Designing a Balanced Implementation Strategy of Smart Technology in Supply Chain Management

Supply chains increasingly rely on information technology and real-time updates within networks. Emerging technologies, integral to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, view the intelligent supply chain as a crucial component. Smart technology, with its unique blend of advanced features, has immense potential to transform supply chain operations from inception to performance enhancement. This fusion includes concepts such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, virtual reality, augmented reality, extended reality, blockchain, and more. These intelligent technologies facilitate supply chain monitoring by tracking equipment and processes. This research aimed to design a balanced implementation strategy for smart technology in supply chain management using a descriptive approach.
 
To achieve this feat, data were collected through a purposeful and criteria-based sampling method, involving university-educated experts in business management across various marketing, strategic, and e-commerce fields. A semi-structured interview format and thematic analysis were employed to analyze the data. The qualitative section included 11 participants, based on theoretical saturation. SWOT analysis was utilized to examine the internal and external factors influencing the supply chain. Subsequently, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to rank and determine the impact of each factor based on the qualitative results.
 
The research findings identified and categorized concepts into four central criteria within a SWOT matrix: opportunity, strength, weakness, and threat, along with 28 sub-criteria. The results indicated that, among the opportunity themes, the highest priority was given to the synchronization of material, financial, and informational flow management, with a weight of 0.517. For the strength themes, ensuring transparency in the interaction among supply chain participants was the top priority, with a weight of 0.80. Within the weakness themes, the increase in costs due to the implementation of smart technology was the most significant, with a weight of 0.557. As for the threat themes, the absence of a global standard to ensure supply chain security was the primary concern, with a weight of 0.460. Consequently, these insights guided the ideation process and the development of a comprehensive strategy for managing, developing, and enhancing smart technology in supply chain management.
 
The study's findings confirm the high potential of smart technologies to optimize supply chain management. Implementing a systematic approach enables the evaluation of perspectives (advantages and challenges) and their integrated application. The development of alternative strategies stems from this systematic approach, which involves comprehensive studies of external and internal factors, their interrelationships, and the assessment of opportunities and potential threats. This paper significantly enriches the current marketing literature by demonstrating how smart technologies enhance supply chain management, addressing an issue previously overlooked in research.