Transformation strategies for the supply chain: the impact of industry 4.0 and digital transformation

Abstract

This research focuses on the impact of 'Industry 4.0' and 'Digital Transformation' on information sharing and decision making across the supply chain (SC). Following a qualitative approach, the findings are threefold: First, it is shown that the possibility of an entire SC integration based on new technologies is still at distance. Current burdens are the missing willingness to exchange far-reaching information even with long-term partners and the missing technological interface standards in order to enable a trouble-free communication alongside the SC. Second, the impact of Industry 4.0 and the Digital Transformation on decision making is greatly connected to information sharing. An increasing amount of decisions is prepared, recommended or even fully automated by information systems. However, usually, the human being still has the last word. Third, companies' preparations for these impacts differ greatly. Whereas some companies rely on classical phase-based strategies and long-term visions, others do not have a long-term plan at all.

Multistage implementation framework for smart supply chain management under industry 4.0

“… Preindl et al. (2020) demonstrated that the digital transformation, and industry 4.0, have the capability to accomplish a fully digital supply chain through higher transparency in terms of the centralization of the processes.…”

Digitalization and its Impact on the Future Role of SCM Executives in Talent Management – An International Cross‐Industry Delphi Study

“…Panelists expect AI not to completely replace the SCM leaders in the SCM talent recruitment process (see Projection 3), but rather to act in an assistant role. Thus, experts follow the assumption that digital technologies could prepare or recommend an increasing number of future decisions in SCM (Preindl et al 2020) and support SCM executives as an actor in terms of identifying and selecting potential SCM talents, since these processes can be standardized and verified by algorithms. However, the final recruiting decision will remain highly personal, since the experts do not assume that AI will be able to evaluate, for example, a cultural fit on an emotional level.…”

New Business Models for Sustainable Spare Parts Logistics: A Case Study

“…As a result, the incorporation of additive manufacturing into production processes has brought significant transformations in supply chain design and the organization of production and distribution to end users [1], to the extent that additive manufacturing is considered a disruptive technology within the supply chain [2]. In fact the incorporation of 3D printing, along with other innovative technologies, has resulted in the so-called digital supply chains (DSC) [3], whose impact has been widely studied in recent years [4][5][6][7][8].…”