Guoqing Zhao, School of Management, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom

Haiyan Lu, Newcastle University Business School, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom

Track Call

Operations & Supply Chain Management (OSCM) are facing more uncertainties due to the increasing complexity of the structure, the impact of geopolitical conflicts on trade, and the severity impacts of climate change (Zhao et al. 2020; Zhao et al. 2024). In facing of these uncertainties, stakeholders are trying to deploy digital innovations to increase their service quality, business continuity, information availability, inter-connectivity, and further to facilitate transformation of OSCM (Sarkis et al. 2021; Zhou et al. 2024). For example, blockchain technology has been applied to OSCM area quickly pinpoint potential sources of contamination to efficiently prevent, contain or rectify outbreaks (Zhao et al. 2019). Big data has been applied to assist supply chain stakeholder’s decision-making, reduce supply chain costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Autonomous robotics have been applied to the manufacturing sector to improve speed and accuracy of routine operations. Other technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), machine learning (ML), and internet-of-things (IoT) all have been applied to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of OSCM (Holmstrom et al. 2019). Thus, this session is focused on papers addressing research, applications and implications that provides insights into how different digital innovations applied to the area of OCSM to support decision-making, knowledge circularity, resilience, flexibility, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Track Areas

  • Drivers/facilitators/barriers/challenges to apply digital innovations to OSCM;
  • Optimized decision-making through applying big data analytics;
  • Transparency improvement through applying blockchain and IoT;
  • Efficiency enhancement with autonomous robotics;
  • Virtual OSCM powered by AI, web 3.0, blockchain, and metaverse;
  • Enhanced OSCM antifragility and resilience through applying digital technologies;
  • Case studies of how to apply various digital innovations in OSCM;
  • Nexus between digital innovations and OSCM sustainability;  
  • Risk management with various digital technologies;

References

Holmstrom, J., Holweg, M., Lawson, B., Pil, F.K., Wagner, S.M. 2019. The digitalization of operations and supply chain management: theoretical and methodological implications. Journal of Operations Management 65(8), pp. 728-734.

Sarkis, J., Kouhizadeh, M., Zhu, Q. 2021. Digitalization and the greening of supply chains. Industrial Management & Data Systems 121(1), pp. 65-85.

Zhao, G., Liu, S., Lopez, C., Chen, H., Lu, H., Mangla, S.K., Elgueta, S. 2020. Risk analysis of the agri-food supply chain: a multi-method approach. International Journal of Production Research 58(16), pp. 4851-4876.

Zhao, G., Liu, S., Lopez, C., Lu, H., Elgueta, S., Chen, H., Boshkoska, B.M. 2019. Blockchain technology in agri-food value chain management: a synthesis of applications, challenges and future research directions. Computers in Industry 109, pp. 83-99.

Zhao, G., Vazquez-Noguerol, M., Liu, S., Prado-Prado, J.C. 2024. Agri-food supply chain resilience strategies for preparing, responding, recovering, and adapting in relation to unexpected crisis: a cross-country comparative analysis from the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business Logistics, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12361

Zhou, X., Lu, H., Mangla, S.K. 2024. The impact of digital traceability on sustainability performance: investigating the roles of sustainability-oriented innovation and supply chain learning. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 29(3), pp. 497-522.