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Sustainability
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Digital Transformation and Sustainable Supply Chain Management (2nd Edition)
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Digital Transformation and Sustainable Supply Chain Management (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2025) | Viewed by 1751

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mingu Kang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: sustainable supply chain management; technological innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Taewon Kang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Department of Supply Chain and Logistics, Kunsan National University, Gunsan 54150, Republic of Korea
Interests: cold chain management; e-retail
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Operations and supply chains have been experiencing significant changes resulting from technological transformations. Specifically, the digitalization of a firm’s internal and external supply chain processes has become a key topic for scholars and practitioners. Digitalization tightly connects the supply chain, completely changing how data are collected, distributed, and processed in the supply chain network. The increased traceability and visibility of the supply chain achieved by digitalization not only makes transactions more transparent and efficient but also opens new opportunities for sustainable operations and supply chain management. In other words, extending the digitalization issue into operations and supply chain management is a crucial step in improving the firm-level and supply chain-level sustainability performances. However, in addition to such promises, the challenge of integrating digitalization with sustainability issues across the entire supply chain is still enormous, requiring further investigation. 

This Special Issue, “Digital transformation and sustainable supply chain management 2nd Edition”, provokes discussion about important issues in the field of sustainability and aims to explore the drivers, processes, and output performance behind digitalization initiatives for a sustainable supply chain. 

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Strategic roles of digital transformation in operations and sustainable supply chain management;
  • Drivers of digitalization in the field of sustainability;
  • Challenges and opportunities of digitalization in the field of sustainability;
  • Different digital technologies and their effects on sustainable supply chain performance;  
  • Effects of digital analytic capability on sustainable supply chain performance;
  • The digital platform, business model transformation, and sustainable supply chain;
  • Digital transformation and the formation and evolution of sustainable ecosystems;
  • The joint effect of digital technologies and the social factors in the field of sustainability.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mingu Kang
Dr. Taewon Kang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital transformation
  • digitalization
  • digital technology
  • sustainable supply chain management
  • sustainable performance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1501 KiB  
Article
Re-Designing Business Process Models for Enhancing Sustainability in Spinach Production Through Lean Tools with Digital Transformation
by Juan Diego Guerra, Greisy Palomino, Orkun Yildiz, Iliana Araceli Macassi and Jose C. Alvarez
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5673; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135673 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 215
Abstract
This study addresses rising sustainability demands in the agro-industry by examining how data-driven approaches can reduce inefficiencies, waste, and poor resource use in spinach production. It investigates the impact of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), First-In–First-Out (FIFO), process standardization, and circular economy practices—enhanced through [...] Read more.
This study addresses rising sustainability demands in the agro-industry by examining how data-driven approaches can reduce inefficiencies, waste, and poor resource use in spinach production. It investigates the impact of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), First-In–First-Out (FIFO), process standardization, and circular economy practices—enhanced through digital transformation—on operational efficiency in a Peruvian agro-industrial firm. An exploratory case study was conducted using pilot implementations, direct observation, and quantitative analysis. Statistical tools, including Holt–Winters forecasting, were applied to assess the effectiveness of the interventions. Digital technologies supported data collection, traceability, and decision-making. An exploratory case study was conducted using pilot implementations, direct observation, and quantitative analysis. The integration of digital tools with lean and circular practices supports sustainable agro-industrial supply chains, contributing to food security and socio-economic resilience. This research offers a holistic, data-driven framework that aligns operational excellence with sustainability and digital innovation. Findings are based on a single case, limiting their generalizability. Broader applications and long-term effects warrant further study. Practitioners should adopt system-thinking approaches integrating digital, lean, and circular strategies. Future research should explore scalability, cost-efficiency, and policy support mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation and Sustainable Supply Chain Management (2nd Edition))
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13 pages, 453 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Role of Supplier Involvement in the Link Between IT Integration and Sustainable Supplier Management Practices
by Zhigang Fan, Yewen Zhang, Mingu Kang and Haengcheol Lee
Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2346; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062346 - 7 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 830
Abstract
This study explores the impact of information technology (IT) integration and supplier participation on the management and enhancement of supplier sustainability performance, addressing a research gap in understanding how collaborative IT systems and supplier involvement jointly influence sustainable practices. By analyzing a global [...] Read more.
This study explores the impact of information technology (IT) integration and supplier participation on the management and enhancement of supplier sustainability performance, addressing a research gap in understanding how collaborative IT systems and supplier involvement jointly influence sustainable practices. By analyzing a global dataset of manufacturing firms, we employ a quantitative research methodology to test a conceptual model that examines these relationships. The findings demonstrate that IT integration with suppliers significantly fosters sustainable management practices, which subsequently improve suppliers’ sustainability performance. Furthermore, the study reveals that the effectiveness of IT integration is significantly enhanced when suppliers are actively involved, underscoring the importance of collaboration in driving sustainability outcomes. These insights contribute to the literature on supplier sustainability management by highlighting the synergistic role of IT and supplier engagement. Future research should explore the long-term effects of IT integration on sustainability performance across diverse industries, investigate the role of emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence in supplier collaboration, and examine the impact of cultural and organizational differences on the effectiveness of IT-driven sustainability initiatives. This study provides practical guidance for manufacturers aiming to optimize their sustainability efforts through strategic IT integration and supplier involvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation and Sustainable Supply Chain Management (2nd Edition))
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