Scenario analysis of smart, sustainable supply chain on the basis of a fuzzy cognitive map

Industry 4.0-driven operations and supply chains for the circular economy: a bibliometric analysis

The Industry 4.0 (I4.0) concept paves the way for the circular economy (CE) as advanced digital technologies enable sustainability initiatives. Hence, I4.0-driven CE-oriented supply chains (SCs) have improved sustainable performance, flexibility and interoperability. In order to smoothly embrace circular practices in digitally enabled SCs, quantitative techniques have been identified as crucial. Therefore, the intersection of I4.0, CE, supply chain management (SCM) and quantitative techniques is an emerging research arena worthy of investigation. This article presents a bibliometric analysis to identify the established and evolving research clusters in the topological analysis by identifying collaboration patterns, interrelations and the studies that significantly dominate the intersection of the analysed fields. Further, this study investigates the current research trends and presents potential directions for future research. The bibliometric analysis highlights that additive manufacturing (AM), big data analytics (BDA) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the most researched technologies within the intersection of CE and sustainable SCM. Evaluation of intellectual, conceptual and social structures revealed that I4.0-driven sustainable operations and manufacturing are emerging research fields. This study provides research directions to guide scholars in the further investigation of these four identified fields while exploring the potential quantitative methods and techniques that can be applied in I4.0-enabled SCs in the CE context.

A theoretical framework of smart supply chain innovation for going global companies: a multi-case study from China

Purpose

This study explores the influencing factors of smart supply chain innovation (SSCI) for going global companies and designs a theoretical framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a multi-case study that includes a combination of exploratory and explanatory case studies.

Findings

First, the authors find that SSCI is embodied in product development and supply chain empowerment, which represent exploitative innovation and explorative innovation, respectively. Meanwhile, supply chain empowerment has a positive impact on product development. Second, the going global policy affects the transformation of supply chain empowerment to SSCI practices. Third, in terms of exploitative innovation, personalized demand positively affects SSCI through product development. Finally, explorative innovation, including emerging technology application and supply chain ecologicalization, has a positive effect on supply chain empowerment and thereby affects SSCI.

Originality/value

Supply chain innovation in the context of a smart economy has gained great popularity. This study sheds light on the influencing factors and mechanisms of SSCI from the exploitative and explorative aspects of innovations.

The Ideas of Sustainable and Green Marketing Based on the Internet of Everything—The Case of the Dairy Industry

The use of advanced computer technologies has dramatically changed marketing. Concepts such as smart, sustainable, and green marketing have emerged in the last 20 years. One of these new technologies is the Internet of Things (IoT), which has led to the development of the activities and performances of industries in various dimensions. For the various objects, such as people, processes, and data, involved in marketing activities, the Internet of Everything (IoE) as an evolved IoT is a possible future scenario. Some sectors pretend to be the first to implement this, and the more they rely on dynamic, unstable customer needs, the better a solution the IoE is for them. Therefore, this paper presents a clear vision of smart, sustainable marketing based on the IoE in one of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries, the dairy industry. Key factors are identified to help readers understand this concept better. The expert interview makes it possible to draw a picture of the factors that have helped successfully implement the IoE in the dairy sector.

The internet of things in the food supply chain: adoption challenges

Purpose

The food supply chain (FSC) challenges coupled with global disruptions, such as the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, exacerbate its vulnerability. The Internet of things (IoT) is one of the disruptive technologies being adopted in food supply chain management (FSCM). This study aims to address the challenges of IoT adoption in the FSC by systematically analyzing the prior pertinent literature.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured literature review was used to collate a list of peer-reviewed and relevant publications. A total of 72 out of 210 articles were selected for the final evaluation.

Findings

The literature review findings suggest five themes: technical, financial, social, operational, educational and governmental related challenges. A total of 15 challenges were devised from the review related literature of IoT adoption. The study concludes with future research recommendations for scholars and practical implications for practitioners.

Research limitations/implications

While this study focuses on the overall FSC, further research should address other domains in the FSC such as cold supply chain, agriculture and perishable food to gain a better contextual understanding of the specific case.

Originality/value

The topic of IoT adoption in the FSCM is still considered emerging. Therefore, the present work contributes to the limited studies and documentation on the level of IoT implementation in the FSCM. This study should help organizations to assimilate how to adopt and manage the IoT application by addressing the factors and challenges presented in this research.

Supply chain efficiency framework to improve business performance in a competitive era

Purpose

The main aim of this paper is to develop a supply chain efficiency framework to improve overall business performance in the competitive era. This paper offers a critical literature review on supply chain efficiency that aims to reveal the basic research that has been carried out, the problem areas and requirements for the efficiency in the new era of the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology followed during this research involves beginning with a wide base of articles lying at the supply chain intersection, performance measurement topics, and then screening the list to concentrate on supply chain efficiency.

Findings

Findings show that supply chain efficiency in the modern era remains an open research field. This research contributes to the supply chain literature by clarifying the supply chain efficiency definition, defining key measurements and variables for supply chain efficiency and developing a supply chain efficiency framework to improve overall performance.

Practical implications

This study will be very useful to the scholars working in this field. The proposed framework would help researchers and academicians to understand every dimension and variable of supply chain efficiency, allowing practitioners to measure efficiency levels and identify improvement measures. This framework would also act as a comprehensive guide for future studies and business practices.

Originality/value

As there are several state-of-the-art review papers on various supply chain areas, there is a lack of literature available on supply chain efficiency studies that can provide a comprehensive framework for researchers on related literature. Thus, the present study seeks to bridge this gap in the supply chain literature. Also, this study will provide a strong basis for researchers and academicians to apply the supply chain efficiency measurement system to the dynamic supply chain.

A six-dimensional model for supply chain sustainability risk analysis in telecommunication networks: a case study

Purpose

The main purpose of the present study was to improve and develop previously proposed models for Iran telecommunication networks. It should be noted that the six-dimensional (6D) sustainability model used in this study will be a useful and comprehensive model for industries. Since, the new dimension of IT along with the five well-known economic, social, environmental, technical and institutional aspects of organizations is considered to have great impacts on supply chain sustainability; the proposed framework can be practical.

Design/methodology/approach

According to the related literature review, there are two research streams in supply chain management. The first stream is exploratory research, seeking out conceptual discussions in this area. The second one is associated with mathematical models and techniques, aiming to set decision-making rules in this regard (Agrell et al., 2004). In this study, evaluation was performed using the FMEA method as an analytical technique based on the principle of pre-occurrence prevention to identify potential failure factors in sensitive systems (Mohammadfam and Kianfari, 2008).

Findings

After identifying the risks and causes of the incidence and effects and consequences of risks, preventive and risk control measures and advisory strategies were presented. Customers with 45.76% share in critical risks are threatening to maintain supply chain in these companies. During this study, it was found that 33.9% of the main source of supply chain critical risks was customers, constituting 45.76% of such risks, accompanied by organization, having a 38.88% share of critical risk generation. The study findings also revealed that 33.9% of critical risks were mainly (equally) related to economic and technical aspects of supply chain sustainability in telecommunication networks. Moreover, as a newly-introduced sixth dimension, IT represented 10.17% of critical risks threatening supply chain sustainability in such networks. Critical risks are mainly related to the economic and technical aspects (equally) with the sustainability of the telecommunication networks supply chain. Also, as a new finding and the sixth dimension, 10.17% of the critical risks that threaten the sustainability of the telecommunication networks supply chain have the information technology dimension.

Originality/value

The internet and fixed and mobile data services are provided by several private companies in Iran, which are relatively similar in terms of their supply chains. In order to manage the sustainability of Iran's telecommunication supply chain, telecommunication networks affiliated to Iran Telecommunication Company (ITC), operating in the field of data and internet services and fixed telephone were selected in 31 provinces. The intended networks were also providing an important part of the country's needs including Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran, a subsidiary of Iran's telecommunication networks, as one of the top companies in this industry. Accordingly, all the networks studied in this study needed to be identified with regard to communication sustainability risks, since they provide management solutions to each other by segregating risks. In this study, 68 managers and 72 experts participated in different work teams of telecommunication networks.