Supply Chain Management Journal 2022 Volume 13 Number 1

In the current conditions, in which there are more and more requirements for environmental protection and for the assumption of social responsibility, formulated by a series of economic actors, it can be identified a trend of evolution towards a new stage in the development of the supply chain, what is called sustainable supply chain management SSCM. The paper presents the main challenges that supply chains have to cope with, in order to achieve sustainability and how companies react to the pressures coming up from governments, customers, investors and other actors in the supply chain. There are highlighted also the key drivers for the sustainable supply chain management and some of the good practices used by organizations in order to reduce the environmental impact or the other risks in the supply chain: health, safety, ethics, financial risks. In addition, it is revealed the impact of digitalization on sustainable supply chain management, the technologies used as means of optimization in the supply chain.

logistics, supply chain, sustainability, digitalization

June 2022, pp 1 – 16

This paper aims to examine logistics outsourcing services and its strategic perspective in a firm”s supply chain. Hence, this concept paper observed through multiple scholarly articles based on case organizations which are engaged comprehensively in logistics outsourcing activities as international firms. There also seemed to be a difference between logistics outsourcing practices in country wise and organization wise which some are having the right management support and resources aligned to promote outsourcing within their strategies. There are many augmentable pros and cons out of logistics outsourcing a firm can reaped based on their expectations.
Best practices of logistics outsourcing were mapped based on multiple case study literature, but the generalization of this study would require further empirical examination from more quantitative research based on specific firms. Findings of this concept paper can assist managers and decision makers of outsourcing to evaluate on their current practices against suggested best practices to identify the gaps and implement appropriate strategies for successful logistics outsourcing. Particularly for expanding markets and growing demand for logistics outsourcing implementing standard practices are important because they offer policy and management insights aligned with long term plans of organizations to achieve strategic goals which will be supported by this study to implement and monitor logistics outsourcing successfully.

Logistics outsource, 3PL, competitive advantage, strategic perspective, firm or organization

June 2022, pp 17 – 23

A longstanding problem in the maritime industry is the complexity and time involved in submitting reports when arriving in and departing from harbors. Ship operators, masters, and agents are still burdened with filling in paper documents that include similar information and distributing them to different government authorities, including harbors, maritime safety, security, customs, border control, and health authorities. These documents increase the cost and cause delays, reducing the competitiveness of maritime transport. The European Commission has been actively promoting the competitiveness of the European maritime transport sector and more efficient use of resources through the better use of Information and Communicating Technologies (ICT), with a core vision to enable seamless communication in the sector. The result of these activities is information technologies supporting maritime transport and harbors’ operations, such as SafeSeaNet, E-Maritime Strategic Framework, The Danaos Platform, Inlemar Ecosystem, i-Ship, and many information systems, which are used in harbors.

Information systems, maritime, harbors

June 2022, pp 24 – 30

The apparel industry is undoubtedly a sizeable global industry with a vast history and contributions to the worldwide economy. The entire supply chain is spread across various locations around the globe. Like any other industry apparel supply chain also has its limitations and challenges to be competitive. At the same time, digital technologies have evolved in a rapid phase in the past couple of decades, enabling the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 technologies have disrupted many industries and supply chains and help to gain unique capabilities to become competitive over the rivals. Undoubtedly these intelligent technologies can transform the apparel supply chain and gain a competitive advantage. This paper investigates the impact of smart digital technologies on the apparel supply chain to gain a competitive advantage through a thorough literature review. The article discusses the evolution and future trends of intelligent technologies and apparel supply networks, technological impacts on supply chains and links them to the competitive advantage of the apparel supply chain. Also, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for digital apparel supply chain and competitive advantage and open up avenues to researchers to carry out future research on this subject.

Supply Chain, Apparel Industry, Digital Supply Chain, Strategic Management.

June 2022, pp 31 – 56

Supply chains have long been known for their resiliencies, however, today they are being tested in uncommon ways. Be it the COVID pandemic which nearly shutdown strategic supply chains globally, to the Ukraine War in 2022. The war has put Europe on its heels in terms of energy consumption, or lack thereof, as Russia is not supplying fuel, to the grain exports from Ukraine, affecting just about all countries around the world. One of the more eye-opening issues that came from this research is the fact that there are 7.6 million Tier 2 supplier relationships with Russian entities globally. In fact, there are more than 374,000 businesses, 90% of which are in the United States relying on
Russian suppliers. With all the current sanctions, one can see many challenges. Another issue we see is the fact that Ukraine, prior to the war, exported 26% of the world’s wheat supplies, with their ports blocked by Russia, something they no longer are able to do. Finally, we look at what affect a war with Taiwan might have on global supply chains.

COVID, Supply-chain management, Dynamic capabilities, Sustainability, Environmental uncertainty, Ukraine War, Taiwan, semiconductors, Supply chain capabilities.

June 2022, pp 57 – 62