Abstract
Advances in technology, rapid globalization, trade liberalization, and increased regulation have shaped supply chains in the last four decades. We examine the impact of digitalization on contemporary and future supply chains. Digitalization potentially enables a strong digital thread connecting and mirroring an entire physical supply chain. We provide an overview of the principal technologies and systems enabling the Digital Supply Chain, including Smart Factories, Smart Warehouses, Smart Logistics, Cloud-based systems, and digital platforms. We discuss the computational engines enabled by Analytics, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence and the emerging technologies likely to influence future supply chains—Blockchain, Digital Twins, Internet of Things, 5G, Edge, and Fog computing. The technologies offering the most promise in linking the virtual and physical worlds to improve supply chain performance are noted. We describe an evolving spectrum from digitally immature to digitally enabled and digitally transformed supply chains. We provide both narrow and broad definitions for future Digital Supply Chains. The transformative effects of the digitalization of supply chains will affect supply systems in diverse ways. Data-rich supply chain ecosystems will provide many new opportunities but will also give rise to many challenges that require continued analysis and evaluation by researchers and practitioners.
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