On the use of machine learning in supply chain management: a systematic review

Abstract

Machine learning (ML) has evolved into a crucial tool in supply chain management, effectively addressing the complexities associated with decision-making by leveraging available data. The utilization of ML has markedly surged in recent years, extending its influence across various supply chain operations, ranging from procurement to product distribution. In this paper, based on a systematic search, we provide a comprehensive literature review of the research dealing with the use of ML in supply chain management. We present the major contributions to the literature by classifying them into five classes using the five processes of the supply chain operations reference framework. We demonstrate that the applications of ML in supply chain management have significantly increased in both trend and diversity over recent years, with substantial expansion since 2019. The review also reveals that demand forecasting has attracted most of the applications followed by inventory management and transportation. The paper enables to identify the research gaps in the literature and provides some avenues for further research.