Purpose An emerging theme in the practitioner literature suggests that the supply chain of the future – enabled especially by developments in ICT – will be autonomous and have predictive capabilities, bringing significant efficiency gains in an increasingly complex and uncertain environment. This paper aims to both bridge the gap between the practitioner and academic literature on these topics and contribute to both practice and theory by seeking to understand how such developments will help to address key supply chain challenges and opportunities. Design/methodology/approach A multi-disciplinary, systematic literature review was conducted on relevant concepts and capabilities. A total of 126 articles were reviewed covering the time period 1950-2018. Findings The results show that both IoT and AI are the technologies most frequently associated with the anticipated autonomous and predictive capabilities of future supply chains. In addition, the review highlights a lacuna in how such technologies and capabilities help address key supply chain challenges and opportunities. A new supply chain model is, thus, proposed, one with autonomous and predictive capabilities: the self-thinking supply chain. Originality/value It is our hope that this novel concept, presented here for the first time in the academic literature, will help both practitioners to craft appropriate future-proofed supply chain strategies and provide the research community with a model (built upon multidisciplinary insights) for elucidating the application of new digital technologies in the supply chain of the future. The self-thinking supply chain has the potential in particular to help address some of today’s key supply chain challenges and opportunities.
As freight flows through global supply chains intensify, dependence upon maritime transportation increases. This paper explores the risks that international freight flows are exposed to as a function of the multiple complex structure of liner shipping networks. Based on network modelling of over 80 networks and simulation of attacks to seven strategic nodes in the Americas, the paper shows that the vulnerability of international freight flows to disruptions in maritime transportation services varies according to the country of origin of such flows and the role that the country plays in the multi-layered maritime transportation network.
work is licensed under a Creative Commons IGO 3.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC-IGO BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/legalcode) and may be reproduced with attribution to the IDB and for any noncommercial purpose. No derivative work is allowed.Any dispute related to the use of the works of the IDB that cannot be settled amicably shall be submitted to arbitration pursuant to the UNCITRAL rules. The use of the IDB's name for any purpose other than for attribution, and the use of IDB's logo shall be subject to a separate written license agreement between the IDB and the user and is not authorized as part of this CC-IGO license.Note that link provided above includes additional terms and conditions of the license.The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Inter-American Development Bank, its Board of Directors, or the countries they represent.http://www.iadb.org 2017 Abstract * Not since the end of World War II have supply chains been as highly exposed to risks as they are now. The Fourth Industrial Revolution poses unprecedented challenges for production and distribution systems. It also creates important opportunities, particularly in risk management. Indeed, new digital technologies will foster the emergence of the connected supply chain as a critical element for risk management. Supply chain connectivity is defined as the seamless flow of materials, information, and financial resources along the supply chain, enabled by two factors: information systems connectivity and physical connectivity. This paper analyzes both factors and how new technologies can improve them. It also discusses the barriers that prevent the achievement of a connected supply chain and, with it, improved risk management. Finally, it discusses the role that the public sector can play in overcoming these barriers.JEL Codes: G20, G21, G28, L25, L16
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence Newcastle University ePrints-eprint.ncl.ac.uk
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence Newcastle University ePrints -eprint.ncl.ac.uk
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