Digital technology adoption, impact and development in sustainable supply chain management : an exploratory study

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the application of digital technologies to enhance sustainability in supply chain management (SCM). The research explores essential digital technologies that improve sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), highlighting the importance of integrating these technologies for better outcomes while examining their applications across various industries. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining systematic literature reviews with multiple secondary case studies and expert interviews to achieve a comprehensive investigation. It identifies eleven impactful technologies, including blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), that enhance SSCM through improved transparency, efficiency, traceability, and collaboration capabilities. Moreover, the dissertation establishes ten building blocks to categorise these impacts and uses a network map to illustrate how combinations of technologies create synergistic advantages and the specific areas of SSCM they can influence. In addition, findings indicate that among the secondary case studies examined, blockchain had the highest implementation rate for SSCM, with the food and agriculture sector leading the adoption of digital technologies such as blockchain, AI, and IoT to achieve sustainability improvements in SCM. Recognising that companies may face strategic choices when adopting new technologies, the study also examines the methods of implementing digital technologies by comparing in-house development and outsourcing approaches. Expert interviews were conducted to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of developing AI in-house versus outsourcing its development, showing that the optimal strategy depends on company-specific circumstances and needs. Insights were gathered through a questionnaire developed from exploring the literature review on approaches to technology adoption, focusing on the make-or-buy decision and comparisons between in-house development and outsourcing for software and technology implementation. This dissertation contributes to the literature by identifying key digital technologies and their impacts on enhancing SSCM, enriching the theory with empirical insights from industry experts. It also provides a more detailed picture of the benefits that digital tools, such as blockchain, AI, and IoT, could offer across various industries. Additionally, it makes an essential contribution by exploring the strategic choices organisations face when adopting technologies like AI—specifically, the decision to develop technologies in-house versus outsourcing them. The study establishes a foundation for future research on digitalisation and sustainability in SCM. The dissertation also provides managers with practical knowledge about digital technologies that enhance SSCM, as well as guidance on understanding potential technologies and making adoption decisions based on available resources and objectives. The research also recommends to the decision-makers that using combinations of technology may help them achieve better sustainability results.