Supply Chain Technology Research Articles

Transforming agri-food value chains in Bangladesh: A practical application of blockchain for traceability and fair pricing

The agricultural sector is a vital component of Bangladesh's economy, but its agri-food supply chain faces signifi-cant inefficiencies primarily due to the involvement of numerous intermediaries. This complexity not only reduces the profits for farmers but also affects the overall transparency and efficiency of the supply chain. This study aims to em-ploy blockchain technology to transform the traditional agri-food supply chain in Bangladesh, focusing on increasing transparency, enhancing efficiency, and improving profitability for farmers, thus potentially bolstering the entire agri-food ecosystem in the country. The research involves setting up a blockchain-based smart contract on the Ethereum Blockchain network. This approach guarantees that all transactions within the agri-food supply chain are transparent, traceable, and accountable. Additionally, the study develops a web application to facilitate user interaction with the smart contract, enhancing accessibility and usability. Performance analysis and testing of the implemented smart con-tract demonstrate its capability to handle a significant volume of transactions without compromising on performance. The solution effectively reduces the dependency on intermediaries, thereby increasing the profit margins for the farm-ers involved. The integration of blockchain technology in the agri-food supply chain has shown promising results in enhancing transparency and efficiency. It lays a solid foundation for future improvements and suggests a scalable model that could be applied to other sectors within the country to further enhance agricultural practices and economic growth.

A three-phase framework for mapping barriers to blockchain adoption in sustainable supply chain

PurposeBlockchain technology is one of the major contributors to supply chain sustainability because of its inherent features. However, its adoption rate is relatively low due to reasons such as the diverse barriers impeding blockchain adoption. The purpose of this study is to identify blockchain adoption barriers in sustainable supply chain and uncovers their interrelationships.Design/methodology/approachA three-phase framework that combines machine learning (ML) classifiers, BORUTA feature selection algorithm, and Grey-DEMATEL method. From the literature review, 26 potential barriers were identified and evaluated through the performance of ML models with accuracy and f-score.FindingsThe findings reveal that feature selection algorithm detected 15 prominent barriers, and random forest (RF) classifier performed with the highest accuracy and f-score. Moreover, the performance of the RF increased by 2.38% accuracy and 2.19% f-score after removing irrelevant barriers, confirming the validity of feature selection algorithm. An RF classifier ranked the prominent barriers and according to ranking, financial constraints, immaturity, security, knowledge and expertise, and cultural differences resided at the top of the list. Furthermore, a Grey-DEMATEL method is employed to expose interrelationships between prominent barriers and to provide an overview of the cause-and-effect group.Practical implicationsThe outcome of this study can help industry practitioners develop new strategies and plans for blockchain adoption in sustainable supply chains.Originality/valueThe research on the adoption of blockchain technology in sustainable supply chains is still evolving. This study contributes to the ongoing debate by exploring how practitioners and decision-makers adopt blockchain technology, developing strategies and plans in the process.

Exploring the Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunities of Supply Chain Technology Adoption for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have a crucial impact on the Malaysian economy, making major contributions to the functioning of the supply chain. Integrating supply chain technology has become a crucial element in enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs in Malaysia. During recent years many developing and developed countries have witnessed the expansion of markets and supply chain networks; in the progress of these market and supply systems SMEs find various complexities when they are implementing or improving the technology integration of their supply chain. The current body of literature often addresses the adoption of technology in a general manner or within larger organizations, resulting in a significant gap in study about the specific circumstances and requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study employs a rigorous methodology that analyzes relevant papers to examine the drivers, challenges, and opportunities for adopting supply chain technology among SMEs in Malaysia. By implementing supply chain technology, Malaysian SMEs can increase their performance in many areas of key performance indicators. This includes improving efficiency, optimizing inventory management, achieving cost savings, enhancing customer service, and increasing market competitiveness. It is believed that the findings of the study can be useful for managers of SMEs, policymakers, and interested stakeholders. This will enable SMEs to navigate the challenges of adopting technology more effectively and enhance global competitiveness.

COLLABORATIVE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT IN THE SHARING ECONOMY: AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

This study examines the impact of the sharing economy on collaborative supply chain management among Turkish international trade firms. The sharing economy, which involves temporary access to underutilized resources via digital platforms, has challenged traditional supply chain models, necessitating resilient and flexible collaborations. The research utilizes the Inter-organizational Relationships (IOR), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and Resource-Based View (RBV) frameworks, highlighting dynamic capabilities. Through structural equation modeling and expert interviews, the findings reveal that trust and information sharing are essential, but their effects on e-collaboration are complex. Trust negatively correlates with e-collaboration, indicating that electronic platforms may mediate trust in low-trust environments. On the other hand, performance expectancy and facilitating conditions significantly boost e-collaboration adoption. The study identifies e-collaboration as a dynamic capability, improving operational performance, customer/supplier satisfaction, growth, and profitability. This research contributes theoretically by integrating organizational and individual perspectives on e-collaboration and elucidates the intricate relationships between trust, information sharing, and technology in supply chains. Practical recommendations are provided for leveraging technological innovations to enhance trust and information sharing in collaborative supply chains.

Blockchain technology and consumers’ organic food consumption: a moderated mediation model of blockchain-based trust and perceived blockchain-related information transparency

Purpose While the application of blockchain technology in the organic food supply chain has been increasingly recognized, the extant knowledge of how blockchain-driven traceability influences consumer perceptions and purchase intentions remains underexplored. Grounded in the stimulus-organism-response theory, this study aims to construct a moderated mediation model to examine blockchain-enabled traceability’s direct and indirect impacts on organic food purchase intention through perceived blockchain-related information transparency, considering the moderating role of blockchain-based trust. Design/methodology/approach A purposive sample of 5,326 Vietnamese consumers was surveyed using the PROCESS macro to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The findings indicate that blockchain-enabled traceability significantly enhances perceived blockchain-related information transparency, which positively influences organic food purchase intention. Furthermore, blockchain-based trust was found to positively moderate both the direct effect of transparency on purchase intention and the indirect impact of traceability on purchase intention through transparency. Practical implications Practical and managerial insights for stakeholders in the organic food sector are also discussed. Originality/value These results contribute to the literature by extending the stimulus-organism-response model to the context of blockchain technology in supply chains and highlighting the critical role of trust in moderating the effectiveness of technological innovations.

Digital Transformation in the Health Product Supply Chain: A Framework for Analysis

ABSTRACT Well-functioning supply chains for medicines and other health products are vital for a health system’s goals of ensuring access, quality, and efficiency. However, in several countries the performance of government-run supply chains for health products remains subpar. The widespread adoption of digital technology presents new opportunities for enhancing the performance of the health product supply chain. This paper aims to provide a practical and systematic analysis of digital initiatives within health product supply chains. It provides examples of successful digital interventions in each of the Enable, Plan, Source, and Deliver categories of the Supply Chain Operations Reference model. The examples provide clear evidence that the use of digital technology in the health supply chain can improve access and affordability; in some instances, use of digital technology can lead to faster health product adoption and alter the overall architecture of decision making. While many digital interventions in the public sector supply chain target the collection of data and its analysis and use for reporting, the long-term effectiveness of digital solutions hinges on their ability to enhance the agency of supply chain actors. A thorough and systematic inquiry about the logic model of how a particular digital solution enhances agency and improves accountability is essential at the outset. In developing roadmaps to prioritize and sequence digital solutions in health supply chains, governments should start by asking where lack of information is the primary constraint impeding supply chain performance.

Blockchain in Closed-Loop Supply Chain: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

This article investigates the potential applications of blockchain technology (BCT) in a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) using a systematic review of the literature. As a result, this study has used the Scopus database for a detailed search strategy to identify relevant studies on different applications of BCT in the context of CLSC. This article has employed a theme analysis approach and focuses specifically on peer-reviewed documents. Based on the themes and sub-themes, the CLSC literature has been divided into four clusters: ‘Barriers and enablers of blockchain implementation’, ‘Blockchain application in sustainability’, ‘Blockchain application in enabling soft supply chain dynamics’ and ‘Blockchain application in addressing inventory and other problems’. These four clusters are analysed to present future research areas on BCT applications in a CLSC, using a ‘results-systematization framework’. This study will provide valuable insights and understanding to researchers in advancing BCT-CLSC research. Moreover, practitioners and policymakers, who are interested in the implementation and execution of firm-level BCT in CLSC, will be greatly benefitted in terms of sustainable and efficient CLSC operations.

The Role of Information Processing and Digital Supply Chain Technology in Supply Chain Resilience through Supply Chain Risk (Management in Manufacturing Companies in DKI Jakarta)

The 2019 COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of supply chain resilience in the face of global disruptions. Supply chain disruptions caused by isolation measures during the pandemic triggered market turmoil, logistical uncertainty, and reduced production capacity, which sometimes led to shutdowns. In this context, research on supply chain resilience is crucial to prepare companies for future disruptions. This research aims to examine the impact of supply chain resilience on supply chain continuity in manufacturing companies in DKI Jakarta, focusing on the role of digital supply chains, information processing capabilities, and supply chain risk management. This research method uses a quantitative approach. Data were collected from 300 respondents in the basic and chemical industry, miscellaneous industries, and consumer goods sectors through purposive sampling techniques. The analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to identify the relationship between variables. The results showed that supply chain resilience has a significant positive influence on supply chain continuity. In addition, digital supply chains, information processing capabilities, and effective supply chain risk management were shown to support supply chain resilience in the studied sectors. The implication of this research is that it is important for companies to invest in digital technology, develop better information processing capabilities, and implement effective risk management to strengthen their supply chain resilience and continuity in the face of future global uncertainty.

Technological progress: Interconnectedness, innovation systems, and technology delivery systems the case of Indian electric vehicles

The electric vehicle (EV) technological supply chain progresses when demand (pull) aligns with supply (push) to perform as a technology delivery system. Actors, institutions, and networks interconnect the technological supply chain with innovation as responses to external pressures to produce and deliver technology products/services. The literature separately examined the progress from a delivery perspective (linking the demand and supply network) and a systems perspective that examines technological change as a socio-technical system. Technological progress requires changes aligning push and pull or one feeding into the other. The ‘motors of innovation’ that shape the innovation system are used in systems dynamics modeling linking technological changes and progress. This study uses ‘motors of innovation’ to combine the two perspectives and uses interconnectedness to examine the alignment of push and pull and the resulting delivery phenomena. The phenomena require studying it in its settings with diverse heuristic and analytic views. Therefore, this study uses case study methodology and selects multiple Indian EV cases comprising all vehicle segments in a government direct market scenario. It makes two contributions to technological progress: one defines the combined delivery and systems perspective and includes interconnectedness. The other is moving knowledge to a broad scope and expertise and striving for interconnectedness with other systems. Further insights are possible with cases that display better technological progress, as findings noted poor interconnectedness with limited technological capability and infrastructure.

Internet Technology for Efficiency and Resilience in Ocean Transportation Supply Chain Management: A Case Study of China Ocean Shipping Group

With the global maritime transport industry has faced many challenges in recent years, such as market volatility, environmental requirements and technological upgrading. The wide application of Internet technology has changed the management mode of the marine shipping industry and brought new opportunities for its development. Taking China Ocean Shipping Group as a case study, this study aims to explore the use of Internet technology to solve the problems faced by the ocean shipping supply chain and to discuss the importance of Internet technology in the ocean shipping supply chain, its areas of application, and the changes it may bring. Currently, the main problems faced by the marine transport supply chain include human resource costs, logistics information technology level, port and route selection, and shipping market uncertainty, which seriously affect the efficiency and flexibility of marine transport and operating costs. This study discusses Internet technologies to solve practical problems and specific supply chain management measures, including supply chain efficiency, flexibility and operating costs.

Green Supply Chain Technology Innovation and Enterprise Synergy in the Context of Sustainable Development: Challenges and Strategie

This study explores the synergistic development between technological innovation and enterprises in green logistics supply chains from the sustainable development perspective. The study first introduces the latest progress of China's environmental policies and technological innovation and analyses the importance and necessity of green logistics supply chain management. Subsequently, through case studies and theoretical research, this paper discusses the policies and regulations of green supply chain management, collaborative management among enterprises, and the development path of technological innovation. It further analyses the contents of policies and regulations, enterprise collaboration management, and technological innovation in green logistics supply chain management. It proposes strategies and suggestions to solve problems by combining cases and theories. Finally, this study summarises the development status of green logistics supply chain management. It looks forward to future development trends, emphasizing that more enterprises should strengthen cooperation to jointly promote green logistics supply chains, environmental protection, and sustainable economic and social development.

Blockchain-Driven Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Review for Unexplored Opportunities

This systematic review critically examines the diverse applications of Blockchain technology in the food supply chain and identifies areas where its potential remains underutilized. By analysing 60 Blockchain-based frameworks, the study highlights the most frequently employed drivers such as transparency, traceability, and security within food supply chains. Additionally, underexplored applications such as food donation and redistribution, supply chain financing, animal welfare, food waste management, and data analysis are identified, revealing opportunities for further innovation. The research employed NVivo 14 to analyze the extent of Blockchain’s implementation in various food supply chain drivers, and the findings informed the development of a more diverse framework for Blockchain integration. Key insights demonstrate Blockchain’s transformative potential, particularly in enhancing data integrity, trust, and operational efficiency through its immutable ledger and smart contracts, which streamline transactions, cut administrative costs, and reduce fraud. In terms of sustainability and safety, Blockchain improves traceability, accelerates safety responses, promotes environmental sustainability by tracking resource usage, and enhances humanitarian efforts with transparent, efficient resource distribution. Additionally, Blockchain facilitates food waste reduction by optimizing inventory and distribution, while ensuring surplus food reaches those in need. The study concludes by offering a roadmap for future research, pointing toward untapped dimensions of Blockchain’s application in food traceability, sustainable supply chain management, and environmental & social impact. While the review provides a comprehensive understanding of Blockchain’s current usage in food supply chains, the scope is limited by the systematic review process and specific inclusion criteria. This study serves as a foundation for exploring Blockchain’s broader potential in shaping the future of food supply chains.

Bridging the Gap: Innovations in Supply Chain Technology Through ERP Integration and Intelligent Automation

Bridging the Gap: Innovations in Supply Chain Technology Through ERP Integration and Intelligent Automation

Dynamic game research of food agricultural products supply chain based on blockchain traceability technology

PurposeFood quality and safety issues have always been imperative topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality. How to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.Design/methodology/approachThe paper aims to analyze the differences in product quality levels and market participants’ profits before and after the use of blockchain-driven traceability technology in the food agricultural product supply chain (SC) in the dynamic game frameworks of supplier-led and retailer-led modes, respectively, and explores the willingness, social welfare and consumer surplus of each member of the agricultural product SC to participate in the blockchain. Besides, We investigate the SC performance improvement with the mechanism of central centralized decision-making and revenue-sharing contract, compared to the SC performance in dynamic games.FindingsThe results are obtained as follow: The adoption of blockchain traceability technology can help improve the quality of food agricultural products, consumer surplus and social welfare, but the application and popularization of technology is hindered by traceability technology installment costs. Compared with the supplier leadership model, retailer-led food quality level, customer surplus and social welfare are higher.Research limitations/implicationsHow to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.Practical implicationsFood quality and safety issues have always been hot topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality.Social implicationsThe research results enrich the theories related to food safety and quality, and provide a valuable reference for food enterprises involved in the decision-making exploration of blockchain technology.Originality/valueBased on the characteristics of blockchain technology, the demand function is adjusted and the product loss risk of channel members is transferred through a Stackelberg game SC composed of agricultural products suppliers and retailers.Highlights:•We introduce two features of blockchain: quality trust and product information tracking.•The willingness of each member of the supply chain to use blockchain for product traceability was explored.•The overall traceability effect of the retailer-led blockchain is better than that of the manufacturer-led blockchain.•The cost of blockchain technology is a barrier to its adoption.•Blockchain brings higher consumer surplus and social welfare.

The Impact of the Application of Digital Twin Technology in Supply Chain 4.0: A Systematic Review

The Impact of the Application of Digital Twin Technology in Supply Chain 4.0: A Systematic Review

Operational Decisions of Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Supply Chain Members under Altruistic Preferences

How to efficiently and greenly dismantle abandoned buildings and reuse them is a dilemma facing the building material industry’s low-carbon objective. However, relevant studies ignore the influence mechanism of altruistic preferences of enterprises on green dismantling technology in supply chains. Driven by filling this theoretical gap, this paper firstly integrates reciprocal altruism theory and the Stackalberg game method and constructs a construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycling supply chain system consisting of a recycler and a remanufacturer, in which enterprises’ altruistic preferences are considered. The main theoretical outcomes of this paper are as follows. (1) In the case of unilateral altruism, enterprises’ altruistic preference behaviors help in increasing the green dismantling technological level and the amount of CDW recycling. Under the mutual altruism model, the influence of the recycler’s altruistic preference degree on the amount of CDW recycled hinges on the remanufacturer’s altruistic preference degree. (2) The utility of the enterprises and the green dismantling technological level are optimized under the mutual altruism model. (3) In a system of unequal power, unilateral “goodwill” by the follower will have a negative effect on their own interests; the leader plays a crucial role in facilitating equal cooperation and realizing win–win situations. This paper enriches the reciprocal altruism theory in waste management. It also helps in providing guidance for the recycler and remanufacturer in making operational decisions.

Battery recycling and coordination in information leakage prevention under blockchain technology in a new energy vehicles supply chain

Retired battery recycling and information leakage prevention under blockchain introduction intertwine in the new energy vehicle (NEVs) supply chain, but rare literature has jointly investigated them. Therefore, we characterize the vehicle goodwill under recycling and marketing efforts as well as the automobile demand function with and without blockchain introduction, identify the long-run discounted profits of the manufacturer and retailers in the supply chain, and investigate the Stackelberg differential game equilibrium under four scenarios: no blockchain introduction, manufacturer introduction, manufacturer-retailer cooperative introduction, and cooperative introduction plus wholesale price discounts for preventing information leakage. The results show that the manufacturer can introduce blockchain when costs are below a certain threshold, which increases the recycling rate of decommissioned batteries and improves goodwill, consumer demand, and marginal profits for the manufacturer and retailer; the retailer participation in the introduction of blockchain solves the free-rider problem and reduces the thresholds introduced, but does not affect battery recycling, goodwill, consumer demand, and wholesale and retail prices; wholesale price discounts effectively discourage the retailer from leaking information about the manufacturer and lead to improved profits for the retailer, but results in higher earnings for the manufacturer only when discounts are below a certain threshold.

Blockchain implementation for food safety in supply chain: A review.

Food safety has emerged as the topmost priority in the current fast-paced food industry era. According to the World Health Organization, around 600 million people, approximately 1 in 10 individuals worldwide, experience illness due to contaminated food consumption, resulting in nearly 0.42 million fatalities annually. The recent development in software and hardware sectors has created opportunities to improve the safety concerns in the food supply chain. The objective of this review is to explain the fundamentals of blockchain and its integration into the supply chain of various food commodities to enhance food safety. This paper presents the analysis of 31 conceptual works, 10 implementation works, 39 case studies, and other investigations in blockchain-based food supply chain from a total of 80 published papers. In this paper, the significance of adapting conceptual ideas into practical applications for effectively tracing food commodities throughout the supply chain has been discussed. This paper also describes the transformative role of blockchain platforms in the food industry, providing a decentralized and transparent ledger to access real-time and immutable records of a product's journey. In addition, both the positive impacts and challenges associated with implementing blockchain technology in the food supply chain have been evaluated. In summary, the blockchain-based food supply chains offer greater transparency, traceability, and trust, ultimately resulting in higher standards of food safety and quality.

Looking beyond disruption to build agile and resilient supply chains for the future

The events of recent years, ranging from geopolitical tensions and global health events to labour shortages and economic crises, have highlighted significant vulnerabilities within global supply chains and emphasised the need for agility and resilience. Recent studies referenced in this paper, including the ‘Global Business Optimism Insights’ report, underscore that while large businesses tend to prioritise strengthening their supply chains, smaller businesses are often more focused on customer base expansion, potentially risking operational robustness. This approach could jeopardise customer satisfaction due to failures in meeting on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery metrics, leading to potential financial penalties and customer dissatisfaction. With that in mind, this paper aims to help supply chain organisations understand how they can obtain the agility and resilience needed to weather ongoing disruption and futureproof their operations. It provides recommendations on how this can be achieved, pointing to access to trusted, real-time data across the supply chain network as a critical component. The paper also identifies, however, that many supply chain businesses struggle to obtain this access to data for rapid and informed decision making. Research from InterSystems finds that this data challenge is further complicated by a lack of end-to-end supply chain visibility, which is often exacerbated by data silos created by disparate systems and manual processes. These visibility challenges negatively affect key performance indicators such as OTIF metrics and restrict an organisation’s ability to adapt to disruptions swiftly. The paper explores how supply chain organisations can overcome these difficulties, identifying investment in digital supply chain technologies such as decision intelligence platforms as a way in which they can bridge the real-time execution gap and enable supply chain leaders to optimise processes. These platforms integrate real-time data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance visibility, decision making and operational efficiency. The paper draws the conclusion that building resilient, future-proof supply chains is crucial for organisations to manage disruptions and capitalise on opportunities effectively. In the wake of ongoing disruption, the paper aims to demonstrate that by adopting the right technological solutions and embracing a cultural shift to data-driven operations, supply chains can transform to better withstand future challenges and move their organisation forward, thus ensuring sustained growth and enhanced customer loyalty.

Block Chain Technology in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain: Enhancing Transparency and Security

Blockchain technology has been a key addition to the technology sector and its integration to various aspects of businesses has achieved immense success. Its implementation in the pharmaceutical industry continues to give promise of further optimizing the supply chain by increasing safety, efficiency, and transparency. This paper explores the fundamental concepts of Blockchain technology and its relevance to supply chain management, particularly within the pharmaceutical industry. It examines how Blockchain enhances transparency through real-time tracking and traceability of pharmaceutical products, thereby mitigating risks associated with counterfeiting and unauthorized distribution. This research will also look at various successful projects that have embraced the Blockchain technology such as the IBM and Walmart's Blockchain pilot and the Medi Ledger Project. It also highlights the challenges that companies need to address in the future so as to be able to successful implement the system. Overall, the research into how Blockchain technology is able to offer security and efficiency in the pharmaceutical supply chain is presented herein