Digitally-enabled sustainable supply chains in the 21st century: A review and a research agenda

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2020-07, Vol.725, p.138177-138177, Article 138177
• Main Authors: Chiappetta Jabbour, Charbel Jose, Fiorini, Paula De Camargo, Ndubisi, Nelson Oly, Queiroz, Maciel M., Piato, Éderson Luiz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Big data analytics; Circular economy; Digital; Industry 4.0; Sustainable supply chain management
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138177

While the potential benefits of integrating digital technologies and supply chain management have been widely reported, less is known concerning the current state-of-the-art literature on big data-driven sustainable supply chains. Therefore, this study aims to systematise published studies which address the implications of big data for sustainable supply chain management. Through a systematic literature review, this work makes three significant contributions: (a) it provides an overview of extant literature on this topic in recent years; (b) it proposes seven gaps in the literature in order to foster future investigations on big data-driven sustainable supply chains; (c) it offers four lessons for business practitioners aiming to use big data for sustainable supply chain practices. These lessons suggest that: developing big data analytics capability has to become a business priority in order to effectively build competitive sustainable supply chains; big data has benefits for each of the dimensions of the triple-bottom-line in supply chains; the implementation of big data for sustainability in supply chains presents some challenges for firms; the development of complementary organizational capabilities is needed to overcome challenges and facilitate the benefits of big data technology for sustainable supply chain management. [Display omitted] •Digitally-enabled sustainable supply chains provide both challenges and opportunities.•The state-of-the-art regarding digitally-enabled sustainable supply chains is still to be presented.•A systematisation of the knowledge in this field is presented with a focus on big data.•A research agenda containing pressing research gaps is presented.