| dc.description.abstract | The aim of this study is to understand the digital supply chain, its impact on the Circular Economy, and blockchain technologies’ role. Industry 4.0 have introduced a wide range of disruptive digital technologies that broadens the possibilities and feasibility of digitalization. Digitalization of supply chains seems to be the only way to respond to such a radical change as the Circular Economy.
The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of what a digital supply chain is. By focusing the analysis on aspects of digitalization in the supply chain, themes will be identified to help understand what a digital supply chain is, how it impacts the circular economy and what blockchain technologies' role is in a digital supply chain. Through a systematic literature review, we try to gain insight into the current literature published. By using an inductive approach, three thematic categories were identified: (1) Digitalization and data management; (2) digitalization and information exchange; and (3) digitalization and supply chain.
The findings show that digitalization is concerned with intra- and inter-organizational capabilities. Both complement each other as digitalization for intra-organizational purposes facilitates building inter-organizational capabilities. Both are important to reaching a digitalized supply chain with reliable data management systems that connect the physical and the digital world, provide reliable data for information exchange, and mediate the implementation of a digital twin supply chain. However, a digital twin supply chain extends the digitalization of the supply chain with implications for the digital supply chain concept.
This paper concludes that there is no clear explanation of what a digital supply chain is but that its impact on the circular economy is positive for all perspectives of the digital supply chain that is introduced. Furthermore, blockchain technology is flexible and plays an important role in every thematic category. As the most suitable technology among Industry 4.0 core technologies for creating a collaboration platform, it plays a vital part in the digital supply chain. | |