Unlocking the potential of supply chain transparency : overcoming legacy system barriers in medium sized enterprises

Abstract

Modern supply networks increasingly demand supply chain transparency. Yet medium-sized enterprises (MSEs) often struggle to achieve it due to legacy IT constraints, fragmented data, skills shortages and limited budgets. This thesis conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) to synthesize the main technical barriers data silos, interoperability gaps, outdated infrastructure and security/privacy risks and organizational barriers change resistance, inadequate IT capacity and an unclear return on investment (ROI) that impede the adoption of blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT) and real-time analytics. The evidence indicates that a middleware/API-gateway integration layer combined with phased implementation can mitigate risk and cost while enabling interoperability with existing ERP/WMS systems. The thesis culminates in a practical integration roadmap tailored to MSEs. The recommendations help firms increase end-to-end visibility and responsiveness without disruptive rip and replace initiatives, thereby supporting more transparent and competitive supply chains.