Enhancing supply chain resilience and efficiency through internet of things integration: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

This study explores the current challenges and future directions of Internet of Things (IoT) in supply chains, focusing on the drivers and barriers to its adoption. It starts with a review of 913 documents from the Web of Science, spanning 2009 – 2023, and narrows down to 408 relevant publications. Employing bibliometric analysis—descriptive, trend topic, conceptual, and network analyses—the research addresses the challenges at the intersection of IoT and supply chain. Findings highlight a surge in research from 2018, with worldwide contributions. The study identifies the 20 most active countries, top 10 journals, and key papers in the field. The result reveals a transition from studies predominantly focused on enhancing efficiency in the supply chain using IoT to an increased emphasis on resilience, particularly due to global disruptions like COVID-19, while also considering sustainability and digital transformation. Integrating machine learning and IoT to predict future conditions in supply chains marks also a novel approach. Based on the network analysis several critical challenges, including issues of security, privacy, interoperability, standardization, scalability, and energy efficiency, are identified as obstacles to effective IoT integration. The research also points to blockchain technology as a promising solution for addressing these challenges, facilitating decentralized trust, and enhancing cybersecurity. Moreover, the study emphasizes IoT's capacity for real-time tracking of logistics, production, and agri-food supply chains. A SWOT analysis outlines critical factors for integrating IoT in supply chain management, providing policy recommendations for industry practitioners and a framework for further investigation into IoT's potential and challenges in supply chains.