Identification and Classification of Global Theoretical Trends and Supply Chain Development Directions

Global Changes and Disruptions in Supply Chains—Preliminary Research to Sustainable Resilience of Supply Chains

The contemporary world becomes more and more volatile and unpredictable every year (dynamic development of technology—Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0, dynamic global changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, great changes in consumer behavior, climate crisis, geopolitical disruptions). Individuals, companies, and supply chains face challenges emerging from economic, sociological, and political phenomena. These phenomena disrupt regular performance and limit the efficient functioning of companies and economies. Due to numerous relations and connections in the economy, disruptions in one area affect the others and spread, growing in range and severity. Hence, disruptions should be dealt with to provide continuity of supply chains and to ensure their efficient and effective performance. The study aims to identify crucial characteristics of disruptions to facilitate disruption minimization strategies. The characteristics of disruptions in supply chains are identified based on a literature review, synthesized and validated by the experts. A study is implemented to validate identified characteristics and to confront theoretical findings with the practical experience and observations of the experts. The results of the study are discussed and commented on. The conclusions from the study refer to the nature and characteristics of disruptions in the contemporary economy, equipping managers with useful knowledge when dealing with disruptions, and academics with observations that can stimulate further discussion on stability, flexibility, and resilience of companies and supply chains.

A Novel Fuzzy-Based VIKOR–CRITIC Soft Computing Method for Evaluation of Sustainable Supply Chain Risk Management

This article aims to evaluate sustainable supply chain risks using a novel fuzzy VIKOR–CRITIC technique. The research contributions of this study are twofold. First and foremost, this is the first attempt to integrate the fuzzy VIKOR approach with the CRITIC method in order to eradicate the inadequacies of the VIKOR method. Second, this is the first study to look at the sustainable supply chain risk management in Pakistan’s logistics industry. Four logistics companies were chosen for the study, and thirty criteria were established and divided into four categories using acquired data and literature studies. According to the findings, organizational risks are the most important to consider, whereas environmental hazards have the least influence. Supply delays, freight rate/oil price fluctuations, bankruptcy, and natural catastrophe are the four most important criteria in these categories. Limited suppliers, cargo tracking, IT system failure, and international politics are the four least significant criteria in the four risk categories. The findings are useful for the logistics industry operating in CPEC for risk mitigation and sustainable operation. The research may be used as a guideline for risk identification and management by practitioners and decision-makers in Pakistani logistics organizations.

Digitalization Business Strategies in Energy Sector: Solving Problems with Uncertainty under Industry 4.0 Conditions

Digital transformation is a concept based on the use of digitalization and digitization. Digitalization leads to change of business models and provides a competitive advantage also in the energy sector. The process of change towards a digital business requires a specific strategy type, aimed to solve problems with uncertainty caused by Industry 4.0 implementation. This paper aims to propose a theoretical model combining different digitalization strategies and business models. Their theoretical foundations were discussed in the literature review part and related empirical research questions were attempted to be answered by the reference method analysis. The quantitative method of analysis was based on the secondary data from Eurostat for all EU member states and backed the theoretical part in terms of ICT variables. The novelty of this research is based on Hellwig’s reference method used in management sciences and the presented managerial implications. The discussed challenges of the energy sector are related to the digital strategy implementation, relationships between digital transformation and business models, and solutions for such issues as strategy communication and new roles for managers, who should become digital leaders in the energy sector organizations. The main consequence of the proposed model in this study, for the energy sector companies’ managers, is that uncertainty in modern energy sector organizations is more related to employees and their technical skills than implemented ICT itself.

A Decision Framework for Solar PV Panels Supply Chain in Context of Sustainable Supplier Selection and Order Allocation

Sustainable supplier selection and order allocation (SSSOA) is paramount to sustainable supply chain management. It is a complex multi-dimensional decision-making process augmented with the triple bottom line of sustainability. This research presents a multi-phase decision framework to address a SSSOA problem for the multi-echelon renewable energy equipment (Solar PV Panels) supply chain. The framework comprises of fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making techniques augmented with fuzzy multi-objective mixed-integer non-linear programming mathematical model. The various economic, environmental, and social objectives were optimized for a multi-period, multi-modal transportation network of the supply chain. The results show that among the various sustainable criteria selected in this study, product cost, environmental management system, and health and safety rights of employees are the most important for decision-makers. The results of the mathematical model highlighted the impact of multimodal transportation on overall cost, time, and environmental impact for all periods. An analysis of results revealed that transfer cost and customer clearance cost contribute significantly towards overall cost. Furthermore, defect rate was also observed to play a critical role in supplier selection and order allocation.