Sarath Menon

The rapidly growing world of digitalisation opens the doorway for the new era of automation that plays a crucial role within the industry. Furthermore, technological innovations that are emerging every day are disrupting traditional business processes especially within small and medium size manufacturing enterprises (SMEs). The current industrial revolution pioneer for profit maximisation with cost reduction shows a significant refinement in improving sustainability that drives forward digitalisation.
Evidence shows that industries have identified digitalisation as a priority in the upcoming years as the global supply chain is equipping itself with the digital world in the current industrial revolution. Economic growth is dependent on SMEs around the world where small and medium size Manufacturing Enterprises (SMMEs) play a vital role in the current competitive world while they are not able to manage their supply chains effectively and efficiently due to a lack of optimisation of digitalisation. They identify that technological innovation is evident for transforming themselves with digital supply chain, while global market leading organisations are positioning themselves with the world of digitalisation to their end consumers in their supply chain utilising technological innovation virtually driving towards a new era of a digital ecosystem.
This research aims to investigate the impact of technological innovation to foster and promote digital supply chain within SMMEs. Due to the exploratory nature, this study adopted a case study approach where the data is collected using a semi-structured interview across 4 cases from three various countries. The findings indicate a lack of framework for the digitalisation of supply chains within SMMEs, in addition to a lack of technological innovation and financial constraints that served as limiting factors for digitalisation of supply chain within organisations. Further, a framework has been developed consisting of five elements that have been identified from empirical data as being critical for Digital Supply Chain (DSC) transformation. The theoretical contributions of this research are the identification of problems faced, limitations of technological innovation, and an improved understanding of how digital supply chain transformation can be initiated and achieved in the context of SMMEs. The practical contribution of this study is imbedded in the developed framework in the form of recommended strategies for SMMEs for digitalisation of supply chain.

The purpose of this insight paper is to provide an overview of early studies implemented on examining the influence and impacts of Digitalisation in sustainable manufacturing, with the key focus towards the new Digital Supply Chain (DSC), through the implementation and adoptability of Industry 4.0 parameters within the context of sustainable manufacturing. There have been few literature that discusses the evolution and transformation of the transformation of traditional manufacturing methods through comparisons of conceptual models and state of art reviews of digitalisation and industry 4.0 with specific focus on digitisation within supply chain processes. Through early studies within literature, it was noted that there is a gap in linking Sustainable Manufacturing practices to the new elements and actors of industry 4.0 and its wider impacts on DSC. Hence, the authors aim to explore firstly, sustainable manufacturing and the practices adopted within supply chain, with specific case of food manufacturing sectors, before finally examining the literature concerning the focus of digitalisation in manufacturing processes.

Over the past years supply chain has undergone a massive change, from operational function which reported to sales or manufacturing which then focused on ensuring the supply of production lines and delivery to customers, to an independent supply chain management team which is led by Chief Supply Chain Officer in some organisation. Industry 4.0 and their innovative technologies has created a disruption which requires the organisations to redesign their supply chain. Emergence of the industry 4.0 has paved the way for next level of supply chain- Digital Supply Chain. Global market leading manufacturers has positioned themselves with the world of supply chain 4.0 to meet the expectation of their end customers. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) plays has major role in supporting the global market leaders. But SMEs lacks the knowledge of significance of digitalising themselves with the extremely complex supply chain 4.0 which may lead them to losses and closures if they do not transform themselves with the latest innovative technologies and adopt digital supply chain (DSC). This paper aims to review the current literature's on digital supply chain to gain insight of current status of relevant literature's which focus on Digital transformation of supply chain within manufacturing SMEs.

The objective of this research paper is to assess and produce a synthesis of peer and research findings towards a better understanding on the impacts of technology developments such as that of Internet of Things (IoT) in global supply chains. It examines on how they begin to converge as one integrated concept. The basis of the paper will revolve around (IoT) areas impact the Supply chain and in turn the management of the supply chain, it will also look at the growing innovation within (IoT) and large investments being made in the supply chain sector. It could further be argued that (IoT) is merely a repeatable exercise and merely an investment that any competitive market could undertake thus nullifying any genuine competitive advantage. Furthermore, it provides future researchers to explore the criteria that can be assessed by organisations towards the adoption and implementation of IoT services and its readiness.

This paper aims to summarize the current and potential capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it contributes to Logistics Management and how it might contribute more in the digital age of the year 2050. It will be discussing the new technologies that could one day reshape logistics management and supply chain environment from what it is today into something totally different in the future. Logistics management is an evolving function that has been created, adapted and implemented into the supply chain environment. The diversification of this phenomenon the Internet of Things (IoT) with its emerging attributes are all since it is constantly in motion. The innovative solutions that have been created and can be built upon further are excessively compulsive and are non-compellable. There is the foresight that the internet of things (IoT) will take over the way logistical operations are managed today and in so doing it will reduce the staff numbers of many organisations worldwide.

Fourth Industrial revolution, Industry 4.0– A rapidly growing world of digitization that opens the doorway for new era of automation plays a crucial role within the industry which requires a constant research and improvements to achieve and sustain themselves in current world of competitive market. Implementation of industry 4.0 technologies pioneer for a profit maximization with cost reduction and has even realized to show a significant refinement in improved sustainability. Global Market leading organisations are positioning themselves with world of digitisation to their end consumers utilising the digital marketing, e-commerce and customer experience virtually driving towards a completely new era of digital ecosystem. Supply chain management (SCM) within the small and medium enterprises (SME’s) plays an important role in supporting the global manufacturing economies. SME’s lacks the understanding and significance of transforming themselves with the extremely complex digital supply chain systems that may leads to losses if they don’t embrace now for innovations and implement the latest technological advancements. This paper aims to examine the current trends and impacts of latest technologies within the SME’s with the view of key factors of Industry 4.0.

Rapidly growing technology and a digitally focused world have opened the door for a new wave of automation to enter the work force in the industry. Industry 4.0 plays a vital role in Supply chain management (SCM) which requires constant research and improvements due to high demand to meet their global competitive markets. As part of achieving this high demands, SCM has been incorporating the latest evolving technologies by digitalizing and automating themselves to increase their financial profits and competitiveness in the market. This paper aims to have a review on Supply Chain Management (SCM) and latest technologies in Industry 4.0 revolution.

Industry 4.0 (I 4.0) is currently recognised as a collective expression for different technologies. The gradual but steady adoption of different technologies in industry 4.0 plays a vital role in different areas of industries. Reverse logistics has been now a growing research area including identifying ways for industries to operate efficiently with industry 4.0. The potentials for cost reduction and profit maximisation have been realised by the involved corporations and a significant number of them is already investing heavily on the new technologies that result in efficient reverse logistics and performance. Researchers now believe that improving the reverse logistics results in sustainable developments in the current competitive market. In this paper researcher aims to focus on the impacts of Industry 4.0 over the reverse logistics.

Climate change ranks highly among the challenges faced by humanity in the world today and negatively emasculate efforts for communities to attain sustainable development. All the countries are introducing new legislation practices that help to minimize environmental degradation and resulting climate change. Business are being compelled to adapt innovative supply chain practices, methods and processes that minimizes the impact on the environment, reduces human susceptibility from the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. In line with this thyme of environmentally friendly business processes, this paper looks at how logistics and supply chain management for pharmaceutical products to the public health sector by XYZ Limited (XYZ) in Zambia have been enhanced after the implementation of the Warehouse Management System (WMS).

There has been a vast development within the span of three centuries of industrial revolution with the introduction of modern technology. The gradual but steady adoption of different technologies including Internet of Things (IoT) in Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is now a growing research area including identifying ways for industries to operate their functions. The implementation of IoT in all aspects of human life, which results a fast paced daily life activities is a clear indication that the future is here now. The potentials for cost reduction and profit maximisation have been realised by the involved corporations and a significant number of them is already investing heavily on the new technologies. Scientists now believe that empowering the Internet of Things (IoT) to have artificial intelligence (AI) could help human beings to complete works more smartly and efficiently. The paper aims to focus on the impacts of IoT that affects the supply change management and will explain the reasons that have led to the ever-growing adoption of IoT.