Supply Chain Functions Research Articles

The bases of coordination development as the emergent quality of investment goods supply chain

In this paper article the authors point out the importance of actions aimed at reducing waste, increasing productivity and reducing costs in the supply chain, which will ensure the development of coordination as an emergent function of the supply chain and contribute to the formation of responsibility to internal stakeholders; they also note the difference between logistics and supply chain management (SCM), which, primarily, is that logistics usually refers to the activities taking place within one organization, and supply chains belong to the network of companies working together and coordinate their actions to product supply to the market. The authors point out that the development of partnership in supply chains makes it possible to perform collaborative planning on a common information base, collective management of stocks, risks and all this provides reasons to coordinate activities in the supply chain, i.e. the dependence of «exit» on «entry» becomes homogeneous. Particular attention is paid to the ways of improvement the supply chain functioning, which is proposed to carry out at three levels. The highest level includes the processes taking place throughout the supply chain, and concerns the relationship between all participants [10]. At the operational level (the second level), the constraint theory recommends to use the LPS (Logical Product Structure) method. At the current actions level (the third level) TOC proposes to use the concept of management of the production system DBR (English: Drum – Buffer – Rope), the application of which enables to increase the capacity of the production system. In order to identify the area of necessary changes, the authors propose to build a detailed flowchart of processes, actions and functions from receiving the order from the customer (either external or internal) up to the moment of order fulfilment and delivery to the customer, which makes it possible to analyze sequentially the system operation in the current time and identify the areas of necessary changes, as well as to increase the level of meeting the customer needs, ensuring the efficiency of material and information flows, strengthening the manufacturer status in the market.

Biomass logistics: Mythistory and sociotechnical imaginary in trans-Atlantic wood pellet assemblage

The paper focuses on the role of mythistory and the sociotechnical imaginary in stabilizing the links of a particular biomass supply chain running from the forests of Georgia in the US Southeast to diffuse markets across the European Union. Trans-Atlantic wood pellet assemblage demonstrates how mythistories and sociotechnical imaginaries are deployed to opportunistically frame wood as nature, agriculture, and energy as part of governance strategies to coordinate and operationalize the “multiple, spontaneous spatial strategies” that the biomass industry requires. I use assemblage theory to explore how Georgia’s mythistory and the European sociotechnical imaginary form the abstract machine that conditions relationships for the functionality and maintenance of the wood pellet supply chain. I then chart the concrete assemblage of the trans-Atlantic biomass supply chain, which requires the collaboration of a broad network of state and non-state actors. The case helps to ground the current global energy transition period in material and political practices that are contingent, opportunistic, and likely also transitional, even though the sector involves deep capital and political investment throughout the supply chain.

Implementation status of health information systems in hospitals in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia

The implementation and adoption of the Health Information System (HIS) in hospitals has increased worldwide in recent years. HIS have various benefits, as they can streamline operations, increase operational efficiency, and reduce operational costs, especially in relation to management of electronic health records. The objective of this study was to investigate the implementation status of health information systems (HISs) in hospitals in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia considering the following categories in the structuring of electronic health records: electronic clinical documentation, results viewing, decision support, and bar coding. To collect the information required in this study a questionnaire was developed and sent by email to HIS departments of 18 hospitals located in urban areas in the Eastern region in Saudi Arabia. The outcome variable in the study was the overall implementation score of each hospital. 67% of HIS were purchased, 28% were developed in-house, and 2% were provided by other sources. Most of the functionalities of the electronic clinical documentation and viewing categories were fully implemented in the majority of the hospitals. About a half of the functions in the decision support category were either fully implemented or not implemented. Finally, most of the bar coding functions were fully implemented in the majority of the hospitals, except for the supply chain function, which was not available in 44% of the hospitals. This is the first comprehensive description of the HIS status in hospitals in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The implementation of HIS is promising, especially for basic functions related to patient information such as electronic clinical documentation and viewing results. The outcomes of this research indicated that the hospitals are implementing the health information systems in stages. The information obtained in this research may be useful for the health institutions to develop mechanisms that contribute to the implementation and adoption of health information systems throughout the country.

Approaches for solving current problems of pharmaceutical logistics during the pandemic period

The global economic crisis, which is linked to the coronavirus pandemic, has also affected pharmaceutical logistics. Therefore, the improvement of logistics processes within the pharmaceutical supply chain to increase the access to health care to the population in a pandemic becomes especially important.
 The aim of the work is to study and summarize the main problems of pharmaceutical logistics in a coronavirus pandemic and substantiate the reserves to improve the functioning of pharmaceutical supply chains.
 To achieve the goal of the study, an analysis of the domestic scientific literature and the current regulatory framework of Ukraine was conducted. It has used abstract-logical, monographic research methods and system analysis, as well as the method of expert survey.
 Realizing the importance of providing the population with necessary medicines during the pandemic in Ukraine on October 14, 2020, the Law «Changes to the article 19 of the Law of Ukraine "On Medicinal Products" on Electronic Retail Trade in Medicines» of September 17, 2020 № 904-IX has enforced.
 It has been evaluated the factors influencing the efficiency and coordination of the activities of pharmaceutical supply chain participants. A risk management algorithm for pharmaceutical supply chains has been developed, its structural elements and relationships have been identified. The presented algorithm will allow analyzing and estimating any deviations from the planned parameters in pharmaceutical supply chains on the basis of establishment of system of the corresponding indicators and on the basis of this information to define effective methods to counter the risks.
 The urgency of the problem of increasing the reliability and safety of domestic pharmaceutical supply chains in a pandemic has proved. It is justified that the introduction of digital technologies will increase the reliability, transparency and quality of business processes in the pharmaceutical supply chains during a pandemic, drastic changes in the pharmaceutical market and low predictability of demand for medicines and medical devices. The main problems of logistics in a pandemic in the domestic pharmaceutical industry are studied. It has established that the narrowest places in the organization of pharmaceutical supply chains are the improper organization of information exchange between pharmaceutical supply chain participants and the insufficient professional level of production interaction of managers. It has established the priority directions of increase of stability and reliability of functioning of pharmaceutical supply chains which is a necessary condition of accessibility of pharmaceutical provision of the population, especially in the conditions of a pandemic.

An Odd Crisis: Covid‐19 and UK Food Prices

SummaryThe Covid‐19 pandemic will have impacts that will vary across countries and commodity sectors, reflecting factors such as the importance of trade, differences in the functioning of supply chains and the market which producers and farmers supply. Some of these effects will be relatively short‐lived; others will be longer‐lasting. In this context, we set out the channels through which food prices will be affected by the Covid‐19 pandemic, emphasising the short‐ and longer‐term nature of the main effects. We focus on the UK but the insights extend to other (importing) countries. Drawing on a recent econometric model of UK retail food prices that accounts for both domestic and international factors, we show that the key drivers have potentially off‐setting effects, suggesting that the Covid‐19 shock to the food sector is likely to be different from previous shocks, particularly the commodity price crises of 2007–2008 and 2011. In many European countries, the Covid‐19 pandemic may manifest itself as something of an ‘odd crisis’, in which lower world and farm‐gate prices co‐exist with higher domestic retail prices. These off‐setting factors will frame policy responses targeted at different stages of the food chain across countries.

دراسة تشخیصیة لسلسلة التورید لصناعة السجاد:دراسة حالة لشرکة سجاد رائدة

تتطلب بيئة الأعمال التنافسية اليوم ممارسات إدارة سلسلة التوريد (SC) بين شرکاء سلسلة التوريد (SC) لضمان القدرة التنافسية وتحسين الأداء التنظيمي وذلک من خلال التنسيق بين الشرکاء لتقليل الفاقد في الوقت وخفض التکاليف وتحسين الإنتاجية وزيادة الربحية. يهدف هذا البحث إلى دراسة تشخيصية لسلسلة توريد صناعة السجاد من خلال تقييم مستوى التنسيق والتکامل بين مختلف شرکاء سلسلة التوريد ووظائف سلسلة التوريد الداخلية. وتعتمد منهجية البحث علي عدة إجراءات. أولا، تم إجراء مرحلة تمهيدية لتحليل هيکل SC الحالي من حيث تحليل الموردين، وتحليل SC الداخلية، وتحليل العملاء، ووظائف SC، وتحليل ABC . بعد ذلک، تم تصميم استطلاع لتقييم مستوى التنسيق والتکامل بين مختلف شرکاء سلسلة الامداد ووظائف سلسلة الامداد الداخلية، مع توضيح نقاط الضعف ومجالات التحسين. تم إجراء دراسة حالة لإحدى الشرکات العالمية الرائدة في مجال تصنيع السجاد لإثبات إمکانية تطبيق الإجراءات المقترحة. بالنسبة لأهم النتائج، لقد وجد أنه يجب إجراء تحليل ABC بناء على الکميات المشتراة، حيث يوصى بأن تکون غالبية العناصر من الفئة C بالإضافة إلى ذلک، يجب إجراء تحليل ABC بناء على الاستهلاک السنوي للعناصر. سيحدد هذا العناصر سريعة الحرکة F والعناصر متوسطة الحرکة M والعناصر النادرة الحرکة R . النتائج الأخرى هي أن مؤشرات الأداء الرئيسية الحالية تقيس تقييم الموظفين بدلا من أهداف الشرکة، وهناک نقص في التنسيق والتکامل في سلاسل التوريد الداخلية. أيضا هناک حاجة إلى دورات تدريبية متخصصة لموظفي شرکة السجاد حتى يتمکنوا من إجراء جميع التحسينات المطلوبة. Abstract Today’s competitive business environment requires collaborative supply chain management (SCM) practices between supply chain (SC) partners to ensure competitiveness and better organizational performance. This research aims at providing procedures to conduct a diagnostic study of carpet supply chain through assessing the level of coordination and integration among different SC partners and the internal SC functions. As a methodology, first, an introductory phase was conducted to analyse the current SC structure in terms of suppliers’ analysis, internal SC analysis, customer analysis, SC functions and ABC analysis. Then, a survey was designed to assess the level of coordination and integration among different SC partners and the internal SC functions, while illustrating the weaknesses and areas of improvements. A case study of a world leading carpet manufacturer was conducted to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed procedures. It is found that the ABC analysis should be performed based on purchased quantities, where the majority of the items are recommended to be class C. In addition, the ABC analysis should take place based on items’ annual consumption. This will define the fast moving items (F), Medium moving items (M) and Rare moving items (R). Other findings are that the current KPIs measure the employees’ appraisal rather than the company’s goals, and there is a lack of coordination and integration in the internal SC. Tailored training courses are needed for the carpet company staff to be able to carry out all needed improvements.

The origin, supply chain, and deforestation risk of Brazil’s beef exports

Though the international trade in agricultural commodities is worth more than $1.6 trillion/year, we still have a poor understanding of the supply chains connecting places of production and consumption and the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of this trade. In this study, we provide a wall-to-wall subnational map of the origin and supply chain of Brazilian meat, offal, and live cattle exports from 2015 to 2017, a trade worth more than $5.4 billion/year. Brazil is the world's largest beef exporter, exporting approximately one-fifth of its production, and the sector has a notable environmental footprint, linked to one-fifth of all commodity-driven deforestation across the tropics. By combining official per-shipment trade records, slaughterhouse export licenses, subnational agricultural statistics, and data on the origin of cattle per slaughterhouse, we mapped the flow of cattle from more than 2,800 municipalities where cattle were raised to 152 exporting slaughterhouses where they were slaughtered, via the 204 exporting and 3,383 importing companies handling that trade, and finally to 152 importing countries. We find stark differences in the subnational origin of the sourcing of different actors and link this supply chain mapping to spatially explicit data on cattle-associated deforestation, to estimate the "deforestation risk" (in hectares/year) of each supply chain actor over time. Our results provide an unprecedented insight into the global trade of a deforestation-risk commodity and demonstrate the potential for improved supply chain transparency based on currently available data.

PEMETAAN RANTAI PASOK DAN ANALISIS NILAI TAMBAH KOMODITAS JAGUNG DI KABUPATEN TANAH LAUT

Kabupaten Tanah Laut is one of the districts in South Kalimantan Province which has the largest of corn production compared to other districts. Based on data from the Office of Horticultural Food Crops and Plantation of Tanah Laut Regency, it was found that the production of corn commodities from 2017 to 2019 increased. This happens because the demand for corn commodities continues to increase every year. In addition, in Tanah Laut Regency, two large animal feed companies have been established that require corn as the main raw material. The magnitude of this potential makes it necessary to identify entities through supply chain mapping so that the added value of each entity can be determined. The purpose of this research was to map the supply chain and analyze the added value of corn commodity supply chain in Tanah Laut Regency. The research method used in analyzing the supply chain is descriptive analysis using purposive sampling and snowball sampling to obtain in-depth and objective information. Meanwhile, value added analysis uses the Hayami method.The results showed that there were three supply chain entities to reach consumers, namely farmers, small collectors, and large collectors. Meanwhile, the results of the analysis of the added value of each entity obtained the highest value, namely the large collectors with a value added ratio of 87% of Rp. 783,840.00, small collectors with a ratio of 86.4% of Rp. 699,840.00 and farmer entities of 86.13% with a value of Rp. 671,840.00. This is because the treatment of corn commodities in each entity is different.

Food Safety Farm to Fork Chain in Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Solutions

In the wake of the current COVID-19 a restraint was put on the supply of non-essential items. At the same time, provision of essential food items, health supplements, nutraceuticals, food for special dietary and special medical purpose, infant/baby food, animal feed/pet food needs to be ensured. Apart from these items, food delivery services, e-commerce, cold storage and warehousing of food products, fuel such as coal, rice husk, diesel/furnace oil and all raw materials, intermediaries, packaging materials needed to support the above list of products are required to be included in the essential list to ensure uninterrupted functioning of food supply chain. This article describes methods to ensure food safety along with prevention of COVID-19 infection while ensuring food security for all.

Supply Chain Mapping to Prepare for Future Pandemics

AbstractThe COVID‐19 experience demonstrated how little some agribusinesses understood their supply chain. As companies were scrambling to determine how the shutdowns would impact their input suppliers, they surely perceived a need to prepare better for future pandemics. This article describes the practice of supply chain mapping, an activity used to better understand the upstream and downstream components of a company's supply chain. In addition to describing how mapping works, this paper illustrates how mapping can help identify supply chain vulnerabilities and reduce risk. Moreover, it discusses a number of other mapping benefits, including transparency in sustainability commitments and idea generation.

Supply chain mapping and stakeholders’ assessment towards the Sustainable Development Goals: the case of the construction sector in the informal settlement of Mathare, Nairobi

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future for all. One of these targets to be tackled by their implementation is the improvement of the livelihood of 1/6 of the global population, housed in unsafe informal settlements. This paper explores the correlation between GOAL11 – Sustainable cities for all - and other aspects of the societies relevant for the achievement of the SDGs –Responsible consumption and production, No poverty, Gender inclusion, Decent work and economic growth- in a mutual and potentially virtuous relationship. The work is based on months of fieldwork conducted in 2018 in the informal settlement of Mathare and in the city of Nairobi, through observation and semi-structured interviews, with the objective of understanding the current productive and economic flows of the construction sector supplying the informal city. From the study, the following statement emerged: a) different final building users (clients) operating in Mathare have access to different building materials b) the diffusion of materials inside the settlement is strictly related to the access to the shop and to the potential client sites c) the diffusion of materials inside the settlement is highly impacted by the availability of space both by the supplier store and on the building site d) tribal division plays a significant role in the distribution of roles in the construction sector. The study shows the relevance of applying a metabolic approach to the city throughout its supply chain in order to understand its ongoing logic prior to a construction intervention. This allows to understand ongoing construction practices, identify gaps and bottlenecks and propose improvement solutions fitting with the ongoing dynamics. The local economy would benefit from such an approach, tailored on its needs and potentials.

Assessment of Knowledge of Essential Supply Chain Functions among HIV/AIDS Supply Chain Workforce in Nigeria

Effective and efficient biomedical wastes management is vital in the health care delivery system, safe environment and public health could possibly be achieved through the standard practices of the biomedical waste procedures with safety measures in place. The study was aimed to evaluate the practices and the level of awareness of health workers towards biomedical waste management in selected hospitals in Abuja. Data were collected by structured questionnaire and on- the-spot observation. Three private and three public hospitals that provided health care services in Abuja were surveyed. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Chi-square (χ2) test was used to determine the level of significance set at p<0.05. The male health workers were 220 (55.00%) and the female were 180 (45.00%) in the survey. The nurses were the highest number of respondents in the study with frequency percentage of 117(28.75%) followed by the laboratory scientists 96 (24.00%), Pharmacists 71 (17.75%, Doctors 64(16.00%) and other health care workers 54 (13.50%). The practices of handling biomedical waste among health workers was a significant factor of biomedical waste management (p<0.05). The awareness on safety measures among health workers was a significant factor of biomedical waste management (p<0.05). Improvement in the aspects of training retraining of health workers will go a long way to fill the lapses in the biomedical waste’s management practices. Government should establish policies and laws to enforce strict compliance in accordance with WHO stipulations.

Assessing the Harmony of Supply Chain Actors in Live Animal Export: The Case of Gurage Zone, Ethiopia

This article aims to study the harmony of supply chain actors in Live Animal Export at Gurage Zone, Ethiopia. This problem is relevant and researches in this sense can help policies that aim to improve the functioning of supply chains. Harmony of supply chain is the collaboration level of supply chain participants which is measured in terms of common planning and action guidelines they have, how they share information and generally the overall relations they have one another. Being descriptive in design, the study has targeted main live animals supply chain actors who are 719 producers, 6 traders and 2 exporters in Gurage zone from whom 257 producers were randomly chosen as a sample and all the traders and exporter have been used directly from whom questionnaires were collected from. The findings have proved that there is relatively consistent flow of information throughout the supply chain actors in live animals export in Gurage zone. Additionally there have been seen that there is a culture of planning jointly among the chain actors followed by having common updating means in case of plan fails to meet the expectations even though there exists problems of sitting for evaluation of actions made by the chain elements which is the key for future improvement of the export business. Finally it has been found that the overall harmony of the chain actors is attractive with some reservations.

Barriers to sustainable supply chain management implementation in Egyptian industries: an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach

PurposeRecently, sustainability aspects are gaining importance among supply chain management (SCM) research field, hence this study aims to explore barriers to sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) implementation in Egyptian industries and the interrelationships among these barriers to provide a structured detailed model for barriers and suggest recommendations to deal with these barriers.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an empirical study with a descriptive research approach using qualitative methodology. Data were collected through interviewing experts involved in sustainability implementation within supply chain functions. Afterward interpretive structural modeling (ISM) for barriers was conducted to develop a structured model representing possible interrelationships between barriers.FindingsFindings have reported slight differences among barriers to SSCM implementation in Egyptian industries other than those stated previously. ISM analysis helped in shaping barriers into a detailed structured model where interrelationships among barriers can be clearly defined. Additionally, based on the data collected and the ISM model, this study managed to offer recommendations to deal with these barriers.Research limitations/implicationsFuture researches might consider developing ISM analysis for a smaller number of barriers, or focus on each of internal and external barriers individually to minimize ISM analysis complexity and enhance its accuracy. As ISM analysis technique is highly dependent on experts' opinions and experience, validation is highly recommended either by structural equation modeling (SEM) or linear structural relationship approach.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights for managers about internal and external barriers to SSCM implementation in Egyptian industries, a detailed structured model for interrelationships among these barriers and recommendations to deal with these barriers.Originality/valueThis study is one of the very first studies to implement ISM for barriers to SSCM on data collected from Egyptian industries. Consequently, it will direct further research focusing on developing strategies or recommendations to overcome these barriers.

Capacity for optimal performance of healthcare supply chain functions: competency, structural and resource gaps in the Northern Region of Ghana

PurposeThe study drew on capacity framework around the individual, organisational, health system and wider context to explore gaps in health supply chain (HSC) workers capacity and competency to perform supply chain (SC) functions and the lessons for workforce development.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method study was conducted across the Northern Region of Ghana. Qualitative data were collected from in-depth interviews with 34 key SC managers at the regional, district and facility levels. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered through the RedCap mobile app to 233 core HSC workers and non-core workers (clinicians with additional responsibilities in SC). Data were managed and analysed inductively and deductively for themes.FindingsWeak knowledge and competency in SC functions attributed to poor training exposure and organisational support for capacity building, undermined the capacity to perform basic SC functions, especially by the non-core category. The policy and regulatory environment of the HSC marketplace were described as fluid and with complexity of demands. Both worker categories, therefore, requested functional, technical, managerial and customer care competencies to anticipate and manage complexities. Structural characteristics of the health system giving narrow decision space to HSC workers cascaded the capacity for innovation and initiative and promoted frustrations among mid-level managers. Infrastructural deficits and shortfalls in operational resources scaled back the capacity to efficiently manage inventory and ensure that commodities reach clients in good quality.Originality/valueFinding suggest that capacity building of HSC workers, strengthening of health institutions structural and resource capacity, and leveraging on technology will enable optimal performance of HSC functions.

Responsible Leadership at a Time of Crisis: Implementing Distributive Justice Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created monumental business challenges for both leaders and employees. Companies across the world are experiencing contractions in sales and production due to disruptions in the functioning of global supply chains, and global travel restrictions have curtailed economic activities. The current study analyze how firms in Hong Kong and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) have been making human resources decisions during the COVID-19 crisis. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with eight firms operating in Hong Kong and PRC, this study also explore the possibility that the current crisis may have invoked changes in conceptions of need, fairness and responsibility within our focal firms.

The efficiency of food supply chain engineering (case study in Ukraine)

The basic conceptual idea of logistics is the need to adapt the company to an ever-changing market situation, while spending a minimum of funds in these conditions. The concept of logistics is a system of views on the rationalization of economic activity by optimizing material flows. The paper investigates the change of the main indicators of the functioning of the supply chain, depending on the organization of distribution of the material flow. The supply systems of food products that form the consumer basket at the stage of distribution is considered. The conceptual schemes of freight flow distribution with and without distribution center is presented. The field research was conducted to determine and initial data were collected. The paper investigate the functioning of the supply chain in two cases: in a situation "proposed scenario" and in a situation "without a project". The situation "existing scenario" implies that no action to change the parameters of the supply chain during the period specified for the research does not take place. In this case, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of the logistics chain under existing conditions. An integrated approach to evaluate the efficiency of the functioning of the logistics system and the consumer had been used. The efficiency of existing of the supply chain functioning were analysed. Also, certain measures will be implemented to improve the chain through investments and by bringing logistics infrastructure with the needs. A modelling of the supply chain was made. The effect of parameters of participants on the supply chain efficiency was analysed. The planned effect from the reorganization of distribution channels is calculated. The technological and economic feasibility of introducing a distribution center into the existing distribution channel based on modeling is calculated. The object of the research is the process of food products distribution in the supply chain. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the food supply chain scheme.

Blockchain technology in supply chain operations: Applications, challenges and research opportunities

Blockchain is a technology with unique combination of features such as decentralized structure, distributed notes and storage mechanism, consensus algorithm, smart contracting, and asymmetric encryption to ensure network security, transparency and visibility. Blockchain has immense potential to transform supply chain (SC) functions, from SC provenance, business process reengineering to security enhancement. More and more studies exploring the use of blockchain in SCs have appeared in recent years. In this paper, we consider a total of 178 articles and examine all the relevant research done in the field associated with the use of blockchain integration in SC operations. We highlight the corresponding opportunities, possible societal impacts, current state-of-the-art technologies along with major trends and challenges. We examine several industrial sectors such as shipping, manufacturing, automotive, aviation, finance, technology, energy, healthcare, agriculture and food, e-commerce, and education among others that can be successfully revamped with blockchain based technologies through enhanced visibility and business process management. A future research agenda is established which lays the solid foundation for further studies on this important emerging research area.

Disruptive digital technology adoption in global supply chains

Businesses need to cope with myriad challenges including increasingly competitive markets and rapid developments in digital technology. The overall aim of the research described in this paper is to generate fresh insights into the impacts of digitalisation on the design and management of global supply chains. It focuses on understanding the current adoption rate of new technologies in global supply chains, identifying perceived opportunities and challenges and clarifying the critical factors driving (and inhibiting) their deployment. The authors administered an online survey with a global sample of respondents from various supply chain functions, resulting in a sample of 142 responses. Significant differences emerged in adoption patterns between companies of different sizes. Moreover, the study pointed to a widening gap (or a ‘digital divide’) between leaders and laggards in terms of technology adoption. Perceived benefits and challenges also differ notably between companies of varying sizes. Adoption patterns are very diverse across specific technologies. The results further suggest that there is a significant correlation between adoption of digital technologies and different dimensions of company performance.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management—A Literature Review on Emerging Economies

In recent years, the interest in sustainable supply chain management has increased significantly in both business and academic areas. This is reflected in the growing number of articles, conferences, special publications and websites devoted to the subject. Nonetheless, sustainable development in emerging economies just started gaining importance. The objective of this article is to review, from a global perspective, the existing literature regarding sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in emerging economies. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was performed, analyzing 56 articles from the year 2010 to April 2020 from a descriptive and content approach. Subsequently, the results are presented, showing the increasing interest in SSCM, however lagging behind in emerging economies’ research versus developed ones. Findings indicate the context in developing countries plays an important role when conducting empirical or case study investigations. Additionally, the integration of the three dimensions of sustainability and how they impact supply chain performance becomes crucial to research from an emerging economy perspective. Consequently, limitations of this work are presented, and opportunities are identified for future lines of research, in particular in key supply chain functions. Finally, the conclusion confirms the need for further research from different supply chain viewpoints, such as collaboration, sustainable practices innovation, sourcing and supplier development from emerging countries’ standpoint and background.