Potential of Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain Technology in the Collaboration and Integration of the Retail Supply Chain

Abstract

The application of Industry 4.0 technologies in the supply chain of organisations has progressively become a hot topic. These disruptive technologies have contributed to enhance efficiency, performance, and sustainability in the organizational ecosystems. However, the globalized retail industry is confronting several challenges pertaining to collaboration and integration. Hence, a thorough review is imminent to explore the potentials of Industry 4.0 technologies such as internet of things (IoT) and blockchain technology to address the challenge of achieving collaboration and integration across the retail supply chains. To address this, a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology is adopted to retrieve current academic publications from the SCOPUS database for the period of 2018-2021. Descriptive and thematic analysis is done to reveal various characteristics, themes, potentials, and relationships in achieving collaboration and integration across the retail supply chains. The findings also suggest some suggestions for small and medium enterprises and future directions.