Linking the digital and sustainable transformation with supply chain practices

Lara Schilling and Stefan Seuring

International Journal of Production Research, 2024, vol. 62, issue 3, 949-973

Abstract: The digital transformation involves both risks and opportunities for the sustainability of global supply chains. This systematic literature review of 64 peer-reviewed English journal articles aims to show how the adoption of digital technologies is related to (sustainable) supply chain management practices and associated sustainable outcomes. (Non)existing relationships between these constructs will be examined, which has not been done previously. Content, frequency, and contingency analyses are conducted from a practice-based view. The study reveals three main topics in the literature: (1) a mainstream eco-efficiency debate; (2) supplemented by a data-driven, comprehensive long-term perspective on environmental sustainability; and (3) hard-to-measure substantive sustainability aspects that can be fostered by communication, selective monitoring and certification. An integrated perspective of these three topics is proposed to facilitate a more viable sustainability approach. Based on the identified (non)existing relationships, researchers and practitioners learn about the digital technologies and practices they can use to improve supply chain sustainability. Importantly, it should be recognised that hardly quantifiable targets and related practices are obscured by large datasets. Future research should focus on the integration of economic aspects to ensure the compatibility of long-term substantial sustainability goals and the profitability of the entire supply chain.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/00207543.2023.2173502

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