Project

Member of University of Ljubljana

School of Economics and Business

Code

J7-50185

Project

Transparency and digitalization in supply chains

Period

1. 10. 2023 - 30. 9. 2026

Range on year

0,67 FTE

Head

dr. Peter Trkman

Research activity

Social sciences/Business; Information Science; Public Administration

Research Organisation

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Public Administration

Abstract

The significance of Supply Chain Management (SCM) has grown, driven by the imperative to oversee the entire supply chain. This heightened importance is attributed to the increasing influence of digitalization, the demand for end-to-end visibility, and recent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine crisis, and considerations related to reshoring. Moreover, the progress in technology such as 5G networks, distributed ledger platforms, the Internet of Things (IoT) and big-data analytics, enabled the supply chain to address transparency across the board. 

Today, companies have the option to voluntarily disclose information concerning their supply chains, processes, suppliers, materials and financial data to their stakeholders but several intricate questions remain unaddressed. For instance, supply chain and organization designs are critical in achieving supply chain transparency (SCT) to the extent where it can either enable or restrict voluntary information disclosure. Therefore, the role and relation of organizational and supply chain design transparency needs to be further investigated for a proper, comprehensive and performance-enhancing approach to digitalization.

With that in mind, this project aims to move beyond the predominant examinations of digitalization, where the emphasis is often on implementation of new technologies and process integration. It looks for insights in the context of strategic decision-making which requires inter-disciplinary approach within the social sciences domain.

Researchers

SICRIS

The phases of the project and their realization

The project phases consist of four working packages. Given the inherently interdisciplinary nature of this project, an overall mixed-methods approach is necessary.

Work Package 1 (WP1) is focused on clear identification and outlining the scope of supply chain transparency that has been previously studied in relation to technology, stakeholders and sustainability. Our approach involves mapping the concept itself where we will be able to identify enablers, pre-requisites and outcomes. We will also provide practical and theoretical insights that will support deeper understanding of transparency at the organizational level.

Work Package 2 (WP2) ambition resides in its multi-disciplinary approach to address how digitalization can effectively contribute to the sustainable achievement of transparency in supply chains. The current literature extensively covers design practices such as organizational structuring, business unit reconfiguration, business process design, as well as team and job design. However, there has been a notable gap in understanding (1) the interdependencies across levels and (2) their manifestation and outcomes in digital work and supply chains. The focus should be directed towards investigating aspects of digitalization and organizational design as well as the resulting outcomes in terms of increase in transparency.

Work Package 3 (WP3) main purpose is to explore the impact of the increasing digitalization of SCT on employee sentiments, particularly as it extends across organizational boundaries. The acceptance of digitalization depends in various factors, including employee’s role within the organization, the determinants of their behavior and strategic implications of the adoption of the new digital technologies. The objective of this work package aligns with the principles of Industry 5.0 that is including elements of social dimension and human-centric approach to technological progress.

Work Package 4 (WP4) objective is to introduce a business model approach that supports decisions based on sustainable value creation. Our emphasis lies on addressing the value proposition for supply chain actors in the era of onshoring. We will utilize a business model lens to conceptualize a multi-layer onshoring framework. Furthermore, we plan to integrate overlooked value-related dimensions to develop a comprehensive business model approach.

Citations for bibliographic records

Budler, M., Quiroga, B. F., & Trkman, P. (2024). A review of supply chain transparency research: Antecedents, technologies, types, and outcomes. Journal of Business Logistics, 45(1).

Research project is (co)funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency