Supply Chain Transparency Research Articles

Strategies for Green Supply Chain for Agriculture Equipment Manufacturing Industries: Perspective of Blockchain- IoT Integrated Architecture

In order to protect the environment, manufacturing sectors have begun implementing a green supply chain (GSC) strategy. Governments are enacting increasingly stringent environmental regulations; consequently, industries must reduce the environmental impact of their supply chains. Our research investigates the barriers to implementing a GSC in the agriculture equipment manufacturing industries (AEMI). This research aims to discover and prioritize the barriers that impede the implementation of sustainable supply chain strategies in the AEMI. Through an in-depth literature review, contributions from experts, and empirical analysis, seventy-one barriers are identified across ten categories. The top barrier in each category is determined using the Delphi approach. The Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (F-TOPSIS) method creates an exhaustive framework that evaluates and ranks these barriers. The top five barriers are the lack of an environmental partnership with buyers and suppliers, the design complexity when reusing or recycling old goods or products, carbon emissions, paint shop emissions, lack of environmental education and training professionals that lack the necessary skills and less manpower available for the greening supply chain. This framework facilitates decision-makers to organize resources and create effective strategies for overcoming identified barriers. In addition, we proposed a blockchain IoT integrated architecture and strategies. This integrated architecture and strategies will help to mitigate all GSC barriers. It also increases the supply chain's transparency, traceability and effectiveness, fostering sustainability practices and reducing environmental impacts. Blockchain and IoT facilitate real-time data collaboration, computerized transactions and the implementation of smart contracts, thereby enhancing cooperation, trust and collaboration among stakeholders. Implementing GSC practices enables manufacturers to reduce waste and increase productivity, thereby saving funds. In addition, adopting sustainable practices improves these industries' reputation and brand image among environmentally conscious customers, investors and other stakeholders.

Increasing the Manifestation of the Sustainable Development Principles in Logistics Organizations

The logistics sector is increasingly pressured to integrate sustainable development principles to align with their corporate goals. This paper reviews theoretical and practical frameworks of the logistics industry to examine how service providers in the sector can achieve a balanced economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Businesses are purposely created to maximize profits; however, increased awareness of corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability has made them to look beyond that. Logistics service providers that adopt sustainable practices stand to benefit from long-term cost savings, improved brand reputation, and enhanced stakeholder relationships. Performed research leads us to point out that IoT, big data and blockchain are a some of the digital enablers that improve sustainability. Such advancements are necessary to minimize carbon emission, enhance the transparency of supply chain, and minimize negative effects on environment. At the same time, the literature analyzes emphasizes the fact that collaboration between various actors also contributes to the creation of incentives for achieving the goal of creating sustainable logistics systems. The literature points to stakeholder theory whose focus is on the issues of transparency, cooperation, and novelty in managing supply chains. The model gives a structure for achieving business objectives of generating returns without considering environmental and social factors. Obtained results also highlights those policies such as tax incentives given to companies that meet environmental standards weigh in greatly. Such measures have the potential to steer the logistics sector towards more sustainable operations with a corresponding competitiveness and economic growth. However, it is important to point out that more radical changes are required for reaching the desired state of sustainable development. Consequently, continuous investment in sustainable technologies, supportive government policies, and stakeholder collaboration are key to fostering a profitable logistics industry

Assessment methods and digital tools to support circular building strategies

Abstract The aim of the paper is to highlight how digital technology can be a vector for maintaining information of buildings products, promoting supply chain transparency and traceability of materials and environmental data, contributing to activate a sustainable circular economy. Indeed, the current lack of knowledge of product characteristics often hinders the activation of reverse logistic and the assessment of the environmental benefits of circular material flows. This means, on one hand, the need to trace and collect product characteristics and product environmental information throughout the entire life cycle, and, on the other hand, the to identify ways of communicating and sharing information. This paper outlines current digital tools to support transparency and traceability of materials. Next, the paper verticalises the method and indicators used to declare the circular and sustainable profile of products, emphasising the importance of applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Finally, the prefiguration of a possible integration between traceability tools and the LCA methodology is discussed, identifying possible drivers (e.g. legislative, trainings) and possible key-operators for the widespread of the “LCA-integrated traceability tools”.

Challenges of blockchain adoption for manufacturing supply chain to achieve sustainability: A case of rubber industry

Global market competitiveness and standards are pushing the manufacturing supply chain to adopt sustainable approaches to enhance quality, reduce waste, improve environmental practices, and optimize product costs. Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising tool for improving supply chain transparency and manufacturing sustainability. However, various challenges to the mainstream use of blockchain must be identified and addressed. In this regard, the study aims to identify and comprehend the challenges of adopting blockchain technology in the manufacturing sector to improve sustainable standards. To bridge this gap, the study used a three-step procedure. First, through a comprehensive literature review, 19 potential challenges were identified. Then, with the experts' discussion, a total of 18 challenges were finalized. In the second phase, data was collected from 15 professionals with industrial backgrounds. Lastly, the collected data was analyzed using Combined Compromise Solution methodologies and the Fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (fuzzy DEMATEL). This hybrid methodology prioritizes the challenges in blockchain adoption and categorizes them into causal groups. This improves the decision-making process by evaluating how the mutual impact of challenges in blockchain adoption affects achieving sustainability in the manufacturing supply chain. The outcomes of the presented work are validated through a sensitivity analysis of the outranked dimensions of blockchain adoption challenges. Results show that 'High Initial Investment Cost' and 'Lack of Digital Skills’ are the top challenges in its adoption. The findings of this work provide a roadmap to make the manufacturing supply chain sustainable and accomplish sustainability.

AGRARIAN. AI

For the agriculture industry to remain sustainable, it needs to improve output, quality, marketing infrastructure, and food management. Supply chain transparency is required due to food safety concerns, and traceability technologies such as blockchain and AI are essential for confirming the provenance of products. Significant improvements to the agricultural system are required to meet growing demand. Blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) are two examples of modern technologies that are essential for solving difficult problems and expediting procedures. In order to advance agriculture toward a more transparent, safe, and sustainable future, this abstract highlight the significance of technology.

Digital transformation of the future of forestry: an exploration of key concepts in the principles behind Forest 4.0

This paper looks at the incorporation of blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into Forest 4.0, a sector that harnesses advanced tools such as artificial intelligence and big data for efficient and sustainable forest monitoring and management. The synergy of blockchain and IoT has gained significant attention, offering a secure and decentralized framework for data management, traceability, and supply chain oversight. The provided use cases demonstrate how these technologies improve forest practices, with insight into smart contract implementation and decentralized systems for sustainable forest management. The major findings imply that digital technologies such as blockchain, IoT, AI, WSNs, etc. can help improve forest management sustainability, efficiency and transparency, and integration of these technologies can provide significant information for decision-making and resource allocation, as well as improve supply chain transparency and sustainable forest practices.

IoT-GChain: Internet of Things-Assisted Secure and Tractable Grain Supply Chain Framework Leveraging Blockchain

The grain supply chain is crucial for any nation’s self-sustainability due to its huge impact on food security, economic stability, and the livelihoods of several people. The path grain takes from farmers to consumers is opaque and complicated, due to which consumers cannot trust grain quality and its origin. Although blockchain is widely used for fair and secure transactions between farmers and buyers, issues related to transparency and traceability in the grain supply chain, such as counterfeiting and middlemen involvement, have not been adequately addressed. To tackle these issues, a blockchain-based solution is proposed that unites farmers, warehouses, government central and state agencies, transporters, and food corporations on a single platform to enhance transparency, traceability, and trust among all parties. This system involves minting a non-fungible token (NFT) corresponding to each lot of grain approved by government officials. The NFT comprises grain quality, type, temperature data from sensors, weight, and ownership information, which updates as the grain lot moves across the supply chain from central agencies to state agencies and so on. NFTs enable stakeholders to track the grain lot from cultivation to end-users, providing insights into grain conditions and quality. An Internet of Things-based circuit is designed using a Digital-output relative humidity & temperature (DHT22) sensor, which offers real-time temperature and humidity readings, and geolocation coordinates are gathered from the GPS module across the supply chain. Farmers can directly interact with warehouses to sell grains, eliminating the need for middlemen and fostering trust among all parties. The proposed four-tier framework is implemented and deployed on the Ethereum network, with smart contracts interacting with React-based web pages. Analysis and results of the proposed model illustrate that it is viable, secure, and superior to the existing grain supply chain system.

Food provenance assurance and willingness to pay for blockchain data security: A case of Australian consumers

Blockchain technology has properties that improve supply chain transparency, traceability, and accountability, but how important are these security features to the consumer? This study investigates, consumers' willingness to choose and pay a premium for blockchain-certified food products. The major findings of this study are that consumers show positive receptiveness towards blockchain and disfavour unethical food production methods revealing sustainability consciousness guiding their consumption. We find that females place a greater value on food transparency and product labelling verification and are more willing to pay a premium. In addition, the results have important marketing implications according to our choice modeling findings.

Impact assessment of blockchain-based improved PBFT consensus mechanism for improving supply chain efficiency and security

In modern supply chain management, it is crucial to be able to track the flow of goods in real-time and maintain data integrity. Research focuses on the transparency, security, and efficiency improvements brought about by blockchain technology, and how these improvements can help address information asymmetry issues in supply chain management and improve overall operational efficiency. At the same time, the study explored the working principle of the practical Byzantine fault-tolerant consensus mechanism, proposed relevant improvement measures, and analyzed how these improvements can be effectively applied in the scenario of supply chain information sharing to improve the stability and efficiency of the overall system. The research results show that the overall latency of improved PBFT is maintained at the millisecond level, while the latency of traditional PBFT can reach several seconds or exceed 10 seconds. In terms of CPU resource consumption, the demand for improving PBFT only shows linear growth, while the demand for traditional PBFT increases sharply. In addition, improving PBFT also has significant advantages in communication costs. In an 8-node network, the communication volume of improved PBFT is only 11.27 KB, while traditional PBFT is 43.67 KB. In terms of throughput and latency performance, the improved PBFT can handle over 16000 requests per second in a 16 node network, significantly better than the traditional PBFT’s approximately 8000 requests. Meanwhile, at 64 nodes, the improved version has a latency of 301.7 milliseconds, much lower than the traditional version’s 510.2 milliseconds. These improvements demonstrate the advantages of improving PBFT in enhancing supply chain transparency, security, and efficiency, providing effective technical support for the digitization and intelligence of supply chain management. We hope that research can promote the digitization and intelligence of supply chain management, and facilitate the efficient operation and optimization of the supply chain.

When do shoppers prefer using QR codes? Empirical evidence from Vietnam

This research aimed to explore the factors influencing the behavioural intention to use over-the-counter (OTC) QR codes for purchasing products in Vietnamese supermarkets. The study included 996 consumers and employed a questionnaire-based survey method to test the hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Drawing on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and signalling theory, the findings identified five key factors that positively affected the intention to use OTC QR codes: perceived usefulness of OTC QR codes (e.g., for payment and traceability), attitude, customer satisfaction, and supply chain transparency. Additionally, the perceived usefulness of OTC QR codes positively impacted attitude and customer satisfaction, while its usefulness for traceability enhanced supply chain transparency. The study also identified the moderating influence of personal innovativeness on the relationship between perceived usefulness of OTC QR codes for payment and attitude and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the moderating role of electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-Word-of-Mouth) in the relationship between customer satisfaction, attitude, and behavioural intention was discovered. This research contributes to the existing literature by expanding our understanding of the perceived usefulness of OTC QR codes and elucidating the various mechanisms through which their both functionalities could encourage consumer adoption in the context of Vietnamese supermarkets.

From tradition to technological advancement: embracing blockchain technology in family businesses

PurposeDespite the rapid advancement of blockchain technology across various sectors, scholarly research on its application within family businesses remains significantly underdeveloped. This study aims to address this gap by examining the application of blockchain technology within family businesses to identify key application domains, benefits and implementation challenges.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a conceptual approach, drawing on existing literature on family businesses and blockchain technology. This review aimed to identify the unique characteristics of family businesses, their challenges and the distinctive features of blockchain technology that can potentially be mapped to each other. Based on the literature review, we develop a conceptual framework exploring blockchain technology applications in family businesses. Real-world case studies of family businesses that have implemented blockchain technology were identified to provide practical insights and implementation challenges.FindingsBlockchain technology possesses transformative potential for family businesses across several critical domains. It includes enhancing trust and transparency in operations, improving governance and decision-making and facilitating succession planning and intergenerational wealth management. Case study evidence illustrates the tangible benefits of blockchain, including enhanced supply chain transparency, optimized business processes, increased customer trust and resultant business sustainability. Blockchain technology implementation challenges include data privacy concerns, integration with legacy systems, regulatory uncertainty and change management issues.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited by its reliance on existing literature and case studies. It may not capture the full spectrum of challenges and opportunities associated with blockchain applications in family businesses. Future research should focus on longitudinal and empirical research to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of blockchain technology application in family businesses.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by exploring the intersection of family businesses and blockchain technology, an area that has received limited academic attention. It identifies potential application domains of blockchain technology in family businesses and develops a conceptual framework based on existing literature. Through case studies, the research provides practical insights and valuable lessons for family businesses considering blockchain implementation. It also addresses key considerations and challenges, providing a clear roadmap for blockchain technology integration in family businesses. The study lays the groundwork for further research and exploration in blockchain technology and family businesses.

Enhancing Data Security and Traceability in Supply Chain Management using Blockchain Technology

This paper introduces a blockchain-powered tool to enhance supply chain management security and traceability. Supply chains are often plagued by fraud, counterfeiting, and a lack of transparency, particularly for end customers. Blockchain technology, known for its immutability and transparency, presents a promising solution to these challenges. In this study, we thoroughly discuss our implementation of blockchain technology within the context of the supply chain. The paper outlines the entire process, beginning with data collection and pre-processing and culminating in the secure posting of transactions via smart contracts. By leveraging Blockchain's decentralized nature, our system ensures that each transaction is securely recorded and immutable, significantly reducing the risk of data tampering or fraud. A synthetic dataset tailored for supply chain operations demonstrates the proposed system's feasibility and effectiveness. The results indicate substantial improvements in data integrity, traceability, and overall supply chain efficiency. This research highlights the potential of Blockchain to revolutionize supply chain management and provides a detailed framework for implementing such a system in real-world scenarios. The study's findings suggest that blockchain technology can be a critical tool in addressing the prevalent issues of trust and transparency in modern supply chains, offering a robust solution to enhance the reliability and efficiency of these complex networks.

Does supply chain transparency affect corporate cleaner production? A study based on the risk spill-over perspective

Taking the Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2021 as the research sample, this article empirically tests the influence and mechanism of supply chain transparency on enterprise behaviour from the perspective of enterprise cleaner production. First, supply chain transparency has a significant governance effect on enterprise cleaner production. Second, compared with enterprises in high-concentration markets and eastern regions, this governance effect is more significant in low-concentration markets and central and western regions of China. Through the mechanism research, it is found that supply chain transparency can improve the level of enterprise cleaner production through the path of risk spill-over. Finally, the enterprises with weaker dialogue rights in supply chain information disclosure have a stronger governance effect, and this disclosure method has an alternative governance effect on enterprise green information disclosure. This study not only helps to enrich the research on the internal mechanism of enterprise cleaner production from the perspective of supply chain transparency but also guides the information disclosure system to promote enterprise cleaner production.

Legitimacy and transparency in dyadic supply chains: Does competition intensity matter?

Working only with suppliers that meet certain social and environmental standards has become a new norm in the selection of business partners for many firms, which encourages suppliers to become more transparent to gain a competitive advantage. This study investigates whether buyer legitimacy is associated with supply chain transparency from an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) perspective. Using a dataset of 605 dyadic relationships from Chinese listed firms for the period 2011–2019, we empirically examine our conceptual framework using hierarchical linear regression models. We demonstrate that buyer legitimacy is positively associated with supplier ESG transparency in dyadic supply chains. We further find that the supplier's competition intensity negatively moderates the positive relationship between buyer legitimacy and supplier ESG transparency. Overall, our findings contribute to a better understanding of organizational legitimacy and the buyer–supplier relationship and offer practical guidelines for enhancing supply chain transparency.

An empirical investigation into the enhancement of decision-making capabilities in corporate sustainability leadership through Internet of Things (IoT) integration

This research investigates the impact of Internet of Things (IoT) applications on decision-making capacity (DMC) development in Corporate Sustainable Leadership (CSL). The research focuses on how IoT enhances Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices within organizations, addressing key sustainability challenges and supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through quantitative and qualitative analyses, the study identifies three primary findings: (1) IoT applications directly enhance power source management in the environmental domain, improving Business Strategy and Long-term Growth (BSLG) and Measurement and Reporting (M&R) capabilities. This is achieved through real-time monitoring, smart building management, and predictive maintenance. In the social sphere, IoT strengthens supply chain transparency, bolstering Stakeholder Management (SM) through real-time tracking and blockchain-integrated systems for product authenticity verification. IoT comprehensively empowers performing risk management in the governance realm, improving Organizational Culture (OC) through early warning systems and predictive analytics for risk mitigation. (2) IoT integration facilitates Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM), Real-Time Responsiveness (RTR), and Business Risk Management (BRM), key components of IoT-DMC. Furthermore, it supports the development of Effective Stakeholder Management (ESM), Resource Efficiency (RE), and Sustainable Competitive Outcomes (SCO) within IoT-CSL. (3) While highlighting the potential of IoT in advancing CSL, the research also acknowledges challenges such as initial investment costs, data privacy concerns, technological complexity, energy consumption of IoT devices, and electronic waste management. The study concludes that successful IoT implementation in CSL requires careful planning, robust data management, and a holistic approach considering both benefits and potential drawbacks.

Enhancing Supply Chain Transparency in Agriculture with Blockchain Technology: A Case Study of AgriDigital

Agriculture supply chain transparency has attracted a lot of attention lately. The idea relates to how easily relevant information regarding the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural goods is accessible to all parties involved in the agricultural supply chain, from farmers to consumers. For several reasons, including environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing, and food safety, it is imperative to maintain openness. The intricate and disjointed nature of the agricultural supply chain has made it difficult to attain complete transparency. A possible way to deal with these issues is through the use of blockchain technology. Blockchain can improve agricultural product traceability and accountability by offering a decentralized, irreversible ledger of transactions. With the use of this technology, supply chain players may access and validate information instantly, lowering the possibility of fraud and increasing overall efficiency.

Blockchain technology as an enabler of transparency and efficiency in sustainable supply chains

Blockchain technology, known for its decentralized and immutable ledger, presents a promising solution to the challenges of ensuring transparency and efficiency in sustainable supply chains. This abstract explores how blockchain can enhance traceability, verify authenticity, and foster stakeholder trust by providing an unalterable record of transactions accessible by all parties involved. Additionally, blockchain improves supply chain efficiency through streamlined processes, accurate data, and reduced fraud and errors, enabled by its secure and automated systems. Case studies in the food, fashion, and pharmaceutical industries demonstrate blockchain's practical applications, showcasing its role in ensuring food safety, ethical sourcing, and counterfeit prevention. Despite its potential, challenges such as integration with existing systems, scalability, regulatory compliance, and data privacy must be addressed. As these obstacles are overcome, blockchain is poised to become a key component in the management of sustainable supply chains, offering substantial benefits in transparency and operational efficiency.

Blockchain and smart contracts for supply chain transparency and vendor management

Blockchain technology and smart contracts are emerging as transformative tools for enhancing transparency and efficiency in supply chain management and vendor relations. Traditional supply chains often face challenges such as inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and susceptibility to fraud (Kouhizadeh & Sarkis, 2018). Blockchain, a decentralized ledger technology, coupled with smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with the terms directly written into code, offers promising solutions to these challenges (Wang, Han, & Beynon-Davies, 2019). This paper explores the application of blockchain and smart contracts in these domains, examining their potential to provide immutable records, streamline processes, and mitigate risks (Casado-Vara et al., 2018). Through a comprehensive analysis of current literature and case studies, we identify key benefits including improved transparency, enhanced efficiency, and better risk management (Christidis & Devetsikiotis, 2016; Tian, 2016). Our findings suggest that blockchain and smart contracts can significantly improve supply chain transparency and vendor management, though their implementation requires careful consideration of technical, regulatory, and organizational factors (Saberi et al., 2019). Notable case studies, such as Walmart’s blockchain pilot for food safety and De Beers' diamond tracking initiative, illustrate the practical benefits and challenges of adopting these technologies in real-world scenarios (Casino, Dasaklis, & Patsakis, 2019; Kshetri, 2018). Despite the promising outlook, further research is needed to address scalability, interoperability, and regulatory compliance issues to fully realize the potential of blockchain and smart contracts in supply chain management (Hughes et al., 2019).

Analysis of Industry 4.0 technological enablers for sustainable supply chain transparency in a fuzzy environment

AbstractThis study aims to identify various Industry 4.0 technological enablers and analyze their relationships in achieving transparency in sustainable supply chains. Initially, 17 Industry 4.0 technological enablers were selected based on an extensive literature review of sustainable supply chains and evaluated through Systems and Information Processing theories. Using the fuzzy Delphi method, these enablers were then narrowed down to 14 relevant ones. The reliability of these enablers was assessed by measuring their internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha (α) and McDonald's omega (ω). The fuzzy Decision‐Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was then used to demonstrate that blockchain, cybersecurity, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) are the most prominent and influential enablers for enhancing transparency in a sustainable supply chain. Additionally, the cause–effect relationship of other key enablers provides evidence for a feasibility study that links sustainability with transparency across the supply chain. These identified Industry 4.0 technological enablers can assist external stakeholders and policymakers in improving transparency and advancing sustainable supply chain practices.

Reimagining healthcare supply chains: a systematic review on digital transformation with specific focus on efficiency, transparency and responsiveness

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to comprehensively explore the impact of digitalization on healthcare supply chains (HcSCs). It seeks to understand how digital technologies enhance efficiency, transparency and responsiveness within these complex logistical systems. The study aims to provide a holistic view of the transformative potential of digitalization in the healthcare sector, with a particular focus on improving patient care and streamlining operational processes.Design/methodology/approachThis research employs a systematic review methodology, carefully curating a selection of 45 relevant articles from 66 articles rigorously screened using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology to provide a holistic view. It follows established systematic review protocols, incorporating a meticulous search strategy and precise keyword selection. The chosen research design enables a comprehensive examination of the existing body of knowledge concerning digital platforms, real-time tracking technologies, transparency and responsiveness in the context of HcSCs.FindingsThe findings of this study emphasize the pivotal role of digital technologies in reshaping HcSCs. Digital platforms, real-time tracking systems and technological integrations substantially enhance efficiency, transparency and responsiveness. Data-driven decision-making, improved communication and agile responses to dynamic demands are key aspects. These findings underscore the transformative impact of digitalization on healthcare logistics, emphasizing the potential for streamlined operations, enhanced patient care and more efficient resource allocation.Research limitations/implicationsDespite the systematic methodology, this study is subject to certain limitations. It relies on existing literature, which may not cover the most recent developments in the rapidly evolving field of digital HcSCs. Furthermore, the study may be influenced by publication bias. The implications suggest the need for continued research to explore emerging digital technologies and their effects on healthcare logistics, ensuring that supply chains remain agile and responsive.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of this research are significant for HcSC managers with insights into digital technologies to enhance transparency and collaboration and improve resource visibility. The integration of data analytics can lead to more effective inventory management and demand forecasting. Blockchain (BC) technology can ensure transparent and secure transactions, fostering trust among stakeholders. For practitioners, this research offers actionable guidance for navigating the digital age, promoting operational efficiency and ensuring a consistent supply of essential medical products. Researchers can use these insights as a foundation for further exploration into the potential of digitalization in HcSCs.Social implicationsThe social implications of digitalization in HcSCs are far-reaching. They encompass improved patient care, as digital technologies enhance the efficiency, transparency and responsiveness of supply chains. This translates to better access to critical medical supplies, potentially reducing healthcare disparities and benefiting underserved populations. Enhanced patient safety is a significant social outcome, as transparent and secure transactions enabled by technologies like BC mitigate the risks associated with counterfeit medications. Furthermore, digitalization builds trust among stakeholders, promotes accountability and fosters resilient healthcare systems, which are capable of responding effectively to crises. It also has the potential to make healthcare more affordable, contributing to increased healthcare access and transparency in decision-making.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this study lie in its comprehensive synthesis of diverse findings related to digitalization in HcSCs. While prior studies have examined isolated facets of digital technology adoption, this research provides a comprehensive overview. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of digitalization within the healthcare sector, offering practical approaches to enhance patient care and streamline operations.