The Role of Industry 4.0 in Sustainable Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

Oumaima ELAAGUIR; Youssef AL MERIOUH

doi:10.23882/ijdam.26241

Authors

Oumaima ELAAGUIR National School of Business and Management of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Morocco
Youssef AL MERIOUH National School of Business and Management of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23882/ijdam.26241

Keywords:

Industrie 4.0, chaîne d'approvisionnement durable, durabilité environnementale, Internet des objets, SCM

Abstract

In recent years, companies have increasingly turned to Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies to enhance supply chain performance while meeting sustainability requirements. Despite growing interest, the specific mechanisms through which I4.0 supports Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) remain insufficiently explored. This study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR), following the PRISMA protocol, of peer-reviewed articles published between 2019 and 2024. The review identified 20 high-quality studies that investigate the interplay between digital technologies and SSCM. The findings show that I4.0 technologies, particularly the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain, contribute to sustainability through four mechanisms: data acquisition, data processing, performance monitoring, and decision support. These mechanisms enhance environmental sustainability by reducing emissions and waste, strengthen social sustainability by improving working conditions and stakeholder trust, and support economic sustainability by lowering costs, improving forecasting, and increasing resilience. The study contributes theoretically by bridging the literature on I4.0 and SSCM, clarifying how digitalization enables sustainability, and highlighting contextual moderators such as organizational culture, IT maturity, and supplier readiness. From a managerial perspective, the results emphasize the importance of aligning digital transformation with sustainability strategies, engaging suppliers, and implementing robust data governance. Overall, the review demonstrates that I4.0 is not merely a technological upgrade but a transformative enabler of sustainable, resilient, and competitive supply chains.

References

Alardeau, T., & Blome, C. (2022). How Industry 4.0 drives sustainability in supply chains: Analysis of the automotive industry. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Insert volume, issue, pages]. https://doi.org/[Insert DOI]

Albalushi, J., Mishra, R., & Abebe, M. (2023). Supply chain resilience meets quality management. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8(12), e04165. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i12.4165

Alcácer, V., & Cruz-Machado, V. (2019). Scanning the Industry 4.0: A literature review on technologies for manufacturing systems. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal, 22(3), 899–919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jestch.2019.01.006

Almasbekkyzy, A., Abdikerim, D., Nabi, D., Abdallah, Y. O., & Shehab, E. (2021, April). Digital maturity and readiness model for multiple-case of Kazakhstan large companies. In 2021 IEEE International Conference on Smart Information Systems and Technologies (SIST) (pp. 1–7). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/SIST50301.2021.9465890

Büchi, G., Cugno, M., & Castagnoli, R. (2020). Smart factory performance and Industry 4.0. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 150, 119790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.119790

Buer, S. V., Semini, M., Strandhagen, J. O., & Sgarbossa, F. (2021). The complementary effect of lean manufacturing and digitalisation on operational performance. International Journal of Production Research, 59(7), 1976–1992. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1790684

Candón, E., Martínez-Galán, P., De la Fuente, A., González-Prida, V., Márquez, A. C., Gómez, J., & Macchi, M. (2019). Implementation of intelligent asset management systems (IAMS) in an Industry 4.0 manufacturing environment. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 52(13), 2488–2493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.11.580

Dalal, S., Lilhore, U. K., Simaiya, S., Radulescu, M., & Belascu, L. (2024). Improving efficiency and sustainability through supply chain optimization using CNNs and BiLSTM. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 209, 123841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123841

Elkazini, R., Oullada, O., Adri, A., & Rifai, S. (2024). The impact of Industry 4.0 adoption level on supply chain agility and supply chain resilience: Moroccan case. Advances and Applications in Statistics, 91(4), 515–537. https://doi.org/10.17654/AS091040515

Fonseca, L. M. (2018, October). Industry 4.0 and the digital society: Concepts, dimensions and envisioned benefits. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence (Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 386–397). https://doi.org/10.2478/picbe-2018-0034

Frank, A. G., Dalenogare, L. S., & Ayala, N. F. (2019). Industry 4.0 technologies: Implementation patterns in manufacturing companies. International Journal of Production Economics, 210, 15–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.01.004

Gadre, M., & Deoskar, A. (2020). Industry 4.0 – Digital transformation, challenges and benefits. International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 13(2), 139–149. https://doi.org/[Insert DOI if available]

Hald, K. S., & Mouritsen, J. (2018). The evolution of performance measurement systems in a supply chain: A longitudinal case study on the role of interorganisational factors. International Journal of Production Economics, 205, 256–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2018.09.021

Han, H., & Trimi, S. (2022). Towards a data science platform for improving SME collaboration through Industry 4.0 technologies. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, 121242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121242

Hecklau, F., Galeitzke, M., Flachs, S., & Kohl, H. (2016). Holistic approach for human resource management in Industry 4.0. Procedia CIRP, 54, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2016.05.102

Ivanov, D. (2018). New drivers for supply chain structural dynamics and resilience: Sustainability, Industry 4.0, self-adaptation. In International Series in Operations Research and Management Science (Vol. 265, pp. 293–313). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69305-7_10

Ivanov, D., Tsipoulanidis, A., & Schönberger, J. (2019). Digital supply chain, smart operations and Industry 4.0. In Global Supply Chain and Operations Management (pp. 481–526). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94313-8_16

Jian, J., Guo, Y., Jiang, L., An, Y., & Su, J. (2019). A multi-objective optimization model for green supply chain considering environmental benefits. Sustainability, 11(21), 5911. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11215911

Karmaker, C. L., Al Aziz, R., Ahmed, T., Misbauddin, S. M., & Moktadir, M. A. (2023). Impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on sustainable supply chain performance: The mediating role of green supply chain management practices and circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 419, 138249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138249

Khan, S. A. R., Tabish, M., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Embracement of Industry 4.0 and sustainable supply chain practices under the shadow of practice-based view theory: Ensuring environmental sustainability in corporate sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 398, 136609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136609

Lai, N. Y. G., Wong, K. H., Halim, D., Lu, J., & Kang, H. S. (2019, March). Industry 4.0 enhanced lean manufacturing. In 2019 8th International Conference on Industrial Technology and Management (ICITM) (pp. 206–211). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICITM.2019.8710708

Narimissa, O., Kangarani-Farahani, A., & Molla-Alizadeh-Zavardehi, S. (2020). Performance evaluation of sustainable supply chain management: Dimensions and aspects. Sustainable Development, 28(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1965

Nicolae, A., Korodi, A., & Silea, I. (2019). An overview of Industry 4.0 development directions in the industrial internet of things context. Romanian Journal of Information Science and Technology, 22(3–4), 183–201.

Pereira, A. C., & Romero, F. (2017). A review of the meanings and implications of the Industry 4.0 concept. Procedia Manufacturing, 13, 1206–1214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2017.09.032

Sharma, A., & Singh, B. J. (2020). Evolution of industrial revolutions: A review. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 9(11), 66–73. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.K1866.0991120

Sony, M., & Naik, S. (2020). Key ingredients for evaluating Industry 4.0 readiness for organizations: A literature review. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(7), 2213–2232. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-09-2018-0284

Seuring, S., & Müller, M. (2008). From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(15), 1699–1710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2008.04.020

Sishi, M. N., & Telukdarie, A. (2021). Supply chain energy sustainability with artificial intelligence. In IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Conference – Europe (TEMSCON-EUR) (pp. 1–6). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEMSCON-EUR52034.2021.9488609

Škoda. (2021). ŠKODA AUTO tests augmented reality glasses for production line maintenance and technical training. Škoda Storyboard. https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/press-releases/skoda-auto-tests-augmented-reality-glasses-for-production-line-maintenance-and-technical-training/

Sprinkle, G. B., & Maines, L. A. (2010). The benefits and costs of corporate social responsibility. Business Horizons, 53(5), 445–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2010.05.006

Sun, X., Yu, H., Solvang, W. D., Wang, Y., & Wang, K. (2022). The application of Industry 4.0 technologies in sustainable logistics: A systematic literature review (2012–2020) to explore future research opportunities. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 9560–9591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17693-y

Świątek, W. (2018). Corporate social responsibility reporting – Necessity or fashion. ASEJ – Scientific Journal of Bielsko-Biala School of Finance and Law, 22(4). https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0012.9647

Tachizawa, E. M., & Wong, C. M. (2014). Towards a theory of multi-tier sustainable supply chains: A systematic literature review. Supply Chain Management, 19(5/6), 643–663. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-02-2014-0070

Wang, J., Zhu, L., Feng, L., & Feng, J. (2023). A meta-analysis of sustainable supply chain management and corporate performance: New insights on SSCM. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 38, 312–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2023.01.027