research in other to validate it and obtain new insights over the investigation conducted and presented into this paper.Practical implicationsPractitioners can use this study as a guide to develop more effective performance measurement systems – PMSs in their organizations.Originality/valueThis research is unique as it addresses a significant knowledge gap related to PM in supply chains in the Industry 4.0 era. It brings a significant contribution in terms of understanding how to measure performance in supply chains in this new era.

Lean supply chain performance measurement

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 588-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazi Arif-Uz-Zaman ◽  
A.M.M. Nazmul Ahsan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Evaluation Method ◽  
Lean Supply Chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present supply chain metrics and to propose a fuzzy-based performance evaluation method for lean supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – To understand the overall performance of cost competitive supply chain the paper investigates the alignment of market strategy and position of the supply chain. Since lean is applicable in many supply chains, the authors propose a set of metrics to evaluate supply chain performance. Moreover, the paper uses a fuzzy model to evaluate the performance of cost competitive supply chains. Fuzzy is an appropriate model method when uncertainty is present. It also allows modelling of a significant number of performance metrics across multiple supply chain elements and processes. Competitive strategy can be achieved by using a different weight calculation for different supply chain situations. Findings – Research provides optimal metrics for lean supply chains. The proposed method can measure the performance of lean supply chains using a fuzzy approach and competitive strategies. Research limitations/implications – The metrics which have been selected to measure the performance of lean supply chains is particularly applicable for high volume, low-price products. Practical implications – By identifying optimal performance metrics and applying performance evaluation methods, managers can predict the overall supply chain performance under lean strategy. By identifying performance for each metric they can also categorize the existing performance and optimise them accordingly. Originality/value – This study provides a performance evaluation method for supply chain managers to assess the effects of lean tools and competitive strategies.

Supply chain corruption practices circumventing sustainability standards: wolves in sheep's clothing

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
pp. 1873-1907
Author(s):  
Bruno S. Silvestre ◽  
Fernando Luiz E. Viana ◽  
Marcelo de Sousa Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Standards ◽  
Business Corruption

PurposeA growing number of private, voluntary and mandatory sustainability standards have recently emerged. However, supply chain corruption practices as mechanisms to circumvent sustainability standards have also grown and occur regularly. This paper strives to elaborate theory on the intersection of institutional theory, business corruption and the sustainability standards literature by investigating factors that influence the emergence of supply chain corruption practices.Design/methodology/approachBased on secondary data, four in-depth case studies of supply chain corruption practices are investigated through the use of adaptive theory and the method of constant comparisons to elaborate theory on this important phenomenon.FindingsThe paper suggests that although sustainability standards can improve supply chain sustainability performance, if they are adopted only symbolically and not substantively, unanticipated outcomes such as supply chain corruption may occur. The study proposes a typology of supply chain corruption practices, further explores the symbolic adoption of sustainability standards in supply chains and proposes the novel construct of “social isomorphism for corruption.” Since focal companies play central roles in leading supply chain corruption practices, we reason that they can also play a pivotal role in preventing supply chain corruption practices by promoting the substantive adoption of sustainability standards across their supply chains.Originality/valueThis paper elaborates theory on the challenging phenomenon of corruption in supply chains by linking the supply chain management literature to the corruption and the sustainability discourses and offers important insights to aid our understanding on the topic. It generates six propositions and four contributions to the sustainable supply chain management theory, practice and policy.

scholarly journals Industry 4.0 and supply chain process re-engineering

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1093-1119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Patrucco ◽  
Federica Ciccullo ◽  
Margherita Pero
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Process Management ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Chain Process ◽  
Materials Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Process ◽  
Supply Chain Process ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper contributes to the literature on supply chain process management by discussing how Industry 4.0 technologies can support process re-engineering in the context of the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies through an exploratory case study focused on the materials management process, using a coproduction of research approach where the main findings are obtained through the involvement of internal and external process actors.FindingsThe results show that the introduction of Industry 4.0 technologies could radically improve process performance, better supporting the execution of activities, increasing the effectiveness of communication between actors and favoring data collection and sharing. These technologies, characterized by the level of risk connected to their implementation, need to be introduced in combination with new organizational mechanisms, which may be beneficial for several supply chain actors.Originality/valueThrough the adoption of a research coproduction methodology, which is not common in the literature, this paper contributes to the ongoing discussion about how Industry 4.0 technologies contribute to process-centric supply chains, by discussing the benefits of these tools from the perspective of process actors.

Exploring the consequences of judgmental and quantitative forecasting on firms' competitive performance in supply chains

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1717-1737
Author(s):  
Reza Salehzadeh ◽  
Reihaneh Alsadat Tabaeeian ◽  
Farahnaz Esteki
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Competitive Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Forecasting Methods

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of different forecasting methods (judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting) on firms' supply chains and competitive performance.Design/methodology/approachWorking with three groups of manufacturing companies, we explore the consequences of judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting methods on firms' competitive performance in supply chains. The validity of constructs and path relationships was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsOur findings indicate that supply chain efficiency influences both cost reduction and customer satisfaction. In addition, the three dimensions of supply chain performance are shown to be direct antecedents of competitive performance. Our empirical results reveal that although all studied forecasting methods meaningfully influence supply chain performance, the mixed method, compared to the other two methods, has greater capabilities to enhance supply chain performance.Originality/valueThis research provides originality and insight into supply chain practices through forecasting methods to improve competitive performance.

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