Futuristic Technologies for Supply Chain Management: A Survey

The primary objective of this paper is to identify how industrial automation of additive manufacturing technology using Internet of Things (IoT) will leverage the quality of existing supply chain management processes. The importance of the implementation of e-logistics in supply chain operations is also delineated. An intensive desk-based literature survey study identifies potential advantages of incorporating IoT automated additive manufacturing to improve supply chain processes. We also discuss how the automation of logistics operations, also known as e-logistics, will help modernize supply chain management. The research paper comprises theoretical work about the application of automated additive manufacturing and e-logistics in modern supply chains. Detailed analysis on the advantages of implementing automated additive manufacturing technology and e-logistics in the supply chain is performed. Due to the novelty of the area, we have conducted this study based on available research material, and it is pretty limited. Various digital technologies introduced as a part of the fourth industrial revolution, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, digital twins, and robotic process automation are being incorporated by supply chains to reduce the overall cost of production. The top-notch organizations are embracing supply chain automation for cutting down on operational costs and eliminating shortages.KeywordsAdditive manufacturingAutomationGlobal supply chainse-logisticsIndustry 4.0Internet of things

Currently, sustainable development has become one of the most fundamental priorities for decision-makers and policy formulators to build a healthier environment, an advanced social setting, and a more robust economy. As one of the sectors with the most significant and complex production system pressures worldwide to achieve sustainable development goals, the construction industry has an essential contribution in the context of economic growth and improves living conditions without damaging future generations' opportunities or depleting natural resources. Because of the complexity and wide range of activities in the supply chain in this industry, it is necessary to employ proper methods and approaches to optimize performance, decrease costs, and use resources more efficiently. Thus, adopting new technologies and understanding their attributes offer promising solutions. This research proposes a model for incorporating Integrated Project Delivery and Internet of Things technologies in supply chain management for construction projects in Iran, focusing on sustainable development. The study comprises three phases: (I) Criteria Collection and Validation: Identifying effective parameters from integrating IPD and IoT on supply chain performance with a sustainable development approach; (II) Importance Weight Calculation: Using the fuzzy SWARA method to determine the significance of each criterion and sub-criterion; (III) Objective Prioritization and Solution Proposals: Employing the fuzzy ARAS method to prioritize objectives and propose solutions. The findings indicate that project savings (cost and time) and operational efficiency are top priorities from the perspectives of project management, technical factors, economic factors, and industry growth. Operational efficiency and project savings, with desirability scores of 78.77% and 78.36%, rank first and second, respectively. Supply chain visibility, remote operations, and augmented reality, with desirability scores of 70.77%, 70.66%, and 69.71%, follow in priority for integrating Internet of Things and Integrated Project Delivery in supply chain management performance within the construction industry, focusing on sustainable development.

Blockchain technology introduced immutable distributed ledgers to the technology landscape. With the current popularity and success of the blockchain technology, researchers are looking for further implementation opportunities for the tamper-free ledgers. The supply chain industry has been a beneficiary of blockchain technology with its rich set of participants. From financing all the way to tracking containers, there are opportunities in the supply chain industry to utilize distributed ledger technologies. Furthermore, Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless enabled devices add value by providing services based on their sensor capabilities. Our study is on the synergy of blockchain technology and IoT to provide quality data to supply chains. We believe that the next generation of IoT services would only be possible with the democratic autonomy of devices in an environment where privacy, trust, transparency, and security are provided. With blockchain and IoT, there is a potential in rearchitecting supply chain systems. With the addition of IoT capabilities, there are opportunities to create better business models.In this paper, we focus on delivery assurance in the supply chain industry, and we propose a novel blockchain-based transparent delivery framework for creating solutions that record and share data on the interaction of business participants. This framework helps create solutions that include handover and monitoring aspects of the delivery businesses and adds several benefits that come with the blockchain technology.

With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, the supply chain logistics industry has shown new changes. The products of the intelligent era such as smart devices, big data computing, and Internet of Things technology have gradually become the transformation and innovation of logistics and supply chain enterprises. The important driving force of the logistics and supply chain industry will greatly improve the operational efficiency of the logistics and supply chain industry. Methods. This article studies the technical framework of artificial intelligence and explores the upgrading and transformation of supply chain logistics enterprises in logistics infrastructure, production tools, and logistics operation processes under the promotion of artificial intelligence technology, from warehouse location, inventory management, warehousing operations, transportation, and distribution. The data analysis and prediction analyze the impact of artificial intelligence on the supply chain logistics field and finally point out the problems in the intelligent development of the supply chain logistics field and put forward targeted suggestions to promote the modern supply chain logistics to become more intelligent. developThe new development trend of smart logistics is towards sharing economy, automation, service efficiency, and cost reduction. Results. In this context, if logistics companies want to achieve higher-quality development, they cannot do without business model innovation and larger-scale collaboration, transparency of logistics information, and more comprehensive information sharing. The new trend of the development of smart logistics is to develop in the direction of sharing economy, automation, service efficiency, and cost reduction. Conclusion. Intelligence and the Internet of Things are the inevitable trend of the development of smart logistics, which is mainly realized through the Internet of Things path in terms of visual information technology, intelligent robot operation, vehicle scheduling, and cargo traceability.

Purpose: In today’s world, with the presence of huge volumes of data, although organizations have faced many problems, using big data analysis has been able to significantly improve their efficiency and integrate information in the supply chain through the topic of computing. Cloud and big data achieve coordination between components and improve communication. On the other hand, Internet of Things (IoT) technology tools are one of the most important sources of big data production, and understanding and correct use of this data and their timely analysis using big data analysis techniques and technologies based on artificial intelligence can be effective steps to improve supply chain processes. Also, the use of these technologies can play an important role in process agility and, as a result, supply chain resilience. Methodology: In this study, the dimensions and key components of the use of large data obtained from the Internet of Things (IoT) in an industry's supply chain are investigated as a case study. Finally, a model for implementing an agile and lean supply chain based on IoT data analysis to improve the supply chain performance of these industries during emergency drug distribution during critical conditions is presented. Findings: This study shows that these technologies can be used as a powerful enabler, especially in the distribution of fast-acting pharmaceutical products.                                                                         Originality/Value: In this paper a model for implementing an agile and lean supply chain based on IoT data analysis to improve the supply chain performance of these industries during emergency drug distribution during critical conditions is presented.

This paper systematically reviews literature related with digital supply chains (DSC) and investigates the application status and development trend of different digital technologies in supply chain management. The review is conducted from the perspective of seven key digital supply chain technologies, i.e. Internet of Things (IoT) & Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), 5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology (5G), 3D Printing, Big data (BD), Blockchain, Digital Twins (DT), and Intelligent autonomous vehicles (IAVs). It highlights the main limitations and opportunities of the various DSC technologies, provides an overview of prior studies, and identifies knowledge gaps by outlining the advantages, weaknesses and restrictions of individual technology. The paper also aims at providing a development framework as a roadmap for the match of different digital technologies with different strategic goals.

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the way in which blockchain technology is likely to influence future supply chain practices and policies.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review of both academic and practitioner literature was conducted. Multiple accounts of blockchain adoption within industry were also consulted to gain further insight.FindingsWhile blockchain technologies remain in their infancy, they are gaining momentum within supply chains, trust being the predominant factor driving their adoption. The value of such technologies for supply chain management lies in four areas: extended visibility and traceability, supply chain digitalisation and disintermediation, improved data security and smart contracts. Several challenges and gaps in understanding and opportunities for further research are identified by this research. How a blockchain-enabled supply chain should be configured has also been explored from a design perspective.Research limitations/implicationsThis systematic review focuses on the diffusion of blockchain technology within supply chains, and great care was taken in selecting search terms. However, the authors acknowledge that their choice of terms may have excluded certain blockchain articles from this review.Practical implicationsThis paper offers valuable insight for supply chain practitioners into how blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt existing supply chain provisions as well as a number of challenges to its successful diffusion.Social implicationsThe paper debates the poential social and economic impact brought by blockchain.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first studies to examine the current state of blockchain diffusion within supply chains. It lays a firm foundation for future research.

As the supply chains are growing and becoming more interdependent, the vulnerability and the chances of supply chain failure also increases. The supply chain industry is severely affected due to the COVID-19 outbreak and industry practitioners are focusing on minimizing the ripple effect of the disruption made to the economy. Considering the unprecedented situation, the research is motivated to analyse the ripple effect in a multi-echelon supply chain and investigate the performance at various nodes to understand the capability of the supply chain to withstand the disruptions at different levels. Using discrete event simulation, this study analyses the ripple effect in the copper industry by an agent-based simulation software anyLogistix, considering various key performance indexes (KPIs) to gauge the magnitude. From the results of the simulation, it is evident that the lack of safety stocks and multi-sourcing of copper facilitate as major causes for the disruptions. The simulation helps to understand the disruption levels and make the supply chain more resilient and robust for any future disruption. Further, the study proposes resilient project management solutions to recover from the cascading ripple effect in the copper supply chain. The scientific contribution of the research is to provide supply chain managers with simulation techniques to understand the ripple effect on the copper supply chain. It helps the stakeholders to understand the importance of project management tools to reduce the cascading ripple effect in a copper supply chain. Further, the findings of this study will support contemporary managers, supply chain allies, project managers, and stakeholders to formulate strategies for recovering from the supply chain disruptions caused due to natural disasters, pandemics such as COVID-19.

This paper focuses on Blockchain Technologies in Supply Chain Management (SCM). It is based on the qualitative study “Potentials of Blockchain Technologies in Supply Chain Management—A Conceptual Model” by Härting et al. (Science Direct. 24th International conference on knowledge-based and intelligent information & engineering systems. Elsevier B.V., pp 1–9, 2020 [1]). The paper aims to investigate the potentials of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management based on the conceptual model with six influencing factors and four moderators. A quantitative study is used to gain further insights and to examine relevant factors influencing the potentials of Blockchain Technologies in SCM. The results of the quantitative research approach show that the factors efficiency and scalability positively and significantly influence the potentials of Blockchain Technologies in SCM.KeywordsBlockchain technologyBlockchainBlockchain technology in supply chain managementSCMSupply chainQuantitative study

This study delves into how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Malaysian glove industry's supply chain and triggered the adoption of digitalization to enhance supply chain performance (SCP). Through surveys and interviews, it was discovered that the pandemic negatively affected business performance but prompted increased digitalization adoption. Commonly utilized digital solutions include Big Data Analytics (BDA), Internet of Things (IoT), and Cloud Computing (CC), while less commonly adopted solutions include Augmented Reality (AR) and Additive Manufacturing (AM). The research underscores a positive link between digitalization and SCP, stressing the significance of digital capabilities in sustaining supply chain resilience and responsiveness. However, challenges such as cultural shifts in work practices and investment apprehensions impede digitalization endeavors. The study provides insights for industry practitioners on harnessing digitalization to alleviate supply chain disruptions and offers recommendations for effective digitalization strategies.

Businesses in emerging economies like Pakistan need to improve their supply chains to stay competitive in a world market that has become more globalized. One of the most challenging aspects to master is Supply Chain Integration (SCI). The term means that customers and suppliers have to work together. Using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the supply chain could improve its visibility, efficiency, and adaptability. These improvements would lead to better performance in the supply chain and the organization as a whole.This research looks at how the Internet of Things (IoT) affects operations in the supply chain, focusing on how it changes different parts of its performance and integration in Pakistan. The study looks into how IoT affects the visibility, efficiency, flexibility, and resources of the supply chain, as well as how these things affect its output and performance. This study looks at how Customer Integration and Supplier Integration affect the relationship between IoT adoption and Supply Chain Performance, as well as how it affects Organizational Performance as a whole.The study uses survey data from Pakistani companies that have implemented IoT-based solutions in their supply chains. The study then employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the connections between the various constructs. The findings show that using IoT greatly enhances Supply Chain Integration, leading to greater visibility, efficiency, and flexibility, all of which have a positive effect on Supply Chain Performance. Customer Integration and Supplier Integration also play a role in the connection between IoT and Supply Chain Performance. Improving the supply chain directly improves the performance of the organization.Pakistani businesses that want to use IoT to make their supply chains more efficient can learn a lot from this study, both in terms of theory and practice. This study explains the main things that affect the performance of supply chains. This paper helps us understand how the Internet of Things can be used to improve supply chains and help businesses succeed in emerging economies.

Adopting new technologies for supply chain management

As a consequence of the Global pandemic, Supply Change Management (SCM) is becoming more complex due to market uncertainty across value chains; from sourcing materials to logistics and production. With the development of contemporary technology, blockchain may allay this worry by providing the SCM industry with automated software solutions. Blockchain is an emerging technology that supports a distributed and transparent approach to transactions between various entities. Due to increased digital usage across many sectors, the technology is being adopted more commonly in real-world business applications that aim to achieve transparency and security along a distributed chain of processes. Examining how these applications are deployed, based on the respective domain creates opportunities for future research and in advancing current thought processes of supply chain practitioners. This research aims to assess the fishing industry and provide a solution to trace the complete seafood lifecycle by capturing, recording, and tracking all relevant activities and data (e.g., video, photo, documents) from "bait to plate" and provide an open and immutable history record for each transaction in the supply chain of this lifecycle. The research offers valuable insight for supply chain practitioners into how blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt existing supply chain deployments and highlights some challenges of its successful adoption. Emerging blockchain applications aim to help businesses, including supply-chain transparency for a wide range of products

Over the last decade, researchers and practitioners have recommended a myriad of information and communication technologies to operationalize the notion of a virtual enterprise. Among the business process transformations enabled through these new technologies, companies are using wireline and wireless technologies in redefining their interactions with suppliers, customers, and business partners. It is hoped that this move towards a truly collaborative supply chain environment will help the firm achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. Towards that end, supply chain planners are emphasizing the need for information exchange anytime, anywhere as a compelling driver for organizations to adopt mobile technologies in their intra- and inter-organizational business practices. This paper discusses the applications of mobile technologies in various areas of supply chain management, and the potential benefits along the dimensions of reduced replenishment times, and transactions and billing cycles. Among other applications, we highlight the role of these technologies in improving processes such as inventory management, product identification, mobile procurement, package tracking, and sales force and field service. To substantiate the basis for adopting mobile technologies for supply chain management, different market drivers for mobile applications are exemplified and applied to the three macro level processes of supplier relationship management, internal supply chain management, and customer relationship management. Several types of legacy, third generation (3G) and emerging mobile services and applications are discussed, and a resulting taxonomy of bearer technologies is presented to explicate their use in upstream and downstream supply chain processes.

Internet of Things (IoT) have opened the door to a world of unlimited possibilities for implementations in varied sectors in society, but it also has many challenges. One of those challenges is security and privacy. IoT devices are more susceptible to security threats and attacks. Due to constraints of the IoT devices such as area, power, memory, etc., there is a lack of security solutions that are compatible with IoT devices and applications, which is leading this world of securely connected things to the “internet of insecure things.” A promising solution to this problem is going beyond the standard or classical techniques to implementing the security solutions in the hardware of the IoT device. The integration of emerging technologies in IoT networks, such as machine learning, blockchain, fog/edge/cloud computing, and quantum computing have added more vulnerable points in the network. This paper introduces a comprehensive study on IoT security threats and solutions. Additionally, this survey outlines how emerging technologies such as machine learning and blockchain are integrated in IoT, challenges resulted from this integration, and potential solutions to these challenges. The paper utilizes the 4-layer IoT architecture as a reference to identify security issues with corresponding solutions.