supply chain management
Maryam Hosinie; davood andalib ardakani; Alireza Naser Sadrabadi; Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Bamkan
Abstract
Despite organizations with Industry 4.0 technologies holding potential for enhancing supply chain resilience, the systematic integration of these two domains has faced delays. The present study aims to analyze the causal relationships among factors influencing the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient ...
Read More
Despite organizations with Industry 4.0 technologies holding potential for enhancing supply chain resilience, the systematic integration of these two domains has faced delays. The present study aims to analyze the causal relationships among factors influencing the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient supply chain management within the Yazd steel industry. In the first phase, factors were identified and categorized using the qualitative meta-synthesis method, resulting in the identification of 21 factors across five dimensions: managerial-institutional, technological-structural, organizational, operational, and cultural. In the second phase, the fuzzy DEMATEL method was employed to determine the causal relationships among the identified factors. The results revealed that the managerial-institutional dimension is the most influential, while the operational dimension is the most influenced in the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient supply chain management. This study analyzes the causal relationships among factors and provides a framework for evaluating the link between the resilient supply chain and Industry 4.0.
Introduction
In recent years, global supply chains have faced unprecedented challenges. Supply chain resilience can be defined as an organization's ability to respond effectively to various disruptions, which can be assessed through two key components: “resistance” and “recovery speed.” These capabilities enable organizations to continue competing in today's dynamic and highly uncertain environments. Consequently, understanding the mechanism through which supply chains can enhance their resilience has recently garnered significant attention in the fields of operations and supply chain management. One mechanism that has gained attention in recent years is the concept of Industry 4.0 as a transformative strategy. This new paradigm, based on digitalization and process integration, enables the creation of a “Resilient Supply Chain 4.0.”
Despite the growing attention to both resilience and Industry 4.0 concepts, a review of the existing literature reveals significant research gaps. First, previous studies have primarily examined these two areas in isolation, and their systematic integration has been delayed. Second, the main focus has been on the technologies themselves, with less attention given to the systemic and network analysis of interactions between different dimensions. Third, this field of study has been particularly neglected in the context of Iran's strategic industries, such as the steel industry.
These gaps increasingly highlight the need for research that can explain the relationships between influencing factors using an integrated approach. Aiming to fill these gaps, the present study provides a model of factors affecting the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient supply chain management within Iran's steel industry. To achieve this research objective, a mixed-methods approach was used. In the first step, a comprehensive set of influencing factors and dimensions was identified using the qualitative meta-synthesis method. Then, in the subsequent stage, the causal relationships among the identified factors were measured and analyzed using the Fuzzy DEMATEL method.
Methodology
This research is considered an applied-developmental study in terms of its outcome, as it seeks to develop a novel scientific model of the factors affecting the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient supply chain management. For this purpose, in the first stage, the factors affecting the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient supply chain management were identified through the meta-synthesis method. In the second stage of the research, the authors analyzed the cause-and-effect relationships between these factors using the Fuzzy DEMATEL method.
Meta-synthesis is a qualitative method that provides researchers with a systematic perspective by synthesizing various types of studies, generating new and fundamental themes. In the first stage of this study, the statistical population consisted of all studies published in reputable domestic and international scientific databases related to factors affecting the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient supply chain management up to the time of the research. In the second stage, the statistical population of the study comprised professors and managers specializing in digital technologies and familiar with supply chain management in the steel industries of Yazd. Using purposive sampling, 10 of these individuals were selected to participate in the stage of analyzing the causal relationships between the factors.
Findings
The findings of the meta-synthesis method led to the identification of 21 factors influencing the implementation of Industry 4.0 in resilient supply chain management. Based on thematic similarity, these factors were classified into five new components. These components are: Managerial-Institutional, Technological-Structural, Organizational, Operational, and Cultural. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the meta-synthesis method, Cohen's Kappa coefficient was employed to analyze and assess the quality control and reliability of the model. The resulting Kappa value at this stage was 0.49, indicating a suitable level of agreement between the researcher and the expert. A survey of 10 experts and the analysis of their opinions using the Fuzzy DEMATEL method revealed the following:
Within the Managerial-Institutional dimension, “senior management's commitment and support for implementing Industry 4.0 technologies” has the greatest influence on other factors, while the indicator “development of supply chain planning” is the most influenced.
Within the Technological-Structural dimension, among all factors, the indicator “investment in Industry 4.0 technologies” has the greatest influence, and the indicator “capability to provide changes in supply chain design or mapping” is the most influenced.
Within the Organizational dimension, the indicator “effective collaboration and communication among supply chain partners and stakeholders” has the greatest influence, while the indicator “establishing security and safety assurance in creating a resilient supply chain” is the most influenced compared to other indicators in this dimension.
Within the Operational dimension, among all factors, the indicator “developing speed capability for a resilient supply chain” has the greatest influence, and the indicator “utilizing maximum capacity in the supply chain” is the most influenced.
Within the Cultural dimension, the indicator “government support for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies” has the greatest influence, while the indicator “developing a resilient supply chain culture within the organization” is the most influenced compared to other indicators in this dimension.
Conclusion
This study employed a mixed-methodology (meta-synthesis and Fuzzy DEMATEL) to propose a causal model of factors affecting Industry 4.0 implementation for resilient supply chain management in Yazd's steel industry. Findings reveal that digital transformation and achieving resilience constitute a systemic, multi-dimensional process. Managerial-Institutional, Technological-Structural, and Cultural dimensions function as causal factors, while Organizational and Operational dimensions act as effect-dependent, mediating variables.
“Senior management commitment and support” was the most influential factor, aligning with Özkan-Özen et al. (2020) and Agarwal et al. (2022), underscoring the critical role of leadership and strategic resource allocation for such transformative, high-risk projects. “Investment in Industry 4.0 technologies” was the key Technological-Structural driver, confirming findings by Raja Santhi & Muthuswamy (2022) and Marinagi et al. (2023), as it enables real-time monitoring and transparency. Culturally, “government support” was paramount, consistent with Al-Akilly et al. (2024) and Gade et al. (2020), highlighting the need for national strategies and incentives in emerging adoption contexts like Iran.
Consequently, resilience is not achieved through technology alone but through the dynamic interplay of soft (culture, leadership) and hard (technology, investment) factors. This provides managers with a strategic roadmap: begin by securing top-management commitment, followed by targeted technological investments, and then focus on enhancing organizational collaboration and human resource training. However, these findings should be interpreted in consideration of limitations, including reliance on expert judgment, a limited sample size, and the model's static nature, suggesting that future research should explore the impact of specific technologies like AI and blockchain on resilience.
