Digital Supply Chain Twins—Conceptual Clarification, Use Cases and Benefits

Abstract

Background: Digital supply chain twins (DSCT) are gaining increased attention in academia and practice as they emerge as one of the most important trends in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM). Still, there seems to be no common understanding of the term in scientific literature. Moreover, the broad field of LSCM allows for a multitude of feasible application areas and use cases, yet there exists no conclusive list of them as to date. Methods: This study builds upon a systematic literature review of 66 DSCT articles to identify application areas of DSCT in LSCM as well as specific use cases and their respective intended benefits. Results: To start with, the study derives a unified definition of DSCTs, including possible scopes of applications. Afterwards, five application areas of DSCT in LSCM are synthesized as well as 14 individual use cases and their respective intended benefits. Conclusions: The study leads towards a conceptual clarification of DSCT that is of importance for research and practice alike. For managers it additionally provides up-to-date use cases to guide DSCT applications in practice.

Digital Twins in the Automotive Industry: The Road toward Physical-Digital Convergence

“…In the case of used cars, buyers often have no other option but to speculate about the condition of a vehicle. A used vehicle with digital identity assists with the tracking about its maintenance record with the digital twin containing all relevant data [60,61].…”

Quantifying the Benefits of Digital Supply Chain Twins—A Simulation Study in Organic Food Supply Chains

“…They define the DSCT as a detailed simulation model of the SC, which can be analyzed in order to better understand, learn, and reason in regard to the real-world system. To provide a conceptual clarification, Gerlach et al [2] conducted an extensive literature review, where they came up with the following definition, which serves as a basis for this study. Figure 1 acts as a visual representation of the concept.…”

“…While it presents companies with difficulties, digitization also offers a lot of problem-solving potential. Processes and business models are changing, and the appropriate implementation of innovative digital concepts provide LSCM companies with the opportunity to increase efficiency [2].…”

“…Even less researched and implemented in practice is the concept of the digital supply chain twin or digital logistics twin (DSCT), which represents the application of the DT concept in the domain of LSCM. It promises, for example, greater SC transparency, increased network resilience, and lower inventory levels [2]. LSCM is a suitable application area for DTs because of the ever-increasing amounts of data and the interdependencies in decision making [6].…”

“…However, as of today, a small number of implemented DSCTs exist, both in practice and in research. Although some publications describe the benefits of using a DSCT qualitatively, few are shown to quantify the benefits [2]. In particular, the benefits of a DSCT in the organic food industry have not yet been investigated, although there are great potentials, such as an increase in product quality.…”