Practice-based learning as lever for successfully adapting supply chain 4.0 technology: Foreground people

Abstract

SCM 4.0 is expected to lead to increased automation and transparency throughout the supply chain; thus, opportunities for operational efficiency and digital enabled business models [1], [2]. However, the SCM 4.0 impacts the decision-making towards higher complexity [3]. Technology-wise many companies have adapted SCM 4.0. This paper claims that organizational and leadership matters have not yet gone through similar transition; Actually, we can neither see any changes in the way companies organize supply chains nor in how they facilitate practice-based learning of employees and leaders. With SCM 4.0 technologies, an effective supply chain is not just a question of transforming components to finished goods. Rather, the contemporary SCM organizations need a strong transdisciplinary practice-based learning agenda to be able to deliver customer value [4], [5]. With the purpose of understanding transdisciplinary levers for practice-based learning in SCM, the study builds on two cases of implementation of SCM 4.0 technologies, exploring how the case companies have managed the transformation from a classic 2.0 to a 4.0 practice-based learning organization. The research question guiding the study is: to what extent can practise-based learning be a lever for adapting SCM 4.0?.