Linking the digital and sustainable transformation with supply chain practices

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital technologies
• sustainable supply chains
• practice-based view
• digitalisation
• supply chain practices

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article [and/or] its supplementary materials.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) under German–Pakistan research cooperation (grant number 57459038 and grant number 57567483).

Notes on contributors

Lara Schilling

Lara Schilling was born in Heidelberg, Germany in 1996. She holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Mannheim and a Master of Science in sustainability management from the University of Kassel. Since 2022, she works as a research assistant and PhD student at the department of Supply Chain Management at the University of Kassel. Her research covers the intersection of sustainable supply chain management and digital transformation. A related line of research relates to emerging market contexts such as South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Stefan Seuring

Stefan Seuring was born in Fulda, Germany in 1967. He is a full professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Kassel, Germany. He is one of the globally leading authors on sustainable supply chain management but also covers topics on supply chain strategy, digitisation, and circular economy. Stefan has collaborated on interdisciplinary research projects with colleagues from agriculture, engineering, and political sciences. The Web of Science and Clarivate Analytics listed him as a highly cited researcher, in 2018, 2021, and 2022 for Cross-field in 2019 and 2020 for Economics and Business.