Digital Transformation in Sustainable Supply Chain and Service Operations

Dear Colleagues,

Digital technologies, represented by artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, are accelerating the digitization of global supply chains. By improving efficiency, enhancing visibility, and bolstering resilience, digital technologies are enabling enterprises to build smarter, more agile, and more sustainable supply chains. While the digital transformation drives the enhancement of supply chain efficiency, it also poses multiple challenges, including data privacy and security, system integration and compatibility, organizational structure and cultural adjustment, talent development and recruitment, cost control versus investment returns, accuracy of market forecasting, green supply chain establishment, and resource optimization.

This Special Issue of Sustainability titled "Digital Transformation in Sustainable Supply Chain and Service Operations" is dedicated to examining the pivotal role of digitization in augmenting the transparency, efficiency, flexibility, and resilience of sustainable supply chains and service operations. Recent research has indicated that the strategic integration of digital transformation and sustainable policies within organizational settings is crucial for boosting business performance and attaining a high level of operational efficiency. Therefore, this Special Issue focuses on the intersection of digital technologies and sustainable supply chain, exploring how these technologies can facilitate more sustainable practices across diverse sectors, encompassing retail, e-commerce, mobile commerce, logistics, ports, and beyond. By addressing socio-economic considerations, scientific methodologies, and integrated approaches to sustainable development, the Special Issue aims to illuminate the multifaceted ways in which digitization can contribute to achieving broader sustainability goals. 

Consequently, the Guest Editor invites contributions of related research papers focusing on the digital transformation, sustainability of supply chain, supply chain management, and service operations.

Potential topic areas of relevance to this Special Issue include but are not limited to:

• AI/Big data-driven supply chain optimization for sustainability;
• IoT applications in sustainable logistics and transportation;
• Resource optimization through digital supply chain management;
• Sustainable supply chain practices in retail and e-commerce;
• Digitalization in warehousing, logistics, and transportation;
• Digital supply chain and environmental sustainability;
• Socio-economic impacts of digital transformation in supply chains;
• Digitalization of logistics systems;
• Digital transformation and supply chain flexibility;
• Digital transformation for supply chain innovation;
• Impact of digital transformation on supply chain competitive performance;
• Digital transformation of supply chain and demand management;
• Digital transformation in retail, e-commerce, and mobile commerce;
• Digital transformation in manufacturing systems;
• Digital transformation in service systems;
• Digital transformation in port logistics and supply chain;
• Digital transformation in other operation systems;
• Digitalization theory and methods.

Prof. Dr. Xin Tian
Dr. Qiang Cai
Dr. Erjiang E
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.

• digital transformation
• digitalization
• sustainable supply chain
• AI/big data-driven
• IoT applications
• supply chain management
• supply chain optimization
• environmental sustainability
• socio-economic impacts
• service
• operations management