The Digital Supply Chain

Digitalization is transforming all business transactions. This timely issue is the focus of this exciting new book edited by Bart MacCarthy and Dmitry Ivanov. The book focuses on how digitalization is changing supply chains and supply chain management in these unsettling times when supply chain security and resilience take the center stage. This edited book is most comprehensive with 24 chapters covering digital technologies, systems, platforms. The book provides chapters addressing supply chain digitalization in many critically important sectors including retailing, automotive, food, textiles and clothing, logistics and shipping, and in SMEs. These topics are of interest to practitioners. For researchers, the frontiers of research in the Digital Supply Chain are also addressed with chapters on supply network analysis, digital surveillance of supply chains, supply chain cyber security, and scaling Blockchain solutions for supply chain traceability. The book also addresses how digitalization affects supply chain sustainability and how it will affect future supply chain strategies. The Editors of the Digital Supply Chain must be commended for bringing together such an exciting text that is directly relevant to the challenges we face in today's global economy. --Christopher S. Tang Distinguished Professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration Faculty Director, Center for Global Management UCLA Anderson School of Management University of California, Los Angeles. Digital transformation of supply chains is one of the most important and timely topics in operations management. It shapes Industry 4.0 and beyond. MacCarthy and Ivanov's book is the first of a kind creating a comprehensive picture of the related managerial challenges and technological solutions to design and operate digital supply chains. The book covers topics ranging from product tracking and traceability to the impacts of digitalization on supply chain sustainability. The book will be useful for professionals, senior researchers, young faculty and graduate students. In particular, on one hand, the chapters of the book offer introduction to basic understanding of digital technologies and the associated management principles and business models. On the other hand, real-life examples and case-studies illustrate the theories of the topic, which help advance our understanding towards when and how the digital supply chain can provide competitive advantages for companies improving profitability, resilience, and sustainability. This book is an exciting read. The Editors are both well-established top experts in the field and they did an excellent job in putting the materials together in a clear and logical sequence of topics. I would strongly recommend this book. --Tsan-Ming Choi (Jason), PhD, Yushan Fellow and Professor Department of Business Administration, College of Management, National Taiwan University, Taiwan. The Digital Supply Chain book covers topics on the principles and technologies to design supply chains as cyber-physical systems. Along with the strong theoretical background about Data Analytics, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins, the book also showcases many practical applications. The chapters are written by the leading experts in the field, and the Editors have managed very well to structure them into a coherent whole covering the fundamental building blocks, the management of the Digital Supply Chain, cases from different business and industry sectors, and the research frontiers at the leading edge of the subject. I was able to find answers to all of my questions about the Digital Supply Chain in this book, and I am strongly convinced that this will be an invaluable source for both practice and academia. --Alexandre Dolgui Dr.habil., Ph.D. Professor and Head Automation, Production and Computer Sciences Dept. IMT Atlantique, France. Editor-in-Chief - The International Journal of Production Research. The Digital Supply Chain book that defines a new field by illustrating all facets of the topic. The authors analyse all fundamental technologies for supply chains to succeed in the digital areas. Key features are the numerous illustrative case studies from technology leaders and the combination with most recent research insights. Highly recommended! --Constantin Blome Professor of Operations Management and Associate Dean for Research University of Sussex Business School, UK. Co-Editor-in-Chief: International Journal of Operations & Production Management. This new book focuses on a vitally important topic - the digitalisation of supply chains. It critically reviews the technologies and systems that enable supply chains to be strongly connected digitally. Chapters examine digital challenges and opportunities for purchasing, manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics. The book also covers many of the hot topics of current interest to supply chain researchers and practitioners, including Blockchain, the Cloud, Platforms, Digital Twins, Analytics and supply chain network analysis. The sectors examined range from retailing and clothing to the automotive industry and international shipping. The book is a milestone reference for advanced supply chain operations management for senior and postgraduate students as well as supply chain officers and managers. The Editors, MacCarthy and Ivanov, are to be congratulated for putting together such a stimulating collection of studies to enrich our understanding of digitally connected supply chains. --George Q. HUANG, BEng PhD CEng FASME FCILT FIET FHKIE FIISE Chair Professor and Head of Department, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, China.