Servitization in the circular supply chain: delineating current research and setting future research plan

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to explore a paradigm for using servitization in circular supply chains, with research fields including smart, sustainable supply chains, circular economy, innovation, digital technology, product service systems and sustainability as focal areas.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive statistical analysis of the literature on servitization, circular economy and smart supply chains reveals the history of the industry, including scholarly work, major concerns and future research prospects. The database for the analysis is provided by Scopus. Consequently, 288 research articles were reviewed, and the research trends of servitization, circular supply chains and smart supply chains from 2014 to 2022 (Q1) were covered.FindingsThe analysis reconnoitres bibliometric statistics highlighting notable authors, contemporary keywords for sifting through the literature, scientific dimensions related to smart supply chain, servitization and the circular economy, historical growth based on exploration trends and country-by-country investigation of the research field. The study also proposes a conceptual framework that illustrates how a greater emphasis on removing barriers to servitization could increase the efficiency of various circular supply chains. Given this, there is room for further research into the role servitization plays in ensuring long-term sustainability.Originality/valueThis paper helps to understand current scholarly publications on servitization, smart supply chains and their significance in the circular economy. It also provides a template to utilize the field’s prior accomplishments as a guide to future research opportunities.

Research developments in sustainable supply chain management considering optimization and industry 4.0 techniques: a systematic review

“…The adoption of optimization and I4 techniques have offered numerous advantages to businesses, some of which include monitoring and control of the use of resources in production processes, smart and efficient logistic operations (Esmaeilian et al, 2020), transportation planning to reduce carbon footprint, and efficient use of raw materials and energy in production processes (Sarkar et al, 2021), smart inventory management. Our analysis also suggests that the use of optimization and I4.0 techniques has contributed to the areas such as environmental, social and economic sustainability (Hall et al, 2012b), circular economy (Kazancoglu et al, 2021;Mahroof et al, 2021;Mishra et al, 2023), closed-loop supply chain (Bisheh et al, 2018), energy conservation, life cycle assessment (Gao and You, 2017), and Greenhouse gas (GHGs) emission monitoring and control (Zeng et al, 2022b). This is a testament that optimization and I4 are potential enablers for achieving sustainability in supply chain operations.…”

Mapping sustainable supply chain innovation: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis

“…However, these studies have limitations, as they may not encompass all relevant publications and concentrate on specific areas like operational management practices [ 17 ], inventory models [ 18 ], Circular Economy [ 19 ], open Innovation and SSCM in SMEs [ 20 ], and SSCM with futuristic technologies [ 21 ]. [ 22 ] Explore servitization in circular supply chains (SCs), emphasizing SSCI, Innovation, product service systems, digital technology, and circular economy, Sustainability [ 23 ]. Used bibliometric and content analysis to study technology adoption in SSCM, focusing on digital-based SCs and proposing a framework aimed at aligning with Sustainable Development Goals within the SSCM domain.…”