Significance of Industry 4.0 in Achieving Sustainable Performance Across Supply Chains—A Research Perspective

Abstract

The enabling technologies in Industry 4.0 (I4.0) are leading to dramatic transformations of supply chains and helping organizations achieve sustainable development goals. With ever-increasing pressure from regulators and customers to adopt environment-friendly business practices, achieving sustainable development goals has become critical for any organization. Thus, the seamless deployment of various enabling technologies in I4.0 is vital for managing and enhancing sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). Adopting enabling technologies across supply chains and their implications on sustainable performance is an emerging area that needs extensive academic research and lasting attention from the practice. This paper examines the adoption of I4.0's digital technologies in the context of SSCP. Bibliometric literature review (SLR) methodology and bibliometric analysis are conducted to analyze the existing literature in SSCP. Moreover, cocitation network analysis and coword analysis are carried out to determine different themes of the literature. Integrating I4.0's enabling technologies is indispensable for enhancing supply chains' social, economic, and environmental performance. The conceptual framework proposed for realizing SSCP based on the I4.0's enabling technologies is a novel contribution. It encompasses competitive advantages, supply chain strategies, and all three aspects of sustainability across a supply chain. This study suggests a framework that contributes to SSCP by adopting I4.0's enabling technologies. Moreover, it identifies a future scope for quantitative research on the contribution of particular I4.0 technologies in dimensions of sustainable supply chains.