Technological role during the COVID-19 pandemic
| Article no. | Journals | Literature | Method | Author(s) | Context | Technology used | Description | The role of technology during disruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management | Theoretical | Conceptual | Moretto and Caniato (2021) | SC finance (SCF) | Electronic invoicing | Electronic payment to implement SCF | Modernise and dynamic pricing system |
| AI | A promising technology for SCF | SCF efficacy Automating activities Data sharing and analysis | ||||||
| 2 | Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management | Empirical | Mixed | Van Hoek (2021) | Purchasing and SCM | RFID | Technologies that are capable to store and exchange digital contents | Information sharing |
| Blockchain | Demand visibility Transparency of inventory | |||||||
| 3 | Operations Management Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Sharma et al. (2022) | Food SC | Blockchain | Evaluation of BCT-enabled food SCs resilient strategies that mitigate the effect of disruption | Traceability and flexibility Demand and supply shock control Real-time information sharing and monitoring |
| 4 | Operations Management Research | SLR | SLR | Hald and Coslugeanu (2022) | COVID-19 pandemic implications on the global SC | Digitalisation/technology (generic) | How technology enhances resilience | Flexibility Visibility Collaboration Agility |
| 5 | Operations Management Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Das et al. (2022a) | SCR | Process automation and AI | Considered as the critical factors for resilient SC to combat COVID-19 | Assessing situations and acting Manage information asymmetry and an uncertain environment Connectivity Transparency Accuracy |
| 6 | Operations Management Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Chatterjee and Chaudhuri (2022) | SC sustainability | Technology (generic) | How technological capability of a firm impact SC sustainability to address any turbulent environment? | Innovation capability |
| 7 | Operations Management Research | SLR | SLR | Naz et al. (2022) | Resilience in SC operations | AI | Investigating AI’s significant impact on creating sustainability and resilience | Adaptability and information processing Flexibility |
| 8 | Operations Management Research | Theoretical | Qualitative | Dongfang et al. (2022) | The part of I4.0 technology and circular economy (CE) in building resilient SC | Industry 4.0 technologies | The future I4.0 in developing RSC and its role during the pandemic | CE implementation Processing times reduction Integration in the SC Production process flexibility |
| Blockchain | Improve shipping time Reducing waste and costs Communication | |||||||
| IoT | Improved collection, transport and processing of commercial waste | |||||||
| 9 | Operations Management Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Akbari and Hopkins (2022) | The extent of I4.0 adoption and its support to build sustainability in Vietnam | BDA | To study the impact of I4.0 technology on Vietnam’s SC | Forecasting and recognition of sales and market |
| AM | Product customisation. Customer value propositions Reducing stock and waste across the SC Reducing transportation and storage cost Responsiveness | |||||||
| Advanced robotics | Delivery and manufacturing automation | |||||||
| Autonomous vehicles | Performances and reduced inefficiency | |||||||
| Drones | Delivery and cost reduction | |||||||
| AI | Improved performances and reduced inefficiency Fraud and risk management Inventory placement | |||||||
| IoT | SC efficiency, real-time tracking and traceability | |||||||
| BCT | Record accuracy, SC transparency and contract management | |||||||
| AR | Communication and visualization | |||||||
| 10 | Operations Management Research | Empirical | Qualitative | Piyathanavong et al. (2024) | Sustainable SC (SSC) | Industry 4.0 technologies | How I4.0 and CE contribute to SSC development | Process connection Product customisation Collaboration Encourage and support CE implementation Minimise costs |
| 11 | Operations Management Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Liu et al. (2022b) | The importance of digital technology in CE | Digital technologies (generic) | The use of technology on organisational performance | Organisational performances to achieve CE plans |
| 12 | Industrial Marketing Management | Empirical | Qualitative | Matthews et al. (2022) | Understanding the new normal in industrial firms | Emerging technologies such as omni-channels, digital e-commerce and/or hybrid system | How industrial firms used the adaptive systems to overcome the disruption. Leveraging technology in new ways | New communications. Virtual interactions |
| 13 | Industrial Marketing Management | Empirical | Qualitative | Zahoor et al. (2022) | The role of technology for dynamic capability and agility in B2B high-tech small and medium enterprises | Blockchain IoT AI e-Commerce omnichannel | Technology utilisation is a primary means to overcome the disruption of COVID-19 | Online presence and communications Inventory management |
| 14 | Industrial Marketing Management | Empirical | Mixed | Dubey et al. (2021a) | The effect of AI on SC operational and financial performances under different mediating factors | AI | AI-driven SC analytics capability as dynamic capabilities | Analytical capability Collaboration Interorganisational learning Accessing technology and resources Fostering innovation |
| 15 | Annals of Operations Research | SLR | SLR | Queiroz et al. (2022) | How to use technologies to manage SC | Blockchain AI AM | The role of digitalisation to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in commercial SC | Visibility Responsiveness Traceability |
| 16 | Annals of Operations Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Cui et al. (2023) | Manufacturing firm resilience during SC disruptions | Generic (collective digital technologies, BDA, CC, IoT) | DTs help firms process information, which determines firm resilience | Information and resource exchange and utilisation Responsiveness Operational efficiency |
| 17 | Annals of Operations Research | Case study | DEMATEL | Kazancoglu et al. (2023) | Sustainability and resilience of SC in an uncertain environment | AI | Based on previous and ongoing COVID-19 challenges, how can emerging technologies be used to build sustainability and resilience? | Decision-making Purchasing planning and traceability Tracking systems Efficiency and effectiveness Reduce planning errors, delivery delays and fluctuations |
| 18 | International Journal of Operations and Production Management | Theoretical | Event-study | Chen et al. (2021) | Digital transformation to enable SC finance | DTs | Reverse factoring | Risk mitigation Integrated SCF |
| Information integration IT | Purchase order finance SCF initiatives | |||||||
| BDA digital platform | SCF solutions | |||||||
| 19 | International Journal of Operations and Production Management | Theoretical | SLR | Barbieri et al. (2021) | Digital supply chain governance (buyer and supplier perspectives) | Generic | How the digital transformation is impacting the structure, practices and performance of inter-organisational governance in SCs | Coordination Control |
| 20 | International Journal of Operations and Production Management | Theoretical | Concept | Sarkis (2020) | Sustainability and resilience in SC | Technological innovations and implications Virtual reality linked cyber physics system technologies | Data-driven actions to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. To manage actions at a distance. I4.0 technologies are enablers of crisis management | Data sharing |
| 21 | International Journal of Operations and Production Management | Empirical | Mixed | Dennehy et al. (2021) | Crisis management (humanitarian SCs) | BDA capabilities | Optimising SCs | Overload, multi-tasking and information processing Responsiveness Decision-making Visibility and transparency in SC |
| 22 | International Journal of Operations and Production Management | Empirical | Quantitative | Xiong et al. (2021) | Mitigation capability of firms with lean and complex SC | BCT | To enhance transparency and traceability | Cut abnormal stock returns Mitigation Contingency |
| 23 | International Journal of Production Economics | Theoretical | Quantitative | Narayanamurthy and Tortorella (2021) | The moderating role of I4.0 to the relation between COVID-19’s work implications on employees’ performances | I4.0 (IoT, BDA, CC and machine learning) | Enhance employee and organisational flexibility and performance. Reduce costs, increase speed and quality improvement | Communication and information sharing Support decision-making |
| 24 | International Journal of Production Economics | Empirical | Quantitative | Ye et al. (2022) | DTs capability to mitigate COVID-19 between firms with high and lower levels of DTs | Overall DTs asset deployment of a firm | Based on asset orchestration perspectives, breadth (scope) and depth (scale) | High levels of SC visibility |
| 25 | International Journal of Supply Chain Management | Theoretical | Case study | Rajesh (2022) | SC and operation optimisation to build resilience and flexibility for disruption scenarios | Blockchain | The decentralised, secured, immutability, traceability and transparency options of BCT promote and nurture several sectors | B2B ordering automation |
| AI | The ability of AI to perform large complex data with greater accuracy, speed and agility, makes it preferable to optimise demand forecasting, ordering, inventory and transportation systems during the pandemic | Self-driving truck systems for product delivery and replace drivers | ||||||
| IoT | The IoT helps to track and authenticate products across the SC process | Communication and collaboration Data generation, storage and sharing capabilities | ||||||
| E-commerce | Online presence | Online marketing and communications | ||||||
| 26 | International Journal of Production Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Dubey et al. (2021b) | How collaborative partnerships built through AI-driven BDA capacity and intergroup leadership improve agility in humanitarian SCs | AI | Shows how information alignment, collaboration and AI-driven BDA capability impact SC agility | Information alignment and sharing Collaboration |
| 27 | International Journal of Production Research | Empirical | Mixed | Ivanov (2021) | Technology-driven disruption adaptation strategy | Generic | How digital technology is exploited to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic for viable SCs | Developing SCs viability Order patterns and deviations control (visibility) |
| 28 | International Journal of Production Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Alexopoulos et al. (2022) | A measure for resilience in manufacturing systems | AM (3D printing) | Creating a 3D physical object from digital data | Resilience estimation (in terms of cost) |
| 29 | International Journal of Production Research | SLR | Quantitative | Nayernia et al. (2022) | Implementation of I4.0 from an organisation perspective | I4.0 | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on I4.0 implementation is within the tension between value creation, protection and contingency approach | Remote working Increasing resilience and optimising resource management Information sharing |
| 30 | International Journal of Production Research | Theoretical | Design science approach | Kalaiarasan et al. (2023) | SC visibility in inbound logistics | RFID | Evaluation of various technologies for capturing and transmitting data to potentially improve the SC visibility of the firm’s inbound logistics. Improving deviation and predictive capability | High connectivity and tracking precision |
| Bluetooth technology | Connectivity and precision tracking | |||||||
| Long-range technology | Good connectivity and network-dependent tracking capability | |||||||
| Ultra-narrowband technology | High connectivity and tracking precision | |||||||
| 31 | International Journal of Production Research | Empirical | Quantitative | Badakhshan and Ball (2023) | Inventory and cash management in SC | Digital twins | The potential of digital twins to manage inventory and cash throughout the SC during disruption | SC performance A reduction in the cash conversion cycle for upstream members of the SCs |
| 32 | International Journal of Production Research | Theoretical | Conceptual | Singh et al. (2022) | Personal protective equipment (PPE) | AM | Benefits such as creating anatomically matching devices, as per the individual requirements, easy creation of porous fabric structures and fabrication of complex geometrical structures and tortuous channels | Production of PPE |
| 33 | International Journal of Production Research | Theoretical | Conceptual | Sodhi et al. (2023) | PPE | AM system (3D printing) | Research direction on technology as a whole | For rapid production of PPE |
| 34 | Transportation Research Part E | SLR | SLR | Chowdhury et al. (2021) | SC during COVID-19 Pandemic | Generic (AM) | Technological contribution in implementing resilience strategies | PPE and ventilators |
| 35 | Technological Forecasting and Social Change | Empirical | Mixed | Belhadi et al. (2021) | Developing SCR in manufacturing and service | I4.0 | The importance of digital technology for SCR’s long-term reactive and proactive disruptive response strategy | Risk mitigation strategies Real-time information sharing and cooperation using BDA |
| 36 | Computers and Industrial Engineering | SLR | SLR | Spieske and Birkel (2021) | SCR in the automotive industry | I4.0 | Improving SCR through I4.0 | Visibility and velocity |
| 37 | The international Journal of Logistics Management | SLR | Use case analysis based on CIMO logic | Kayikci et al. (2022) | Food SC | BCT | To explore the potential of BCT to support operational excellence in perishable food SC | Data immutability and transparency Visibility Integration Interoperability Asset management Disintermediation and data decentralisation Data standardisation, security and sharing |
| 38 | The international Journal of Logistics Management | Empirical | Quantitative | Frederico et al. (2023) | Impact of I4.0 | I4.0 technologies | To investigate the interoperability of disruptive technologies | Self-executed and controlled SC processes Information exchange and communication Data access and analysis Visibility and velocity of SCs SC integration Collaboration Responsiveness Transparency |
| 39 | Information Systems Frontiers | Theoretical | Case study | Sengupta et al. (2022) | Fish SC in a developing country | Blockchain Satellite imagery | How BCT helps to build SC resilience by overcoming fish SC challenges | Product flow information Transparency and traceability No intermediaries Cost and time reduction in the process |
| 40 | IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management | Theoretical | Concept development | Ivanov (2024) | The use of technology to enhance SC resilience by building and using end-to-end visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic | Early warning system | Investigating the potential and implementation of end-to-end visibility in the management of SC resilience | Detection of potential disruptions |
| Blockchain and track and trace technologies | Real-time recognition of real disruptions | |||||||
| BDA | Analysis of disruption | |||||||
| AI | Analysis of disruption | |||||||
| Digital collaborative SC platforms | Collaboration and disruption management |
| Journals | Literature | Method | Author(s) | Context | Technology used | Description | The role of technology during disruptions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical | Conceptual | SC finance (SCF) | Electronic invoicing | Electronic payment to implement SCF | Modernise and dynamic pricing system | |||
| AI | A promising technology for SCF | SCF efficacy | ||||||
| Empirical | Mixed | Purchasing and SCM | RFID | Technologies that are capable to store and exchange digital contents | Information sharing | |||
| Blockchain | Demand visibility | |||||||
| Empirical | Quantitative | Food SC | Blockchain | Evaluation of BCT-enabled food SCs resilient strategies that mitigate the effect of disruption | Traceability and flexibility | |||
| SLR | SLR | COVID-19 pandemic implications on the global SC | Digitalisation/technology (generic) | How technology enhances resilience | Flexibility | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | SCR | Process automation and AI | Considered as the critical factors for resilient SC to combat COVID-19 | Assessing situations and acting | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | SC sustainability | Technology (generic) | How technological capability of a firm impact SC sustainability to address any turbulent environment? | Innovation capability | |||
| SLR | SLR | Resilience in SC operations | AI | Investigating AI’s significant impact on creating sustainability and resilience | Adaptability and information processing | |||
| Theoretical | Qualitative | The part of I4.0 technology and circular economy (CE) in building resilient SC | Industry 4.0 technologies | The future I4.0 in developing RSC and its role during the pandemic | CE implementation | |||
| Blockchain | Improve shipping time | |||||||
| IoT | Improved collection, transport and processing of commercial waste | |||||||
| Empirical | Quantitative | The extent of I4.0 adoption and its support to build sustainability in Vietnam | BDA | To study the impact of I4.0 technology on Vietnam’s SC | Forecasting and recognition of sales and market | |||
| AM | Product customisation. Customer value propositions | |||||||
| Advanced robotics | Delivery and manufacturing automation | |||||||
| Autonomous vehicles | Performances and reduced inefficiency | |||||||
| Drones | Delivery and cost reduction | |||||||
| AI | Improved performances and reduced inefficiency | |||||||
| IoT | SC efficiency, real-time tracking and traceability | |||||||
| BCT | Record accuracy, SC transparency and contract management | |||||||
| AR | Communication and visualization | |||||||
| Empirical | Qualitative | Sustainable SC (SSC) | Industry 4.0 technologies | How I4.0 and CE contribute to SSC development | Process connection | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | The importance of digital technology in CE | Digital technologies (generic) | The use of technology on organisational performance | Organisational performances to achieve CE plans | |||
| Empirical | Qualitative | Understanding the new normal in industrial firms | Emerging technologies such as omni-channels, digital e-commerce and/or hybrid system | How industrial firms used the adaptive systems to overcome the disruption. | New communications. | |||
| Empirical | Qualitative | The role of technology for dynamic capability and agility in B2B high-tech small and medium enterprises | Blockchain | Technology utilisation is a primary means to overcome the disruption of COVID-19 | Online presence and communications | |||
| Empirical | Mixed | The effect of AI on SC operational and financial performances under different mediating factors | AI | AI-driven SC analytics capability as dynamic capabilities | Analytical capability | |||
| SLR | SLR | How to use technologies to manage SC | Blockchain | The role of digitalisation to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in commercial SC | Visibility | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | Manufacturing firm resilience during SC disruptions | Generic (collective digital technologies, BDA, CC, IoT) | DTs help firms process information, which determines firm resilience | Information and resource exchange and utilisation | |||
| Case study | DEMATEL | Sustainability and resilience of SC in an uncertain environment | AI | Based on previous and ongoing COVID-19 challenges, how can emerging technologies be used to build sustainability and resilience? | Decision-making | |||
| Theoretical | Event-study | Digital transformation to enable SC finance | DTs | Reverse factoring | Risk mitigation | |||
| Information integration IT | Purchase order finance SCF initiatives | |||||||
| BDA digital platform | SCF solutions | |||||||
| Theoretical | SLR | Digital supply chain governance (buyer and supplier perspectives) | Generic | How the digital transformation is impacting the structure, practices and performance of inter-organisational governance in SCs | Coordination | |||
| Theoretical | Concept | Sustainability and resilience in SC | Technological innovations and implications | Data-driven actions to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. | Data sharing | |||
| Empirical | Mixed | Crisis management (humanitarian SCs) | BDA capabilities | Optimising SCs | Overload, multi-tasking and information processing | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | Mitigation capability of firms with lean and complex SC | BCT | To enhance transparency and traceability | Cut abnormal stock returns | |||
| Theoretical | Quantitative | The moderating role of I4.0 to the relation between COVID-19’s work implications on employees’ performances | I4.0 (IoT, BDA, CC and machine learning) | Enhance employee and organisational flexibility and performance. | Communication and information sharing | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | DTs capability to mitigate COVID-19 between firms with high and lower levels of DTs | Overall DTs asset deployment of a firm | Based on asset orchestration perspectives, breadth (scope) and depth (scale) | High levels of SC visibility | |||
| Theoretical | Case study | SC and operation optimisation to build resilience and flexibility for disruption scenarios | Blockchain | The decentralised, secured, immutability, traceability and transparency options of BCT promote and nurture several sectors | B2B ordering automation | |||
| AI | The ability of AI to perform large complex data with greater accuracy, speed and agility, makes it preferable to optimise demand forecasting, ordering, inventory and transportation systems during the pandemic | Self-driving truck systems for product delivery and replace drivers | ||||||
| IoT | The IoT helps to track and authenticate products across the SC process | Communication and collaboration | ||||||
| E-commerce | Online presence | Online marketing and communications | ||||||
| Empirical | Quantitative | How collaborative partnerships built through AI-driven BDA capacity and intergroup leadership improve agility in humanitarian SCs | AI | Shows how information alignment, collaboration and AI-driven BDA capability impact SC agility | Information alignment and sharing | |||
| Empirical | Mixed | Technology-driven disruption adaptation strategy | Generic | How digital technology is exploited to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic for viable SCs | Developing SCs viability | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | A measure for resilience in manufacturing systems | AM (3D printing) | Creating a 3D physical object from digital data | Resilience estimation (in terms of cost) | |||
| SLR | Quantitative | Implementation of I4.0 from an organisation perspective | I4.0 | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on I4.0 implementation is within the tension between value creation, protection and contingency approach | Remote working | |||
| Theoretical | Design science approach | SC visibility in inbound logistics | RFID | Evaluation of various technologies for capturing and transmitting data to potentially improve the SC visibility of the firm’s inbound logistics. Improving deviation and predictive capability | High connectivity and tracking precision | |||
| Bluetooth technology | Connectivity and precision tracking | |||||||
| Long-range technology | Good connectivity and network-dependent tracking capability | |||||||
| Ultra-narrowband technology | High connectivity and tracking precision | |||||||
| Empirical | Quantitative | Inventory and cash management in SC | Digital twins | The potential of digital twins to manage inventory and cash throughout the SC during disruption | SC performance | |||
| Theoretical | Conceptual | Personal protective equipment (PPE) | AM | Benefits such as creating anatomically matching devices, as per the individual requirements, easy creation of porous fabric structures and fabrication of complex geometrical structures and tortuous channels | Production of PPE | |||
| Theoretical | Conceptual | PPE | AM system (3D printing) | Research direction on technology as a whole | For rapid production of PPE | |||
| SLR | SLR | SC during COVID-19 Pandemic | Generic (AM) | Technological contribution in implementing resilience strategies | PPE and ventilators | |||
| Empirical | Mixed | Developing SCR in manufacturing and service | I4.0 | The importance of digital technology for SCR’s long-term reactive and proactive disruptive response strategy | Risk mitigation strategies | |||
| SLR | SLR | SCR in the automotive industry | I4.0 | Improving SCR through I4.0 | Visibility and velocity | |||
| SLR | Use case analysis based on CIMO logic | Food SC | BCT | To explore the potential of BCT to support operational excellence in perishable food SC | Data immutability and transparency | |||
| Empirical | Quantitative | Impact of I4.0 | I4.0 technologies | To investigate the interoperability of disruptive technologies | Self-executed and controlled SC processes | |||
| Theoretical | Case study | Fish SC in a developing country | Blockchain | How BCT helps to build SC resilience by overcoming fish SC challenges | Product flow information | |||
| Theoretical | Concept development | The use of technology to enhance SC resilience by building and using end-to-end visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic | Early warning system | Investigating the potential and implementation of end-to-end visibility in the management of SC resilience | Detection of potential disruptions | |||
| Blockchain and track and trace technologies | Real-time recognition of real disruptions | |||||||
| BDA | Analysis of disruption | |||||||
| AI | Analysis of disruption | |||||||
| Digital collaborative SC platforms | Collaboration and disruption management |
Note(s):
B2B = Business-to-business
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