Abstract
The key aspect of the current chapter is related to the sustainability challenges of the supply chain and its associated consideration towards the transformation of operations. The primary motivation for evaluation has been related to the influence of sustainability considerations for supply chain development, aligned issues, and their respective solutions. To highlight the reader's approach for supply chain sustainability, the importance and influences have been discussed regarding waste management and its related influences on the cost and productivity efficiency within the supply chain. The crucial aspects of supply chain sustainability have also enlightened some challenges. The challenges include human resources, management, structure development, and user perception as well. Technological and intelligence based facilities such as IoT, block-chain, and artificial intelligence have an influence on the management of challenges and the developing effective strategies for green supply chain management. The recommendation for production to transportation management has been provided.
TopIntroduction
The primary focus of the current chapter is on the supply chain and its relevance to sustainability. Supply chain management has been analysed to discuss and evaluate the supply chain transformation to meet sustainability challenges. This focus has been based on the observation that on a global level, the business and industrial sector is working to transform its operations towards more sustainable and environment-friendly. With the motivation to save the planet and its inhabitants from the adverse influence of climate change and pollution, the consideration of sustainability is much more critical. It is crucial to consider the business sector and supply chain so that the planet's ecology has been influenced by the growth of businesses on the global structure (Hickel, 2019). Moreover, considering the changes within the industrial sector to bring large-scale influential revolution, supply chain measures, and management is crucial (Holmberg & Sandbrook, 2019). Based on that, the measurements are required for the supply chain to work for sustainability development.
The chapter has been divided into different sections: management issues, human resources issues, infrastructure challenges, and the influence of government and law considerations. To have a critical analysis regarding the sustainability role in the supply chain and their aligned challenges along with the strategies have been discussed. The chapter's main aim is to evaluate intelligence and technology influence on the supply chain to transform the supply chains for meeting the sustainability challenges. Practical recommendations regarding the sustainability challenges have also been provided for stable and developmental changes in the supply chain. The chapter ends by providing a detailed summary of the overall concept. The key definitions for different terms have also been specified at the end of the chapter.
Problem Statement
Sustainable supply chain practices are crucial in today's fast-changing corporate environment. The confluence of intelligence and sustainability redefines supply chain dynamics and solves complicated global issues (Yadav et al.,2023). The main problem in this research is to address the challenges for sustainable supply chain management while using blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) with sustainable practices like green supply chain management, waste reduction, ethical sourcing, circular economy, or environmental impact. Byaro et al., (2023) state that these subjects are more microeconomic because they include company, consumer, and stakeholder decisions and actions in the supply chain ecosystem.
Thus, this research aspires to make supply chains flexible, ecologically conscious, and ethically driven systems that reduce carbon emissions. Despite the promise, these goals require a precise issue statement, a complete methodological approach, and an integrated theoretical and empirical base. This chapter bridges the theoretical and empirical research gap related to sustainable supply chain management practices and provides strategic insights into integrating intelligence and sustainability as a creative solution to current supply chains' sustainability concerns. Moreover, this research addresses the lack of understanding and integration of sustainable supply chain techniques in modern company dynamics. The benefits of combining AI and sustainability principles into supply chain management are recognised, but a clearly defined issue statement is lacking. This gap hinders the development of flexible, ecologically conscientious, and morally driven supply chain solutions that cut carbon emissions and address global sustainability issues.
Methodology
This chapter has used thorough secondary research to analyse this complex issue. This method systematically analyses the topic using peer-reviewed journal papers, research reports, and academic publications. The secondary research technique provides a complete overview of the area and significant insights, trends, and best practices for supply chain intelligence and sustainable integration. The field's difficulties, possibilities, and gaps are identified through literature synthesis. This chapter critically analyses theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and case examples to show the potential and challenges of transforming supply chains to meet sustainability imperatives.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence (AI) is machines' ability to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning and problem-solving. AI systems are trained on large amounts of data and can use it to make predictions, recommendations, and decisions. AI is used in various applications, including self-driving cars, medical diagnosis, and customer service.
Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a period of rapid technological change blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. Advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, and other technologies drive it.
Sustainable Supply Chain: A sustainable supply chain is a framework in which businesses design and implement various practices for their supply chain networks to ensure sustainability for society and the environment. It indicates that companies prioritise social and environmental aspects and standards for their business and supplier-related operations. The environmental aspects include carbon emissions, air pollution, deforestation, environmental degradation, and water scarcity. In comparison, social aspects include child labour, employee safety, customer satisfaction, fair wages, and working conditions.
Transformation: Transformation in supply chain management refers to integrating advanced technologies within organisations. By introducing new technologies, businesses can enhance their operational efficiency and the overall performance of their supply chain networks. The technological transformation also involves examining existing business processes and implementing advanced technologies to manage high supply chain demands and align a company's supply chain with its objectives and goals. This requires effective planning, analytics, implementation, and digitisation.
Sustainability: In business, the term sustainability is an approach in which companies run their operations without losing any negative impact on society and the environment. Businesses mainly aim to ensure that their operations do not pose any potential harm to society and the environment, which can affect their overall reputation among customers.
CO2 and GHG emissions: CO2 stands for carbon dioxide. It is a greenhouse gas that is naturally present in the atmosphere. However, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels have increased CO2 emissions to levels that are not natural. GHG stands for greenhouse gas. It is any gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. The main GHGs are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.