On Deploying Blockchain Technologies in Supply Chain Strategies and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Outlook

Abstract

The emergence of a new pandemic, known as COVID-19, has touched various sections of the supply chain (SC). Since then, numerous studies have been conducted on the issue, but the need for a holistic review study that highlights the gaps and limits of previous research, as well as opportunities and agendas for future studies, is palpable. Through a systematic literature review on blockchain technology (BCT) deployment in supply-chain management (SCM) concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, this research seeks to add to the content of previous studies and to enlighten the path for future studies. Relevant papers were found using a variety of resources (Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ProQuest). Seventy-two articles were systematically selected, considering the PRISMA procedure, and were thoroughly analyzed based on BCT, methodologies, industrial sectors, geographical, and sustainability context. According to our findings, there is a significant lack of empirical and quantitative methodologies in the literature. The majority of studies did not take specific industries into account. Furthermore, the articles focusing on the sustainability context are few, particularly regarding social and environmental issues. In addition, most of the reviewed papers did not consider the geographical context. The results indicate that the deployment of BCT in several sectors is not uniform, and this utilization is reliant on their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the concentration of research on the impacts of the BCT on SCM differs according to the conditions of various countries in terms of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also show that there is a direct relationship between the deployment of BCT and sustainability factors, such as economic and waste issues, under the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Finally, this study offers research opportunities and agendas to help academics and other stakeholders to gain a better knowledge of the present literature, recognize aspects that necessitate more exploration, and drive prospective studies.

Blockchain Technology in Operations & Supply Chain Management: A Content Analysis

“…Out of 74 results, 28 articles were included after assessing the full text. These review articles were subsequently analyzed in detail [10,12,18,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73]. The studies are deemed relevant as the authors provide the used search strings and databases in the articles and therefore follow a systematic approach in the sense of Tranfield (2003) [74].…”

A Tertiary Review on Blockchain and Sustainability with Focus on Sustainable Development Goals

“…These will have positive impacts on SDG targets 17.10, 17.11, and 17.12. 7 We give only one or two reference papers for each code in this overview table. For details, please refer to the description in Section IV.A.2.…”

A Tertiary Review on Blockchain and Sustainability With Focus on Sustainable Development Goals

“…Many sustainable development initiatives have been developed to improve sustainability by integrating emerging ICT technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), big data and blockchain. Studies also indicate that technologies such as AI and blockchain have become significant decisive elements for a company's success or failure under the COVID-19 pandemic and in making a contribution to sustainability because such technologies might enhance the resilience of supply chains and businesses against the negative consequences of future pandemics and unforeseen interruptions [7].…”

“…Although blockchain is a rapidly evolving technology, it drives social change in many domains, expanding from the original application domain of finance [9] to smart cities [10], supply chain and logistics [11], energy [12], smart manufacturing and industry 4.0 [13], healthcare [8], maritime transport [14] among others. According to [7], food, agriculture and healthcare sectors have most commonly utilized blockchain technology to address the COVID-19 situation.…”