Impact of IoT challenges and risks for SCM

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview of challenges and risks of the Internet of Things (IoT) in supply chain management (SCM) and provide a structured framework for classifying and analyzing the relevant literature to deduce insights for research and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) of 102 peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic of IoT in SCM was conducted.

Findings

This review identifies, categorizes and describes the relevant literature regarding the dimensions time and specificity. The resulting framework contains a holistic overview including focus areas and relations of macro-environmental, network-related and organizational challenges and risks. Furthermore, this review represents a conceptual framework for future research, considering the multidisciplinary body of the subject and provides an analysis of the timeline of literature, journals and used methodologies.

Practical implications

This study offers valuable insights into IoT and its impact on applications, processes and the structure of organizations and supply chains (SCs). The identification of challenges and risks helps to prepare for changes in the future because of the disruptive nature of this technology.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in the synthesis of the fragmented body of literature of IoT challenges and risks for SCM. The derived framework and identification of relations and research gaps provide the foundation for further research to evaluate the relations between challenges and risks and offer solutions.

Citation

Birkel, H.S. and Hartmann, E. (2019), "Impact of IoT challenges and risks for SCM", Supply Chain Management, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 39-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-03-2018-0142