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thesis topic for supply chain management

Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics- Top 40 Ideas

  • Career Advice

One of the most frequently asked questions from SCMDOJO followers is, I am doing a Supply Chain Management Master from Europe, the UK or the USA, and I need some Master Thesis ideas in Supply Chain.

Key academic research areas in SCM are offering robust and implementable supply chain management thesis that are transforming worldwide trends. The increasing strength of global Supply Chain Management (SCM) is one functional area that shows several students are seeking a good start, especially in solving significant problems in the form of Masters and PhD thesis .

Nevertheless, with the changing trends in the industry, some students are likely to struggle with the early stages of academic writing. A significant reason for this problem is usually down to a lack of ideas or facing new topics with low research activity.

Old Industries and New Industries

The recent pattern shifts in academia, from the traditional research approach to other conventional methods, is taking a more student-centred view. Most of the supply chain management thesis is crafted by students, including dissertation, topic creation, research, and more with help of their supervisors.

With new industries, like Amazon and Apple, transforming old concepts with technological disruption, there are new trends to look out for to help narrow your supply chain management thesis.

The 7 Powerful Supply Chain Trends (I also dubbed “Supply Chain 7.0”) have the potential to become a powerful influence over time. These trends include Augmented reality (AR), Big Data, Gamification of the supply chain, moving the supply chain to the “Cloud,” and the Internet of Things (IoT) – Industry 4.0. Also, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the supply chain, alongside 3D Printing, are now needed to support the product life cycle.

Forbes also highlights the key 2020 Supply Chain Technology Trends that are receiving lots of buzz in Supply Chain Management. In this regard, students seeking top-notch research areas for supply chain management thesis can consider new trends to help create adequate research content.

40  Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2024

On these premises, any supply chain management thesis should be comprehensive. There several topics and areas to consider, and below are 40 Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2020 that students can do research on towards an excellent postgraduate study in SCM.

Digital Transformation

  • Digital Transformation Key Attributes; Challenges; enablers & Success Factors.
  • Smart Government Initiatives: How Governments are Driving Digital Change.
  • Digital Leadership is linking to Virtual Teams or Self Organised Teams (Agile PM).
  • Did COVID 19 impact the implementation of digital transformation?
  • Cross-functional collaboration in the decision-making process.
  • The value of data and interdependencies in decision-making.
  • Machine learning techniques in supply chain management.
  • Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Transparency: Evaluating the Impact on Traceability and Trust.
  • The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Predictive Analytics for Inventory Management.
  • Sustainability in Digital Supply Chain Management: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Impact.
  • Digital Transformation in Warehouse Management: Enhancing Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction

Sustainable Project Management (SPM)

  • Can apply the SPM model or any of its dimensions to any type of project
  • Can Blockchain help with Sustainable Project Management?
  • Factors affecting the application of an efficient supply management system.

IoT- Industry 4.0 and Big Data

  • Application of IoT in Logistics – Challenges; enablers & Success Factors
  • The practicability of intertwined supply networks with IoT.
  • Implementation of IoT in 3PL/4PL Industry – Challenges; enablers & Success Factors
  • Big data and impact in DDMRP
  • Evaluation of technology use in modern supply chain management.
  • The extension of supply chain resilience through Industry 4.0
  • The Impact of Industry 4.0 on Supply Chain Management.
  • Implementation of E-logistics in Supply Chain Operations.
  • Predictive Maintenance Strategies in Industry 4.0-enabled Supply Chains: A Case Study Approach
  • Optimizing Supply Chain Decision-Making through Real-time Big Data Analytics
  • Cybersecurity Challenges in IoT-Enabled Supply Chains: A Comprehensive Analysis.

Operations and Supply Chain Management

  • Risk Evaluation and Management involved in a supply chain
  • Partnerships Perspective in Supply Chain Management
  • Assessing Supply Chain Risk Management Capabilities
  • Implementation of Green Supply Chain Management Practices
  • Supply Chain Management Practices and Supply Chain Performance Effectiveness
  • The Impact of Supply Chain Management Practices on the Overall Performance of the org
  • The Influence of Environmental Management Practices and Supply Chain Integration on Technological Innovation Performance
  • The Relationship between Total Quality Management Practices and their Effects on Firm Performance
  • Level of Commitment to Top Management regarding the TQM Implementation
  • Impact of Mobility Solutions (transportation / latest technologies) on logistics.
  • Study on the roles of supply chain management in corporate outsourcing.
  • Evaluating strategies for cost reduction in SCM relating to exports and imports.
  • Circular Economy Practices in Supply Chain Management: A Case Study Approach
  • Demand Forecasting in Omnichannel Retail: A Comparative Analysis of Forecasting Models.
  • Ethical and Sustainable Procurement Practices: An Examination of Implementation Challenges and Benefits.

Watch my YouTube vlog explaining more on Top 10 HOT TOPICS for Supply Chain Research for Master Thesis or Ph.D. Thesis.

Get My PhD Thesis- Supplier Development Framework

The supply chain systems of today are more likely to see massive changes technologically in the coming years. Some selected supply chain management thesis topics may face limited data or access to real-time data in making proper research and forecast, including seasonality and trends. So, due diligence is necessary to ensure you not only pick an exciting supply chain management thesis, but you also have sufficient access to data, studies, and materials useful in such an area. The impact of these trends alongside technological advancement in the selected areas would certainly help your thesis stand out and unique.

If are looking for more articles in the education category, you can visit this page

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the emergent research topics in the field of supply chain management.

Blockchain Integration : Exploring the application of blockchain technology to enhance transparency, traceability, and security in supply chains.

Sustainable Supply Chains : Investigating strategies for integrating environmentally friendly practices, ethical sourcing, and social responsibility into supply chain management.

Digital Transformation : Studying the impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things on optimizing supply chain processes.

Resilience and Risk Managemen t: Analyzing approaches to build resilient supply chains capable of adapting to disruptions, such as pandemics, natural disasters, and geopolitical events.

Circular Economy : Examining supply chain models that minimize waste and promote the reuse, recycling, and repurposing of materials.

Supply Chain Visibility : Researching ways to improve real-time visibility into supply chain activities to enhance decision-making and responsiveness.

Last-Mile Delivery Optimization : Investigating innovative approaches to streamline and optimize the final stages of product delivery to consumers.

Supply Chain Finance : Exploring financial strategies and tools to optimize cash flow and working capital within supply chains.

Collaborative Supply Chains : Studying methods to enhance collaboration and information-sharing among supply chain partners to achieve mutual benefits.

E-commerce Integration : Examining the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating e-commerce platforms into traditional supply chain models.

What are the 4 areas of supply chain management?

What is the primary goal of the supply chain.

The main goal of a supply chain is to efficiently and effectively manage the flow of products or services from the point of origin to the point of consumption. This involves optimizing processes from procurement and production to distribution and delivery. The overarching objective is to meet customer demands with the right products, in the right quantity, at the right time, while minimizing costs and maximizing overall supply chain performance.

What is the difference between supply chain and supply chain management?

The term “supply chain” refers to the entire network of entities and activities involved in the creation and delivery of a product or service, encompassing suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and customers. “Supply chain management,” on the other hand, is the strategic coordination and oversight of these interconnected processes to optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance overall performance. While the supply chain is the broader concept, supply chain management specifically involves the planning, execution, and control of various elements within that network to achieve business objectives.

Recommended Books

How to get a phd: a handbook for students and their supervisors.

How To Get A Phd: A Handbook For Students And Their Supervisors

How to Get a PhD: How to Set Yourself Up for Success in the First 12 Months (Getting My PhD)

How to Get a PhD: How to Set Yourself Up for Success in the First 12 Months

About the Author-  Dr Muddassir Ahmed

Dr MuddassirAhmed  is the Founder & CEO of SCMDOJO. He is a  global speaker ,  vlogger  and  supply chain industry expert  with 17 years of experience in the Manufacturing Industry in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia in various Supply Chain leadership roles.   Dr. Muddassir  has received a PhD in Management Science from Lancaster University Management School. Muddassir is a Six Sigma black belt and founded the leading supply chain platform SCMDOJO to enable supply chain professionals and teams to thrive by providing best-in-class knowledge content, tools and access to experts.

You can follow him on  LinkedIn ,  Facebook ,  Twitter  or  Instagram

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Zaragoza Logistics Center

Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics- Top 30 Ideas

thesis topic for supply chain management

One of the most frequently asked question from SCMDOJO followers is, I am doing Supply Chain Management Masters from  Europe ,  UK  or  USA  and I need some Master Thesis ideas in Supply Chain?

Key academic research areas in SCM are offering robust and implementable supply chain management thesis that are transforming worldwide trends. The increasing strength of global Supply Chain Management (SCM) is one functional area that shows several students are seeking a good start, especially in solving significant problems in the form of  Masters  and  PhD thesis .

Nevertheless, with the changing trends in the industry, some students are likely to struggle with the early stages of academic writing. A significant reason for this problem is usually down to a lack of ideas or facing new topics with low research activity.

Old Industries and New Industries

The recent pattern shifts in academia, from the traditional research approach to other conventional methods, is taking a more student-centred view. Most of the supply chain management thesis is crafted by students, including dissertation, topic creation, research, and more with help of their supervisors.

With new industries, like Amazon and Apple, transforming old concepts with technological disruption, there are new trends to look out for to help narrow your supply chain management thesis.

The  7 Powerful Supply Chain Trends  (I also dubbed “Supply Chain 7.0”) have the potential to become a powerful influence over time. These trends, including Augmented reality (AR), Big Data, Gamification of the supply chain, moving supply chain to “Cloud,” and Internet of Things (IoT) – Industry 4.0. Also, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in supply chain alongside 3D Printing are now needed to support the product life cycle.

Forbes also highlights the key  2020 Supply Chain Technology Trends  that are receiving lots of buzz in Supply Chain Management. In this regard, students seeking top-notch research areas for supply chain management thesis can consider new trends to help create adequate research content.

30  Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2020

On these premises, any supply chain management thesis should be comprehensive. There several topics and areas to consider, and below are 30 Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2020 that students can do research on towards an excellent postgraduate study in SCM.

Digital Transformation

  • Digital Transformation Key Attributes; Challenges; enablers & Success Factors
  • Smart Government Initiatives: How Governments are Driving Digital Change
  • Digital Leadership linking to Virtual Teams or Self Organised Teams (Agile PM)
  • COVID 19 impacted the implementation of Digital Transformation?
  • Cross-functional collaboration in the decision-making process.
  • The value of data and interdependencies in decision-making.
  • Machine learning techniques in supply chain management

Sustainable Project Management (SPM)

  • Can apply the SPM model or any of its dimensions to any type of project
  • Can Blockchain help with Sustainable Project Management?
  • Factors affecting the application of an efficient supply management system.

IoT- Industry 4.0 and Big Data

  • Application of IoT in Logistics – Challenges; enablers & Success Factors
  • The practicability of intertwined supply networks with IoT.
  • Implementation of IoT in 3PL/4PL Industry – Challenges; enablers & Success Factors
  • Big data and impact in DDMRP
  • Evaluation of technology use in modern supply chain management.
  • The extension of supply chain resilience through Industry 4.0
  • The Impact of Industry 4.0 on supply chain management.
  • Implementation of E-logistics in Supply Chain Operations.

Operations and Supply Chain Management

  • Risk Evaluation and Management involved in a supply chain
  • Partnerships Perspective in Supply Chain Management
  • Assessing Supply Chain Risk Management Capabilities
  • Implementation of Green Supply Chain Management Practices
  • Supply Chain Management Practices and Supply Chain Performance Effectiveness
  • The Impact of Supply Chain Management Practices on the Overall Performance of the org
  • The Influence of Environmental Management Practices and Supply Chain Integration on Technological Innovation Performance
  • The Relationship between Total Quality Management Practices and their Effects on Firm Performance
  • Level of Commitment to Top Management regarding the TQM Implementation
  • Impact of Mobility Solutions (transportation / latest technologies) on logistics.
  • Study on the roles of supply chain management in corporate outsourcing.
  • Evaluating strategies for cost reduction in SCM relating to exports and imports.

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

The supply chain systems of today are more likely to see massive changes technologically in the coming years. Some selected supply chain management thesis topics may face limited data or access to real-time data in making proper research and forecast, including seasonality and trends. So, due diligence is necessary to ensure you not only pick an exciting supply chain management thesis, but you also have sufficient access to data, studies, and materials useful in such an area. The impact of these trends alongside technological advancement in the selected areas would certainly help your thesis stand out and unique.

If are looking for more articles in the education category,  you can visit this page

Recommended Books

How to get a phd: a handbook for students and their supervisors.

thesis topic for supply chain management

How to Get a PhD: How to Set Yourself Up for Success in the First 12 Months (Getting My PhD)

thesis topic for supply chain management

About Dr. Muddassir Ahmed

Dr. Muddassir Ahmed is a global speaker, blogger and supply chain industry, expert. Dr Muddassir Ahmed has received a PhD in Management Science from Lancaster University Management school. Muddassir is a Six Sigma black belt and has founded scmdojo.com with the intention to enable supply chain professionals and supply chain teams to solve the problems they face in their jobs & business.

Follow SCM Dojo Social Networks

thesis topic for supply chain management

About Zaragoza Logistics Center

Zaragoza Logistics Center is a research and educational institute affiliated to the  Massachusetts Institute of Technology  and the  University of Zaragoza .  Core research areas  in logistics and supply chain management at Zaragoza Logistics Center (ZLC) strive to be actionable and applied so that people and organizations can make decisions and take action.

Zaragoza Academic Partnership (ZAP)

The Zaragoza Academic Partnership (ZAP) Program  allows companies to sponsor ZLC students’ thesis projects for both masters  ZLOG , ZLOGb and MDSC . It is an initiative to enhance applied research and bring industry-academia relationships closer together in the field of supply chain management. Each year students are required to complete thesis projects and many of them work with our partner companies on challenging and innovative research projects through the ZAP Program.

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50 Supply chain and logistic dissertation topics for 2024

The meaning of supply chain management

To look into supply chain management. There is a poor understanding of how the supply chains operate. Therefore, elaborating how these systems can be managed is necessary. The same issues are evident in the search for supply chain thesis topics.  Most interesting supply chain topics are already researched in detail. Therefore, getting a better topic that can be defended at ease is quite challenging. Despite having our well-researched topics online, you can also access supply chain management thesis topics pdf from our website. we have also compiled a list of Ph.D. topics.

1. Impact of Ukraine and Russia war on global logistics and supply chain

This topic tries to find the consequence of the ongoing war in Europe on the supply chain and logistics of the world. This is one of the best logistic dissertation topics for 2022 that is not yet covered in length. Therefore, one can easily develop a  great thesis from it.

2. Africa as a new heart for the global supply chain

This topic tries to explain why Africa is the new emerging market and manufacturing hub for global supply. Africa has untapped potential such as cheap labor that may be utilized to meet global supply needs.

3. Strategies used for cost reduction in supply chain management

 To find out how to minimize expenditure during supply. High costs tend to affect the outcome in the provision cycle.

4. Effects of E-logistics on supply chain

To determine the outcome of E-logistics on any given process during the distribution of goods or services. Failure to recognize better ways of reaching out to those involved in supply. This is one of the most diverse supply chain management research topics of 2022. It still has so much gap to be covered.

5. Mobility solutions for supply chain

To identify faster ways to efficiently move goods or services. The delay faced during supply has a negative impact on all the participants.

6. Importance of digital transformation on supply

To reveal how adapting to new technology impacts business outcomes. Some employees are unwilling to adapt to change and hence resist training.

7. An analysis of supply chain integration

Evaluating whether incorporation of many participants improves results. Getting onboard partners that are unable to meet deadlines.

8. Evaluating supply chain resilience

Assessing how adaptable the systems are to change. Maintaining the new changes can be challenging.

9. Critical analysis of supply chain agility

To discover how fast businesses can adjust to meet the market requirements. Some firms take a long time to remodel to be at par with current trends.

10. Evaluating risks involved in the supply chain

Gauging the dangers that one can encounter in the supply process. Some risks are man-made and hard to deal with.

11. Managing the supply chain globally

To figure out ways of staying afloat in the market in many regions. There is high competition affecting supply and demand globally which some producers fail to meet.

12. Optimizing costs of the supply chain

To work out methods of upgrading product value while retaining a reasonable price. Upgrading products leads to a rise in prices.

13. Supply chain progressive gradation

To determine how to maintain growth. Stagnation affects most production firms at some point.

14. Effects of leadership changeover in supply chain

To know how to keep the chief officers for longer periods. Getting new employers can affect businesses negatively since they need time to master the new roles.

15. How environmental changes affect the supply chain

To deduce whether the climate can affect the supply chain. It is hard to predict the changes that can occur within a locality.

16.  What does big data do to supply chain management?

To evaluate the impact of a variety of high-volume data in supply chain management. There is limited room for improvement. 

17. Impact of the Green project on the supply chain

To investigate how managers can integrate environmentally friendly processes during production. Establishment of firms with no consideration of their impact on the environment.

18. Importance of Total Quality Management

To evaluate the importance of every member of the team maintaining high standards in their various areas. Pulling in the same direction will always be a cutting edge for all organizations.

19. Effects of political factors on supply chain management

To look into issues related to the government that could influence how goods flow from one point to the next. Regional instabilities due to wars interrupt the normal flow of products.

20. How the law affects supply chain management

To prove that some laws can hinder business systems from normal operation. Businesses that do not meet the stipulated codes of conduct are not allowed to run. 

21. Studying how the IoT works in relation to the supply chain

To ascertain if supply chain management depends on IoT for its smooth operation. Some businesses are unable to keep up hence lose customers.

22. Fourth Industrial Revolution and supply chain management

To determine if 4IR is beneficial to supply chain management. Specialization and flexibility are costly as boundaries become more blurry.

23. Establishing the relationship between supply chains and the performance of firms

To show how a firm’s potential affects the movement of its products. Failing firms can hardly have sustainable supply chains.

24. Effects of Covid-19 on supply chain management

To determine how the pandemic affected businesses and their customers. The pandemic caused businesses to shut down while others had to change modes of operation.

25. Profit maximization in supply chain management

Identifying how to get the most out of the goods and services produced. Wrong pricing of products leads to massive losses that are damaging to the firms.

26. What roles do technological changes play in the supply chain?

To expose how technology is shaping the production of both goods and services. Rapid technological changes have had a huge impact on supply chains. 

27. Importance of business relationships in supply chain management

To plan how beneficial partnerships can be established. Poor consumer supplier relations disrupt efficiency.

28. How is manufacturing important in the supply business?

To establish how significant manufacturing is in the supply chain business. Expensive processes are involved due to a lack of proper planning.

29. Customer satisfaction in relation to supply chain management

To find out how best to meet consumer needs. Good or service production without customer participation.

30. Impact of supply chain management on business

To research the extent to which supply chain management affects any given organization. Inefficient managers lead to the collapse of supply chains. 

31. Supply chain efficiency versus effectiveness

To clarify what the two terms mean in the supply chain. Producers are incapable of differentiating the two concepts.

32. Significance of logistics

To know how to handle logistics to maximize output. Lack of qualified logisticians to handle the procedures involved. 

33. Does analytics in supply chain matter?  

To demonstrate the significance of analytics in supply. Insufficient information on analytics.

34. How supply chains can affect a country’s growth and development

To point out ways in which a disruption in supply chains can cripple progress. Inadequate resource allocation.

35. Use of AI in organizations

To make a comparison between artificial intelligence and human intelligence in firms. Laxity in embracing the use of machines in making decisions.

36. The future of supply chain management

To analyze what lies ahead in the product distribution sector. Inability to correctly predict the market trends.

37. Types of supply chains

To name and list the types of supply chains. Lack of clarity on the types of supply chains that exist.

38. How firms adhere to supply chain ethics

To determine how ethics affect organizations. Inadequate knowledge on the functions of these ethics.

39. Importance of supply chain management to the society

To give a detailed explanation of how the people benefit from proper regulations of supply chains. Few people understand what is involved in production and supply.

40. Supply chain visibility

To discuss how visibility can be maintained from the initial to the final stage. Few suppliers have the ability to trace their goods.

41. How an organization can ensure supply chain sustainability

To find out how companies deal with social, economic, and environmental issues in the process of supplying goods or services. There is disregard for issues that arise relating to the products being distributed.

42. How quality control works in supply chain management

To understand the role of quality control in supply chain management. Suppliers ignore matters related to quality controls resulting in poor outcomes.

43. Essential supply chain management tools

To find out which tools are used. Inability to recognize what is required for successful operations.

44. Lack of qualified personnel in the supply chain

To elaborate on the effect of fewer qualified professionals in supply chain management. Supply chain jobs were not considered to be as valuable.

45. Issues faced by supply chain managers

To state challenges that managers go through. Lack of experience in handling customers hence inability to solve the problems that arise.

46. Challenges that operation managers face currently

To discuss what operation managers experience in their line of work. Lack of the right skills to tackle problems.

47. How operation management is crucial in supply chain management

To bring out the significance of operation management.

48. The key elements in logistics

To describe the elements in logistics. Very few people understand the concept and how it works.

49. Logistics versus supply chain management

To bring out the difference between the two processes. Both deal with the end products in an organization.

50. The probability of supply chain managers being replaced by robots

To establish whether machines will take full control of the supply industry. It is difficult to tell really but it is a very interesting area to delve into.

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Supply Chain Game Changer

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Thesis Ideas for Supply Chain Students!

Thesis Ideas

Supply Chain Education and Certification – What’s Missing?

Inventory Management

As students go back to school many of them are entering the final year of their University or College program. Many of these programs require the completion of a thesis or major project of some sort, intended to be an overarching project drawing on all of the knowledge that the students have acquired to that point to put it into application.

My recollection is that this was a stressful period trying to think about what subject you would base your thesis on and hoping it would be good enough to support a full blown these.

As such we thought it would be helpful to outline a number of thesis ideas that have the potential to make for great thesis topics for students to consider.

The Objective of the Thesis

Students have spent 3 years or 4 years or more in classroom training across a variety of subjects, some of which they were required to take and some of which they elected to take. Along the way they have accumulated a tremendous amount of knowledge and some experience.

The point of the thesis is to channel all of that education into a singular project that draws on and applies all, or much, of that training. Using learnings acquired through years of classroom courses and combining that with additional research, new thinking should be developed so as to coalesce all of that background into a thesis.

The thesis should both advance knowledge in the respective field, as well as advancing the knowledge and expertise of both the writers and any readers.

The thesis is usually a written document which may also be presented in an oral format. The Professor who sponsors and mentors the thesis for the students may be the sole reviewer of the document, or there may be a committee to which the authors must present and defend the thesis, its content and its conclusions.

Potential Thesis Topics

As more and more educational institutions offer undergraduate and graduate Supply Chain Management programs, an ever increasingly exciting and well educated student population is getting to that stage in their programs where they need to complete theses or major projects to complete their degrees.

And while Supply Chain Management has been recognized as a term since 1982 , the understanding, scope and appreciation of the field has continued to evolve. My personal view is that Supply Chain is a very broad, all-encompassing field, touching virtually every aspect of any business or operation.

What makes this such an exciting career path is also what makes it such an exciting educational choice. It offers such a wide breath of subject matter to learn about that any single aspect of the field could be its own degree program.

It is also exciting because Supply Chain is at the epicentre of most of what is going on in the world. The Coronavirus pandemic, climate change, digital technology, food waste and world hunger, sustainability, humanitarian aid, disaster planning and recovery, cyber security, and more are all issues for which Supply Chain plays either a leading, or supporting, role.

Here is our list of potential thesis ideas for Supply Chain students to consider. Some of these thesis ideas are very broad and some are narrower. Within this range are innumerable thesis possibilities.

1. The Digital Supply Chain

We live in the digital age. Every aspect of our lives is touched by digital technology. And Supply Chain is a part of that. The Digital Supply Chain in its widest expanses involves the real time, end to end electronic connectivity of every aspect of the Supply Chain.

Technologies include Blockchain, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Drones, Machine Learning, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Control Towers, Robotics, Autonomous vehicles, and on and on and on.

Any one of these technologies is thesis worthy. Beyond these technologies themselves there are also the issues of cultural impacts, investment challenges, standardization and scalability, ease of implementation and ease of use, integration, and more. These ancillary considerations are very real, can be prohibitive to technological implementation, and are also great thesis topics.

2. The Resilient Supply Chain

If the importance of robust Supply Chains wasn’t apparent before the pandemic, the Coronavirus certainly exposed the fragility of global Supply Chains in virtually every industry in every country around the world. From masks to ventilators, to toilet paper to lumber to vehicles, goods of every kind have experienced supply-demand disruptions that have wide spread impacts on our lives.

On top of that it is true that there is always a disaster of some kind, whether natural or man-made, in any part of the world. These disasters cause all manner of disruptions to our lives and our economies. In some cases there are adequate disaster recovery plans and responses. But far too often there is insufficient planning and execution in dealing with these disasters, resulting in Supply Chain disruptions far and wide.

3. Sustainability

According to searcherp , Supply Chain sustainability (SCS) is “a holistic view of  supply chain  processes, logistics and technologies that affect the environmental, social, economic and legal aspects of a supply chain’s components.

Factors that affect SCS include amount of waste, carbon footprint and emissions, air pollution, labor violations, deforestation and the health and safety of workers. SCS is based on the principle that socially responsible products and practices are not only good for the planet and the people who live here, they are also good for building positive brand awareness, minimizing environmental impact and improving long-term profitability.”

Sustainability is not only topical but it is an imperative for our collective future viability. Supply Chain is central to the development and implementation of solutions for improving any aspect of sustainability. Another great source of thesis topics with great contributions to society, our lives, and our planet.

We need to develop truly robust and resilient Supply Chains. We need fresh thinking on how to create this resiliency beyond the often meagre thinking that has gone into Supply Chain design to date. Theses based on any commodity or industry focussed on creating this resiliency would provide benefits with far reaching impacts.

4. Climate Change

Dealing with climate change is more than just a matter for scientists and politicians. According to bcg.com , “Eight global supply chains ( Food, Construction, Fashion, FMCG, Electronics, Auto, Professional Services and Freight) account for more than 50% of annual greenhouse gas emissions.”

Improving the efficiency of these Supply Chains is not just about technology. The processes, logistics, and operations of these Supply Chains can be improved so as to reduce climate impacts. A thesis tackling climate change in any of these areas can help all of us for all time.

5. Risk Management

A philosophy at the core of any Supply Chain strategy and operation is that of risk management . If your company is more risk averse then you may carry extra inventory and have more dual sources and operations. If you are less risk averse you may carry only just in time inventory, rely on single sources, and run a very lean operation.

There are pros and cons for either approach but the common denominator in either strategy is risk. The amount of risk you do or don’t assume will cost you money. If you run a lean operation then the slightest disruption can shut down your business very quickly. Yet if you run a very fat operation (eg. lots of redundant inventory) then the extra costs and cash demands can equally shut your business down.

A proper balance of Supply Chain considerations is necessary to ensure continued operation but in support of business realities (eg. cash). Risk management expertise needs to be elevated everywhere. A thesis focussed on optimizing risk management capabilities will shape Supply Chain strategies everywhere.

Thesis Ideas in Conclusion

The prospect of doing a University thesis can be daunting. It is demanding in every way with respect to your time and energy. As such it is necessary to pick a thesis topic that is both interesting to you as well as valuable to your educational institution and larger societal concerns.

Supply Chain is such an incredibly broad profession that it offers no end of challenges and opportunities. Within Supply Chain are innumerable topics for any thesis and for any interest.

We’ve offered several suggestions for your thesis. This thesis ideas list is by no means exhaustive but it is representative of the topics which we are interested in and which we consider to be top of mind at this time.

Good luck on your thesis on behalf of us here at Supply Chain Game Changer. And be sure to let us know what topics you choose for your thesis.

Copyright © Mortson Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Enhancing sustainable supply chain management through digital transformation: a comparative case study analysis.

thesis topic for supply chain management

1. Introduction

2. theoretical background, 2.1. sustainable development and supply chain management, 2.2. digital transformation.

  • Data collection and monitoring [ 40 ].
  • Supplier assessment and compliance [ 41 ].
  • Inventory and demand management [ 42 ].
  • Transport optimization [ 43 ].
  • Waste reduction [ 44 ].
  • Carbon footprint monitoring [ 45 ].
  • Product traceability [ 15 ].
  • Stakeholder communication [ 15 ].
  • Decision-making [ 46 ].
  • Continuous improvement and adaptation [ 47 ].

2.3. Supply Chain Management Resources and Capabilities

2.4. business performance, sustainable impact, and business excellence.

  • Enhanced reputation and image [ 52 ].
  • Strategic supplier relationships [ 53 ].
  • Improved efficiency [ 54 ].
  • Optimized inventory management [ 55 ].
  • Data-driven decision-making [ 56 ].

2.5. Sustainable Strategies

  • The sustainable technology development strategy, which aims to develop IT capabilities that can contribute to sustainable development through innovation.
  • The networking strategy, which aims to develop collaborative skills within the company and between all stakeholders.
  • The sustainability strategy, which includes investments in feasibility-related technologies and aims to provide financial incentives for employees to propose and implement innovative ideas.
  • The sustainable product marketing and promotion strategy, which aims to develop marketing and promote the benefits of sustainable products to customers in order to increase demand for products and services.
  • The research and development strategy, which aims to develop research units within the company in order to improve products and processes.
  • The sustainable skills and competencies development strategy, which aims to create an enabling environment for employees to develop green and sustainable skills.

2.6. Conceptual Framework

3. research method, 3.1. research design, 3.2. case selection, 3.3. data collection procedures, 3.4. data coding and analysis, 4. case studies’ description and findings, 4.1. case study—3pl company, 4.1.1. resources and capabilities.

  • Efficient warehouse management through the “Mantis WMS”, which enabled the company to automate and effectively manage its processes, achieving accuracy and speed in the storage and preparation of orders.
  • Automation, quick product identification, and information management through the use of “barcode” labels on each product and pallet and connection to wireless terminals, allowing operators to quickly access and alter information.
  • Employee development through investment in staff training.

4.1.2. Sustainable Impact

4.1.3. business performance, excellence and sustainable strategies, 4.2. case study—retailer, 4.2.1. resources and capabilities.

  • Driver information.
  • Location at all times.
  • Temperature in storage areas for the better and safer transport and monitoring of products.

4.2.2. Sustainable Impact

4.2.3. business performance, excellence and sustainable strategies, 4.3. case study—producer, 4.3.1. resources.

  • Financial Supply Chain Management (FSCM);
  • Logistics Execution (LE).

4.3.2. Capabilities and Sustainable Impact

  • Commitment to sustainability.
  • Resilience in financial performance.
  • Social contribution and community support.
  • Digital transformation.
  • Ethics and compliance training.
  • Effective management of distribution centers.

4.3.3. Sustainable Strategies

  • Research and development.
  • Networking.
  • Marketing and promotion.

5. Results and Discussion

  • Increasing productivity.
  • Reducing operating costs.
  • Efficient management of supply chain processes.
  • Automation.
  • Knowledge transfer and training.
  • Customer satisfaction and loyalty.

5.1. Theoretical Implications

5.2. managerial implications, 6. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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  • Shee, H. Internet of Things: Applications and Challenges for Supply Chain Management. In The Palgrave Handbook of Supply Chain Management ; Sarkis, J., Ed.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2024; pp. 1197–1215. ISBN 978-3-031-19883-0. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Schoenherr, T. Supply Chain Management Professionals’ Proficiency in Big Data Analytics: Antecedents and Impact on Performance. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 2023 , 169 , 102972. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
  • Thottoli, M.M.; Ahmed, E.R. Information Technology and E-Accounting: Some Determinants among SMEs. J. Money Bus. 2022 , 2 , 1–15. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]

Click here to enlarge figure

Company
Main Activities
Size
Region
3PL
Warehousing, Distribution, Consulting
Small and Medium
Attica, Greece
Retailer
Warehousing, Distribution, Sales
Large
Attica, Greece
Producer
Producing Construction Materials
Large
Evia, Greece
Industry RepresentationIt illustrates the logistical backbone of supply chains, crucial for understanding the operational changes enabled by digital technologies.Interfacing directly with consumers, it offers insights into consumer behaviour and the implementation of sustainability practices in a retail setting.Being a resource-intensive manufacturing sector entity, it was selected for its significant environmental impacts and potential for sustainability improvements through technology.
Leadership in Innovation and SustainabilityIt has been notable for its rapid adoption of innovative logistics technologies and sustainable growth practices since its recent inception.It has implemented several initiatives emphasizing sustainability across its extensive network, effectively integrating digital platforms to enhance consumer engagement and sustainable consumption.It is at the forefront of digitalizing production processes, which has substantially improved its resource efficiency and waste management.
Commitment to Sustainability and Digital TransformationIts use of technology has not only streamlined operations but also significantly reduced its environmental footprint.Its initiatives, such as recycling programs and energy-efficient operations, are supported by digital tools that track and enhance their effectiveness.It has invested in advanced digital systems to monitor and optimize resource use, reflecting a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
Geographical and Economic ContextAll companies operate within Greece, providing a consistent economic and regulatory context that influences their approaches to sustainability and digitalization. This context is particularly relevant given the European Union’s strict regulations on both digital innovation and sustainability practices.
Participant PositionCompanyGenderAge GroupHighest Academic QualificationExpertiseExperience (Years)Interview DateInterview Duration (min)Interview Mode
CEO3PLMale40–45PhDSupply Chain Management10–1512/09/202245Face-to-face
Warehouse Manager3PLMale40–45Bachelor’s degreeLogistics10–1512/09/202245Face-to-face
Warehouse ManagerRetailerMale40–45Bachelor’s degreeWarehouse Management10–1509/05/2023120Face-to-face
IT Senior ManagerRetailerMale55–60Master’s degreeInformation Technology20–2507/07/202360Face-to-face
IT Junior ManagerRetailerFemale35–40Master’s degreeInformation Technology5–1007/07/202360Face-to-face
Procurement ManagerProducerMale45–50Master’s degreeLogistics15–2002/10/202330Face-to-face
IT Senior ManagerProducerMale40–45Bachelor’s degreeInformation Technology10–1503/10/202345Video call
Head of Sustainable Development DepartmentProducerMale50–55Master’s degreeSustainability20–2510/10/202345Video call
3PLRetailerProducer
ThemesCodesInterviewsInterview Confirmation MethodInterviewsInterview Confirmation MethodInterviewsInterviews Confirmation Method
Two Key OfficersReview of Documents and RecordsOn-Site ObservationThree Key OfficersReview of Documents and RecordsOn-Site Observation Three Key OfficersReview of Documents and RecordsOn-Site Observation
Sustainable PoliciesEnvironmental Pillar
Social Pillar
Economic Pillar
Organizational ContextIT & Digital Transformation
SCM Resources/Processes
CapabilitiesCapabilities
Sustainable ImpactEnvironmental
Social
Economic Results
ExcellenceSustainable Development
Digital Transformation
Business Performance
Sustainable StrategiesSustainable Strategies
ThemesCodesCompany
3PLRetailerProducer
Sustainable PoliciesEnvironmental Pillar emissions
Social Pillar
Economic Pillar
Organizational ContextIT and Digital Transformation
SCM Resources/ Processes
CapabilitiesCapabilities
Sustainable ImpactEnvironmental
Social
Economic Results
ExcellenceSustainable Development
Digital Transformation
Business Performance
Sustainable StrategiesSustainable Strategies
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

Stroumpoulis, A.; Kopanaki, E.; Chountalas, P.T. Enhancing Sustainable Supply Chain Management through Digital Transformation: A Comparative Case Study Analysis. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 6778. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16166778

Stroumpoulis A, Kopanaki E, Chountalas PT. Enhancing Sustainable Supply Chain Management through Digital Transformation: A Comparative Case Study Analysis. Sustainability . 2024; 16(16):6778. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16166778

Stroumpoulis, Asterios, Evangelia Kopanaki, and Panos T. Chountalas. 2024. "Enhancing Sustainable Supply Chain Management through Digital Transformation: A Comparative Case Study Analysis" Sustainability 16, no. 16: 6778. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16166778

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thesis topic for supply chain management

1st Edition

Big Data Analytics in Supply Chain Management Theory and Applications

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Description

In a world of soaring digitization, social media, financial transactions, and production and logistics processes constantly produce massive data. Employing analytical tools to extract insights and foresights from data improves the quality, speed, and reliability of solutions to highly intertwined issues faced in supply chain operations. From procurement in Industry 4.0 to sustainable consumption behavior to curriculum development for data scientists, this book offers a wide array of techniques and theories of Big Data Analytics applied to Supply Chain Management. It offers a comprehensive overview and forms a new synthesis by bringing together seemingly divergent fields of research. Intended for Engineering and Business students, scholars, and professionals, this book is a collection of state-of-the-art research and best practices to spur discussion about and extend the cumulant knowledge of emerging supply chain problems.

Table of Contents

Iman Rahimi , B.Sc. (Applied Mathematics), M.Sc. (Applied Mathematics – Operations Research) earned his PhD in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia in 2017. He is now a research scholar at the Faculty of Engineering &Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Australia. His research interests include machine learning, optimization, and supply chain management. He has edited a book entitled: "Evolutionary Computation in Scheduling" with Wiley. He has acted as an editor for journals of: "Computational Research Progress in Applied Science & Engineering (CRPASE)", "International Journal Renewable Energy Technology (IJRET)", and "International Journal of Advanced Heuristic and Meta-Heuristic Algorithms". Also, Iman has acted as an editor and co-editor of the books for some prestige publishers ("Elsevier and Taylor & Francis"). Amir H. Gandomi is a Professor of Data Science at the Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney. Prior to joining UTS, Prof. Gandomi was an Assistant Professor at the School of Business, Stevens Institute of Technology, USA and a distinguished research fellow in BEACON center, Michigan State University, USA. Prof. Gandomi has published over one hundred and eighty journal papers and seven books which collectively have been cited more than 16,000 times (H-index = 58). He has been named as one of the most influential scientific mind and Highly Cited Researcher (top 1%) for three consecutive years, 2017 to 2019. He also ranked 18th in GP bibliography among more than 12,000 researchers. He has served as associate editor, editor and guest editor in several prestigious journals such as AE of SWEVO, IEEE TBD, and IEEE IoTJ. Prof Gandomi is active in delivering keynotes and invited talks. His research interests are global optimisation and (big) data analytics using machine learning and evolutionary computations in particular. Simon Fong graduated from La Trobe University, Australia, with a 1st Class Honours BEng. Computer Systems degree and a PhD. Computer Science degree in 1993 and 1998 respectively. Simon is now working as an Associate Professor at the Computer and Information Science Department of the University of Macau. He is a co-founder of the Data Analytics and Collaborative Computing Research Group in the Faculty of Science and Technology.  Prior to his academic career, Simon took up various managerial and technical posts, such as systems engineer, IT consultant and e-commerce director in Australia and Asia. Dr. Fong has published over 500 international conference and peer-reviewed journal papers, mostly in the areas of data mining, data stream mining, big data analytics, meta-heuristics optimization algorithms, and their applications. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Network and Computer Applications of Elsevier, IEEE IT Professional Magazine, and various special issues of SCIE-indexed journals. Simon is also an active researcher with leading positions such as Vice-chair of IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (CIS) Task Force on "Business Intelligence & Knowledge Management", and Vice-director of International Consortium for Optimization and Modelling in Science and Industry (iCOMSI). M. Ali Ülkü , Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Supply Chain and Decision Sciences, and the Director of the Centre for Research in Sustainable Supply Chain Analytics-CRSSCA, in the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. Dr. Ülkü is also cross appointed with the Department of Industrial Engineering, and the School for Resource and Environmental Studies. He received his Ph.D. in Management Sciences from the University of Waterloo, M.Sc. in Operations Research from Çukurova University, and B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a productivity consultant in the largest international brewery in Turkey. Dr. Ülkü’s research thrusts include the theoretical modeling of sustainable supply chain and logistics systems, operations-marketing interface, and mathematical modeling of consumer behaviour and societal problems. He published in such journals as Annals of Operations Research, European Journal of Operational Research , International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Service Science . His research funding includes those from The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, and The United States National Science Foundation. A recipient of the Exceptional Teaching Award from the University of Waterloo, Dr. Ülkü has taught operations management, business analytics, logistics, and supply chain management courses at various universities in Canada, Turkey, and the USA. He served as the Program Chair for the 2018 Canadian Operational Research Society Conference. The IEOM Society International honoured him with the 2019 Distinguished Professor Award.

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Chair of Logistics Management

Master theses, msc students.

If you are interested in the areas of supply chain or logistics management, industrial marketing management, purchasing/supply management, or operations management in a broader sense, we will support you in finding a suitable master thesis topic. The topics can be fundamental, or tackle new and upcoming challenges in digitalization, sustainability or distribution, just to name a few. Although you do not have to be an expert in any of these fields, it is highly recommended to attend at least one of our courses. We aim to provide an excellent supervision and have successfully proven this in the past with some of our previous master students winning several awards for their work.  

Requirements

A a list of suggested protected page master thesis topics lock which tie in closely with ongoing research projects is accessible once you log in with your nethz account. We encourage you to have a close look at these topics. If you are interested in or have specific questions about any of the listed content, please do not hesitate to contact the indicated person directly by email.

In case you have own ideas or wish to conduct your master thesis in collaboration with a company , please ensure that the substantive area in which you wish to research is linked to our areas of expertise. So please check the team members' research interests and publication records before you contact us.

For further details on the master thesis process at the Chair of Logistics Management, please consult our Download guidelines (DOCX, 63 KB) vertical_align_bottom  first. If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact Christian Wagner . We are looking forward to meeting you and discussing the topics in detail.

MAS Students

A supply chain and related functions are the heart of any company’s operations and determine the organization’s performance considerably. Conventional supply chains are constantly changing, in particular, since new technologies disrupt traditional ways of working. Since these developments provide a multitude of opportunities to researchers and practitioners, the field of SCM is the perfect setting to write a MAS master thesis by investigating and solving a company’s challenge, i.e. translating academic concepts into real world problems.

The current list of open protected page master thesis projects lock is accessible with your nethz login. Beyond the listed projects, we will support you in developing your own ideas and finding alternative topics related to supply chain or logistics management, industrial marketing management, purchasing/supply management, or operations management in a broader sense. For inquiries and applications, please get in touch with Christian Wagner .

Buying Channels strategy - Advanced data analytics for procurement efficiency

  • Data Analytics

The detrimental effects of global warming are increasingly evident, necessitating urgent action to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. This alarming situation has called for the collective contributions of all actors, i.e. nations, firms, and individuals, to limit the annual warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. Our sponsor company, with a global fleet of over 25,000 vehicles primarily comprised of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, is committed to significantly decarbonizing its fleet by 2030 to mitigate its CO2 emissions footprint and contribute to global warming reduction. This goal is to be achieved while maintaining operational excellence and within the company’s economic and operational constraints. To this end, our study first identified optimal locations for transitioning fleets from ICEs to Electric Vehicles (EVs), considering the geographical scope of the 50 US states plus the District of Columbia. Using Machine Learning Clustering techniques, we included endogenous factors (age of fleet, number of vehicles ) and exogenous factors (laws and incentives, temperature, gas price, and electricity price) to identify how to rank states according to their impact. Then, a logistic growth function, with a growth rate factor derived from 5 metrics, was applied to model the timing and strategy of EV implementation: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), driving range, refueling, CO2 emissions, value-perception. We found that the adoption of EVs in a global corporation with a significantly large fleet is equally dependent on both endogenous and exogenous factors. Furthermore, to reap optimal benefits, the number of EVs in the company’s fleet mix should be gradually increased over the target period. Combining these 2 approaches allows the company to maintain control over operational performance objectives and predict future TCO and decarbonization implications. The model's applicability extends beyond the studied region to other geographical, political, and economic contexts, such as Europe or East Asia.  

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Doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain-related areas: 2005–2009

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2013, Logistics Research

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Jan Arlbjørn , Frederik Zachariassen

thesis topic for supply chain management

Moises Camilo Chica Hernandez

tehakelew tefera

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal

Lakshmi Goel

Purpose This paper aims to review logistics and supply chain management topics where theories have been applied to better understand the supply chain management (SCM) discipline identity. The purpose is threefold: to identify research topics in logistics and supply chain management where one or more theories have been examined; provide commentary on the theories that have been applied to the various logistics and SCM research topics; and to provide reference material and direction for future research. Design/methodology/approach This structured literature review (SLR) examines research papers in logistics and SCM from 1991 to 2015 published in eight leading academic journals. Papers in the data set are grouped by topic and further analyzed in terms of research method, purpose, year and journal. Findings This research categorizes papers by the topics that were studied to understand important insights about how these topics have been examined by researchers. Within each topic area, th...

ManMohan S Sodhi

We examine how UK universities view different topics within supply-chain management as seen in their research output and their postgraduate curricula and whether this view matches the relative emphasis on these aspects by UK-based employers when hiring. Using content analysis, we analysed: (1) UK-based supply-chain/logistics job advertisements, (2) abstracts of research articles by UK academics in supply- chain/logistics journals, and (3) the description of the postgraduate-level supply-chain/logistics degrees in UK universities. Our findings show that the overall research output of UK universities is broadly in line with employers’ needs with regards to the relative emphasis on different supply-chain topics. However, their relative emphasis on these topics in their teaching programmes is quite different. We suggest that universities need to look into their provision of academic programmes in relation to employers’ needs and need to look into how to leverage their research output better for this purpose.

Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management

Brian Fisher-Holloway

International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications

David Menachof

Patrik Jonsson

Mercedes Gaitán-Angulo

International Journal of Business and Economics Research

Shlomo Globerson

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A Selection Of Strong Dissertation Topics Related To Supply Chain Management

Sometimes students get stranded at the very initial stages of academic writing and one of the reasons which this usually happens is lack of topic ideas. With a paradigm shift in academia, learning is no longer teacher-intensive but more of a student centered affair. In this age, a lot is left to students including topic creation as evident in research, dissertation or thesis paper writing. In this regard, it is always upon a student to go out there, conduct a topic research and come up with something admissible in academia. This means that, you must be exceptional at your work if you want to come up with something good at the end of the day. However, it should also be noted that some topic require a lot of time in terms of admissibility check and quality. For instance, business related dissertation topics always require a lot of patience on the side of students so that one can narrow down to something specific and that which is researchable.

Well, over the years, supplies and purchases have become one and the same thing, thanks to an increasing need for efficiency in business whereby quality is the key and speed is also important. However, when it comes to supply chain management as a subject, you have got to look into many things beyond efficiency. For example, you have got to look into the cost that one is likely to incur in a supply chain and time it would take for goods to be delivered to recipients. On these premises, any dissertation paper on this subject should be comprehensive. There are many topics you can look into and in this post, we propose some strong dissertation topics related to supply chain management, take a look.

  • Examine the role the role of supply chain management in business outsourcing
  • Evaluating risks involved in a supply chain
  • Evaluation of the use of technology in modern supply chain systems
  • Supply chain and business logistics: Examining the relations
  • Supply chain in the automobile industry: Investigating tax evasion cases in motor vehicle exports and their impacts on cost incurred in procurement
  • Barriers to implementation of an efficient supply management system
  • Evaluating effects of information dissemination and sharing among intermediaries in a supply chain
  • Supply chain performance parameters: Evaluating strategies for cost reduction in supply chain in automobile exports and imports in China

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THESIS OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) In LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

  • September 2020
  • Thesis for: Master of Business Administration

Ampong Afoakwah Emmanuel at Catholic University College of Ghana

  • Catholic University College of Ghana

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thesis topic for supply chain management

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Keywords applicable to this article: inventory, logistics, supply chain network design, transportation network design, distribution network design, warehousing, push and pull supply chain, supply chain efficiency and effectiveness, supply chain performance drivers, demand forecasting, aggregation planning, economies of scale, supply chain risk management, global supply chains, IT management in supply chains, E-supply chains, Lean Six Sigma in supply chains, sustainable supply chains.

By: Professor Nand Kishore Prasad, Principal Consulting Officer
Updated by: Sourabh Kishore, Chief Consulting Officer

Please contact us at or to discuss your topic or to get ideas about new topics pertaining to your subject area.

Supply Chain Management is one of those research domains that will always have research opportunities and research topics for dissertation and thesis projects. This is because the global business frameworks operated and managed by multinational businesses are changing rapidly because of the challenges posed by globalization and liberalization, which directly affects supply chain design and management of an organization. Environmental issues, economical challenges, financial crisis, challenges to sustainability, fluctuating oil prices, increase of carbon footprints, dynamic scenarios of multinational trade relationships, agreements, and barriers, global conflicts and wars, rising threats to international sea cargo, land cargo and air cargo, rising threats to congested lanes and channels, single points of failures, lack of feasible alternate routes, increasing supply chain risks, increasing global competition, rising benchmarks of customers' expectations, challenges of flexibility, agility, and responsiveness and many more similar issues are significant challenges facing modern supply chain managers who are already under pressure to reduce lead times, inventory holding and costs in every step of supply chain management. Modern supply chain practices need to be highly proactive, horizontally integrated, synchronized, information driven, network based, and digitalisation and real-time technology enabled. These challenges are rapidly eliminating the old beliefs and practices giving way to new ways of managing the components of supply chain. The core elements of supply chain, viz. procurement management, production and operations management, inventory management, distribution management, and retail management, can no longer operate as distinct verticals but need to be integrated horizontally with the help of accurate and timely information management and flow, effective and efficient management of funds, synchronous activities, effective coordination, decision-making power at lower levels, better economies of scale, elimination of wastes, increased reliability on actual demands (than demand forecasting), flexible logistics infrastructure, operations, and processes, organization wide cost reduction targets and excellent service delivery. In this context, I hereby present some of the key areas in which, the students may like to conduct their research studies. In each of these areas and the suggested sample topics, you may select an industry in a country/region or a specific company in that industry with multiple locations for conducting a narrow and focussed study.

(A) Functional Integration of Procurement, Production, Inventory, Distribution, and Inventory Management: In modern supply chains, organizations are giving high emphasis on horizontal integration of supply chain components by breaking all the traditional functional barriers and organizational hierarchies that have existed since the concept was born. Modern supply chain agents integrate effectively by sharing timely and accurate information with everyone in very transparent manner. For example, if the supply chain has multiple inventory points (Stock Keeping Units), the procurement manager may have access to daily, or even hourly, updates of the inventory levels at all the points. Functional integration is evident even with suppliers and customers. The systems like automatic reordering by an IT enabled system at fixed pre-negotiated prices whenever inventory levels dip below the reorder points, continuous flow of consumption information upstream and shipping information downstream between the endpoints, supplier managed inventory at customer premises, exact and timely flow of actual demand information through predictive analytics reducing the need for demand forecasting, strategic supplier agreements, framework agreements, sustainable procurements, etc. are emerging modern practices. I suggest that students may like to undertake academic research studies on how supply chain integration is carried out by modern companies, by conducting on-field surveys and interviews. The studies can be conducted on a particular company or on the entire supply network of a commodity. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Logistics performance through coordination and collaboration in multi-echelon supply chains
(b) Constructs and their measurements comprising interrelationships among functional variables in supply chain management (multiple topics involving identification of functional variables in a supply chain environment and their interrelationships established through statistical significance testing)
(c) Functional integration in supply chains and competitive advantages of businesses (multiple topics investigating influence of functional integration variables of supply chain management on variables related to competitive advantages of businesses)
(d) Functional integration in supply chains and performance of businesses (multiple topics investigating influence of functional integration variables of supply chain management on variables related to financial performance, market performance, supply performance, demand fulfilment performance, and quality performance of businesses)
(e) Multi-level inter-echelon integration of functional roles and responsibilities, and their tasks in supply chains
(f) Effectiveness of achieving social, economical, and environmental sustainability through functional integration in supply chains
(g) Investigation of technological solutions for functional integration in supply chain management (example: investigating the role of logistics information systems, role of RFID, and role of Internet of Things in supply chain functional integration)
(h) Achieving supply chain resilience, responsiveness, and flexibility through inter-echelon functional integration
(i) Critical success factors for effective and efficient functional integration in supply chain management (multivariate factor analysis and structural equation modeling)
(j) Quantitative and system dynamics modeling of supply chain functional integration (comprising study of supply chain system dynamics modeling in Vensim and Arena, and analysis of dependence of integration goals on internal and external factors using Taguchi method)
(k) Evolving techniques on supply chain integration through digital transformation in the era of Industry 4.0
(l) Integrating and automating procurement and inventory replenishment and management practices using Industrial Internet of Things and big data analytics
(m) Integrating industrial machineries and robotics operations with automated performance monitoring and maintenance to drive automated inventory replenishment in the Industry 4.0
(n) Integrating materials despatch data with inventory data through continuous data streams using Industrial Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics
(o) Application of Augmented reality in integrating procurement, logistics operations, and inventory control in the era of Industry 4.0
(p) Automating supplier deliveries and payment processing through Industrial Internet of Things attachments in consignments and integrating with procurement and accounts processes
(q) Digital transformation of transportation and distribution networking in the era of Industry 4.0
(r) Conceptualising and designing a Big Data Analytics framework for integrating facilities of strategic suppliers with those of a large global manufacturing organisation
(s) Integrating processes from drawing board to final delivery of products - investigating new B2B models in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management
(t) Integration of procurement, inventory, logistics, and supply chain management functions of multiple suppliers serving shared customers through cloud manufacturing
(u) Materials Requirements Planning integration with real-time production consumption data streamed from Industrial Internet of Things attached with robotics and machineries, and their controllers in the Industry 4.0
(v) Real-time visibility into process variables and its impact on lead-time and supply chain risks management performance
(w) Resilience, Agility, and Responsiveness achievable through integration of logistics and supply chain processes employing Industrial Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics
(x) Multi-functional decision-making protocols by integrating Operations 4.0 with Procurement 4.0 and Inventory 4.0 in the Industry 4.0
(y) Lean and Just-In-Time production, logistics, and supply chain management revisited in the era of Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0
(z) Securing global logistics and supply chain management integration by separating the Industrial Internet infrastructure from the Public Internet

Logistics and Supply Chain Management is undergoing a wave of digital transformations worldwide. In this context, we have presented
.

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(B) Supply Chain Network Design: The concept of network design is rapidly gaining popularity in supply chain management. In fact, many modern scholars are talking about renaming "Supply Chain Management" to "Supply Network Management". This is because companies no longer just manage multi-tier suppliers in the form of chains but rather manage a whole network of suppliers for their key purchases. The concept of supply network has evolved as a result of globalization and rapid growth of Internet leading to reduced gaps between suppliers and buyers of the world. The network design concepts are applied in the areas of production facilities, operational facilities (like service locations), logistics facilities, transportation, distribution, and retailing. The actual design depends upon the supply chain strategy, scope, cost, risks and uncertainties, and demand information. The key design considerations in network design are - nodes and links, direct shipments, milk runs, in-transit mergers, domestic transit routes, international transit routes, last mile transit routes, locations of plants, depots, warehouses, distributor storage, retail outlets, and risks related to each node and link. The key factors that need to be taken into account are - strategic factors, technological factors, macroeconomic factors, political factors, infrastructure factors, competitive factors, socioeconomic factors, localization, response time expectations (of customers), facility costs, and logistics costs. In my view, network design in logistics and supply chain management has ample opportunities for conducting academic studies for students and professionals. The studies will be based more on interviews and focus group discussions because the students will need to learn from specialist network designers and network managers in supply chains. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Multiobjective optimization problems in supply chain network design under risks and uncertainties (multiple topics are possible for designing different configurations of a supply network through mathematical optimization in operations research theory)
(b) Value creation through robust supply chain network design
(c) Optimised supply network design through process engineering and value chain creation
(d) Agile and lean production strategy through robust closed-loop supply network design
(e) Effective Supply chain network design for effective demand fulfilment at low operational costs and through high quality and timely deliveries
(f) Effective Supply chain network design for reducing carbon footprints and improving environmental sustainability
(g) Effective Strategies for robustness in supply network design for reducing service disruptions amidst uncertainties in flow of supplies
(h) Effective Supply network design for dealing with uncertainties in demand information flow and high seasonal fluctuations
(i) Effective Supply network design for curbing Bullwhip effect and reducing the resulting effects of beer gaming and order rationing games
(j) Supply chain network design for integrated flow of materials, funds, and information in forward and reverse logistics
(k) Supply chain network design for implementing, maintaining and operating strategic supplier agreements
(l) Multipath routing design in national supply chain networking based on variability in path costs and path delays
(m) Supply network optimisation through system dynamics modeling, network simulations, and Taguchi method
(n) Designing a multi-echelon multi-vehicle network with optimal routing under time window constraints for perishable products supplies
(o) Optimized supply network design for capacity planning and balancing of production capacity, logistics capacity, and distribution capacity
(p) Designing locations and interconnectivity of temporary in-transit storage infrastructures for multi-hop multi-path transportation networks
(q) Designing a flexible transportation, logistics, and distribution network for lean and agile order fulfilment of small batch orders
(r) Solving an integrated supply chain design optimization problem for multiple irregular shipments caused by production and logistics delays using hybrid Taguchi - Immune method
(s) Strategic and tactical supply chain network designs for managing risks and uncertainties under stochastic demand variations
(t) Evolutionary approaches of flexible logistics network designing and redesigning for variable capacity, resources, and funds allocation decision-making based on variations in costs, efficiencies, and lead-times
(u) Principles influencing agility, flexibility, responsiveness, resilience, and quality of supply chain network design
(v) Multi-party multi-supplier supply chain network design based on order booking and fulfilment services through cloud computing
(w) Supply chain network design for operating multi-party closed blockchain with consolidated allocation and visualisation of assets
(x) Multi-modal supply chain network design for smart contracts operations through open blockchains
(y) Transportation and distribution network design for blockchain-controlled manufacturing and supply chain processes
(z) Multi-party multi-supplier supply chain network design based on cloud manufacturing demand generation
(aa) Multi-party multi-supplier supply chain network design based on smart contract generation, monitoring, and control in blockchain consortiums of additive manufacturers and suppliers
(ab) Multi-party multi-supplier supply chain network design for operating integrated logistics and transportation assets identified, registered, monitored, and controlled through blockchains
(ac) Multi-party multi-supplier supply chain network design controlled through provenance tracking and anomaly detection using machine learning and artificial intelligence
(ad) Multi-party multi-supplier supply chain network design for operating modular construction processes and assets management using smart contracts in construction industry blockchains
(ae) Multi-party multi-supplier supply chain network design for optimised quality assurance and control using smart contracts in blockchains

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(C) Demand Pull Supply Chain Strategy: It is almost an empirical fact that the world is now gradually drifting towards demand pull supply chain strategy for demand chain management instead of mass production and products push strategy. Now the businesses are focusing more on gaining accurate and timely demand information rather than depending upon demand forecasts such that demand-based order fulfilment through make-to-order and assemble-to-order processes can be done. The companies have already faced significant problems due to high inventory costs and wastage of unconsumed products in light of forecast inaccuracy and inaccurate demand flow phenomenon caused by Forrester (Bullwhip) effect. However, it may be noted that pull supply chain strategy is not as straightforward as push strategy. The strategists no longer have the leverage to just depend upon demand models, viewed as magic wands in the past, but are required to proactively collect actual demand information. This change requires effective integration with suppliers and buyers, and large scale information sharing through sophisticated information systems. The companies need to think much beyond Japanese Kanbans or lean strategies (even they have backfired, really!!). The students may like to study on what companies are doing or can do to shift to demand pull strategy as much as possible. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Enhancing responsiveness of a supply chain through demand pull strategy supported by lean manufacturing and IT-enabled integration
(b) A study of make-to-order, assemble-to-order, and engineer-to-order demand fulfilment strategies under demand pull strategy
(c) Lean transformation of a supply chain for implementing demand pull strategy and demand-linked order fulfilment
(d) Identifying and managing customer order coupling points of a supply chain for implementing demand pull strategy and demand-linked order fulfilment
(e) Data collection and management methods from bar codes and RFID data aggregators for implementing demand pull strategy and demand-linked order fulfilment
(f) Value chain management by integrating demand and supply information through knowledge management
(g) Implementing demand pull strategy and demand-linked order fulfilment through cloud computing-enabled demand chain management
(h) Investigating resource-based view and resource-advantage theory for implementing demand pull strategy and demand-linked order fulfilment
(i) Principles and factors influencing supply chain design for effective demand chain management
(j) Strategic supplier engagements and integration with sales and marketing for effective demand chain management
(k) Designing a logistics workflow system for demand chain management using data collected from bar code and RFID databases
(l) System dynamics modeling and discrete events simulations for designing and analysing a demand chain management system
(m) Demand-driven inventory management based on predictive analytics and collaborative replenishment
(n) Demand-driven quick response in digitalised supply chain management
(o) Resilience and responsiveness in demand-driven digitalised supply chains
(p) Collaborative multi-party logistics for demand-driven supply chains
(q) Solving bullwhip effect problem in digitalised supply chains through multi-echelon data collection and analysis
(r) Supply chain analytics and visualisation technologies for demand - supply synchronisation
(s) Impact of modern real-time data collection and visualisation technologies on demand fulfilment performance of supply chains
(t) Role of machine learning and artificial intelligence in responding to highly dynamic stochastic demands
(u) Supply chain partnership modeling using modern digitalised integration of logistics and production processes
(v) Time-based supply chain competition and related time-based strategies in the digitalised world
(w) Process and Value chain mapping in modern digitalised supply chains
(x) Advanced category management in demand-driven supply chain management
(y) Demand-driven supply chain mapping processes specific to an industry (industry-specific topics)
(z) Demand-driven flexible smart contracts in blockchains comprising of closed supplier and customer networking

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(D) Supply Chain Efficiency and Effectiveness: Every organization spends significant amounts on supply chain management. Financial planning, cost control, timely service, high quality of service, elimination of duplicates and wastes, information and information systems integration, horizontal collaboration, cooperation, teamwork, and communications, relevant management practices, process integration, tasks integration, metrics and measurements, continuous improvements, and return on investments in supply chain are key drivers of efficiency and effectiveness. A number of metrics are taken as inputs to the strategic supply chain planning to ensure that optimum efficiency and effectiveness can be achieved. This research area may require on-site quantitative data collection, and quantitative analytics using SPSS and such other statistical analysis tools to arrive at the results. The students may have to discover independent and dependent variables and their interrelationships using statistical significance testing and other inferential statistical methods. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Defining and measuring key performance indicators of supply chain performance
(b) Differentiation, effectiveness, and efficiency in the context of competitive advantages through logistics performance
(c) Strategies for enhancing process, tasks, communications, information systems, and collaboration efficiency in supply chains (multiple topics may be formed each addressing a separate area)
(d) Inducing agility and flexibility in supply chains through effective supplier selection and management
(e) Effects of inter-echelon collaboration, coordination, and communications on effectiveness and efficiency of demand fulfilment
(f) Enhancing effectiveness and efficiency of supply chains by achieving triple bottomline (environmental, economic, and social) sustainability objectives for supply chain management
(g) Investigating the impact of global information and supplier integration on stock replenishment effectiveness and demand fulfillment of multinational retail brand stores
(h) Investigating the impact of demand and supplies forecasting accuracy on logistics costs and demand fulfillment of multinational retail brand stores
(i) Investigating the influence of online comparative quotes and multi-supplier management in web-based global procurement on business value enhancement and profitability
(j) Investigating the influence of IT innovation and Information Integration on Global supplier development, and business value creation
(k) Investigating the impact of demand and supplies forecasting accuracy on business value creation, resources prioritization, and inventory planning effectiveness
(l) Investigating the influence of IT innovation, Information Integration, and Relevant decision support reporting on long-range planning effectiveness, resources forecasting, and budgeting in supply chain management
(m) Impact of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and real time data collection and visualisation on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(n) Supply chain effectiveness and efficiency in multi-party multi-supplier network design using smart contracts and blockchains
(o) Impact of additive manufacturing processes with design, materials planning, and production quality validation through cloud manufacturing
(p) Influence of big data analytics on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(q) Influence on digital transformation and hyper-automation on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(r) Influence of machine learning and artificial intelligence on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(s) Trade-off between cloud and edge computing for variable logistics load management to maintain and enhance supply chain efficiency and effectivess
(t) Influence of real-time data visualisation through digital twins or siblings on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(u) Influence of predictive and prescriptive analytics on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(v) Influence of dynamic capabilities in procurement and inventory management on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(w) Influence of supplier and supply chain mapping using digital technologies on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(x) Influence of real-time tracking and integration of suppliers' logistics innovations on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
(z) Influence of smart contracts execution and tracking through multi-party multi-supplier blockchains on supply chain efficiency and effectiveness

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(E) Supply Chain Integration: This research area may be taken as an extension of functional integration (point A). Other forms of integration in supply chain management are logistics integration, process integration, supplier integration, technology integration, data integration, information and information systems integration, quality integration, funds integration, and infrastructure and services integration. The student may like to study how companies are integrating with key suppliers and customers to improve flow of information about demands (upstream) and supply (downstream) and to reduce lead times. The modern concepts like direct delivery (from suppliers to customers), vendor managed inventories (VMI), cross-docking, optimal procurement policy, optimal manufacturing strategy, inventory minimization, input and output control, aggregation planning, process integration, real time monitoring and control, optimization of operations, supply chain object library, enterprise supply chain integration modelling, 3PL and 4PL, quick response (QR), efficient consumer response (ECR), continuous replenishment planning (CRP), and collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) are included in the scope of supply chain integration. The students may chose a particular area and conduct on-site interviews of supply chain experts about how these practices are incorporated by organizations in their supply chain integration strategies. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) A study of strategies for achieving effective integration of an organisation with customers and suppliers for value creating demand chain management
(b) Competitive advantages of IT enabled supply chains by virtue of integrated processes, integrated information, and integrated team collaboration
(c) Strategies and logistics planning for integrating forward and reverse supply chains
(d) Performance outcomes achievable through supply chain integration in manufacturing companies
(e) Logistics capability development through supply chain integration
(f) Lean and agile transformation of supply chains through supply chain integration
(g) Effective supply chain risk management through logistics processes, infrastructure, and tasks integration strategy
(h) Integrating supply chain processes and information through e-collaboration tools on cloud computing
(i) Implementing lean and six-sigma philosophies for supply chains through information and process integration
(j) Developing dynamic capabilities and flexibility in a supply chain through integration
(k) Information integration and collaboration in reverse supply chain management
(l) Enablers and barriers to integration in supply chain management
(m) Reducing supply chain disruptions through information integration and collaboration
(n) Integrating demand and supply sides in a supply chain through value chain management
(o) Eliminating duplicates and wastes in supply chains through multi-echelon process and information integration and standardisation
(p) Tactical supply chain integration under supply uncertainties, disruptions, and demand fluctuations
(q) Collaborative planning and replenishment and vendor-managed inventory in modern cloud-based multinational e-commerce (Amazon case study)
(r) Collaborative logistics planning through 3PL and 4PL for supply chain flexibility and quick response
(s) Closed loop supply chain integration for remanufacturing of rapidly recyclable products (separate product-based case studies, like batteries, bags, consumer electronics, mobile phones, and Vehicle tyres)
(t) Applying ISO 9001 standard for integrating supply chain processes
(u) Transactional and relational mechanisms for integration with buyers and suppliers in small-scale industries
(v) Global supply chain integration with lean and green practices for triple bottom-line (environmental, economical, social) sustainability
(w) Integration in services supply chain for customer-centric value creation
(x) Integrating marketing, sales, procurement, and logistics functions and their processes for effective demand chain management
(y) Carbon accounting and carbon footprint tracing of supply chains through knowledge and information integration
(z) Curbing dysfunctional phenomena in supply chains through multi-echelon functional, process, information, and skills integration (examples are: Bullwhip effect, beer gaming, order rationing, large batch sizes, inaccurate demand forecasting, stock outs, stock overruns, cost overruns, and high defects density)

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(F) Supply Chain Performance Drivers: The key performance drivers of supply chain management are - facility effectiveness, inventory effectiveness, transportation effectiveness, information effectiveness, sourcing effectiveness, cost effectiveness, speed effectiveness, delivery effectiveness, quality effectiveness, service effectiveness, green effectivness, economic effectiveness, social empowerment effectiveness, employee skills and competencies, supplier effectiveness, flexibility, lean effectiveness, agility, responsiveness, resilience, and market orientation effectiveness. These drivers comprise multiple performance indicators that may be measured quantitatively by collecting data and applying them in SPSS. The studies in this area may primarily be quantitative with statistical significance analysis of interrelationships between variables. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Influence of information systems on supply chain operational performance
(b) Influence of multi-echelon integration on supply chain operational performance
(c) Market orientation and demand penetration in supply chains and their effects on demand fulfilment performance
(d) Strategic lock-in under win-win buyer-supplier relationships for enhanced supplier performance
(e) Identifying the performance key indicators and their measures of a global multi-echelon supply chain following the balanced scorecard approach
(f) Customer and supplier perspectives of value chain performance with end-to-end integration of logistics facilities and processes
(g) Developing and testing an instrument based on SCOR for performance measurement of global sustainable supply chains
(h) Evaluating the structure, speed, responsiveness, resilience, agility, and flexibility metrics and their measurements of a modern global supply chain in the context of fulfilling lean and agile demands
(i) Performance metrics and measurements in reverse closed-loop supply chains for recycling and reengineering
(j) Approaches for developing industry-specific KPIs, KPMs, and measurement methods of a global supply chain
(k) Applying economic value added (EVA) and activity based costing (ABC) for enabling lean and agile performance of a global supply chain
(l) Factors and preparations influencing development of performance measurement indicators and their measures in a multi-echelon supply chain
(m) Defining configurable and comprehensive performance metrics for selecting suppliers based on contractual terms and customers' needs
(n) Enablers and barriers of performance measurements of e-supply chains using cloud computing
(o) Greening a supply chain through selection and measurement of green KPIs and KPMs
(p) Measurements of maintenance and after sales performance in a closed-loop supply chain
(q) Modeling lean and agile practices through a strategy-structure-performance paradigm change in supply chain management
(r) Approaches for developing logistics KPIs, KPMs, and measurement methods of a complex multi-company multi-industry global supply chain managed by international freight and forwarding (courier) companies (this topic is specifically designed to study the logistics and supply chain performance of multinational courier companies like DHL, Blue Dart, FedEx, United Parcel Service, TNT, etc.)
(s) Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in enhancing logistics performance in a global supply chain
(t) Supply chain performance drivers for fostering greenness and sustainability in developing economies

Logistics and Supply Chain Management is undergoing a wave of digital transformations worldwide. In this context, we have presented
.

(G) Demand Forecasting and Predictive Analytics
: The concept of demand forecasting is diminishing as more and more companies are now focusing on getting accurate and timely demand information rather than depending upon forecasts. This is carried out by effective integration of information from all the nodes of the supply chain and disseminating upstream as well as downstream. The modern evolving concept is called Predictive Analytics in which, deep machine learning is employed to make accurate predictions by artificial intelligence tools. Please visit our article on machine learning and artificial intelligence for Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 for more details. However, there are many industries that will continue to depend upon push strategy and demand forecasting. The students may like to study about the drawbacks of traditional forecasting methods (like time series forecasting, moving averages, trend analysis, etc.) and the ways of improving forecasting accuracy. Many companies want to incorporate real time data in their forecasting models and focus on forecasting for shorter periods. This requires lots of additional knowledge over and above the traditional ways of working upon past demand data. The modern forecasting models may be based on accurate knowledge of customer segments, major factors that influence forecasting accuracy, information integration, bullwhip effect, scenario planning, simulations, external factors, risks, and causal (Fishbone or Ishikawa) analysis. Most of the studies may be qualitative or triangulated. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Demand forecasting for reducing Forrester (bullwhip) effect caused by distortion induced during information flow
(b) A Study of advanced planning methods and techniques in supply chain management
(c) Factors influencing timeliness and accuracy of demand forecasting in supply chain management
(d) Judgmental adjustments approaches in demand forecasting based on localised scenario analysis of the supply chain in a location
(e) The role of knowledge management in demand forecasting in supply chains
(f) Scenario planning and system dynamics modeling for studying the effects of demand forecasting on supply chain performance
(g) Forecasting of spares stocking and materials flow in reverse supply chains based on service logs of the service centres
(h) Demand and supplies mapping through customer facing data collection in CRM applications
(i) Demand forecasting through big data analytics of Internet retail websites
(j) Advanced techniques in demand forecasting for decision support (studies on neural networks, fuzzy algorithms, neuro-fizzy models, goal oriented programming methods, scenario analysis, advanced planning tools, AHP, etc.)
(k) Demand forecasting through study and analysis of customer actions and order coupling points in a supply chain
(l) Demand forecasting under uncertainties and supply risks following advanced planning tools
(m) Aggregation of sales, order booking, production, inventory, and supplies information for adaptive demand forecasting for businesses running in volatile markets
(n) Predictive analytics for supporting follow-the-demand strategy in digitalised supply chains
(o) Artificial Intelligence for Predictive Analytics of demand waves in stochastic demand environments
(p) Predictive and prescriptive analytics for Procurement 4.0
(q) Advanced data analytics for predictive visualisation of transportation and distribution risks
(r) Predictive data modeling for detecting provenance-related anomalies in supplier reports
(s) Predictive data modeling for flows prioritisation in warehouses having dynamic capabilities of racks and routes
(t) Demand-driven flow management in supply chains using predictive analytics
(u) Real-time visualisation of consumption in modern retail supermarkets and hypermarkets
(v) Lean replenishment of inventory using real-time data visualisation of inventory flows and predictive analytics
(w) Supply chain synchronisation following advanced demand and supplies predictions
(x) Managing time-based opportunities following demand and supply predictive modeling
(y) Predictive data analytics for reducing flows and storage periods in digitalised warehousing
(z) Supply chain business models exploiting the predictive data analytics capabilities

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(H) Aggregation Planning: Aggregation is carried out by a company to determine the levels of pricing, capacity, production, outsourcing, inventory, etc. during a specified period. Aggregation planning helps in consolidation of the internal and external stock keeping units (SKUs) within the decision and strategic framework for reducing costs, meeting demands and maximising profits. It may be viewed as the next step of either demand forecasting (push strategy) or demand information accumulation (pull strategy) for carrying out estimations of the inventory level, internal capacity levels, outsourced capacity levels, workforce levels, and production levels required in a specified time period. Aggregation planning in modern supply chains is carried out using advanced planning tools comprising of 2D layout maps, 3D spatial maps, structural maps, data association with map items, spatial data mining, location-aware data mining, analytical hierachy planning, etc. The students may like to conduct qualitative case studies and modeling-based quantitative studies to research about modern practices of aggregation planning in various industrial and retail sectors. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Planning and aggregating customer order points, stock keeping points, and transportation routes for order fulfilment with agreed service levels
(b) Aggregation of supply chain processes for logistics planning in a global supply chain
(c) Hierarchical aggregation planning of transportation routes and their lead-times for predicting delivery reliability
(d) Aggregation of city logistics facilities for planning of urban food and essential supplies distribution under crisis scenarios
(e) Supply chain planning matrix with hierarchical aggregation of stock keeping units (SKUs) and transportation routes for determining pricing, demand fulfilment thresholds, safety stocks, and lead-times
(f) Multi-objective urban logistics planning through aggregation of locations and spatial capacity consumption patterns on a city map
(g) Holistic planning of supermarket and hypermarket inventories using aggregation of 3D spatial models, RFID data of packaged products, and storage/retrieval tools
(h) Aggregation planning through virtualisation of logistics clusters of supermarkets and hypermarkets in 3D spatial mapping tools
(i) Aggregation planning for spare parts inventory in large-scale service centres based on integrated information availability from installed bases, service stations, stock keeping units, and production units
(j) Aggregation planning for on-site service provisioning and spares stocking at customer locations using installed base, SKUs, and transportation route maps and information
(k) Logistics park layout planning for deciding on SKU locations and routing
(l) Aggregation planning of information assets for maintaining information systems inventory for large IT customers (this topic will involve case studies of enterprise IT support by large IT vendors like Cisco, IBM, HP, Dell, etc. using their logistics operations and inventories)
(m) Layout planning of construction assets and materials storage and flow in a large construction site
(n) A structural map of horizontal inter-echelon cooperation for improved logistics effectiveness and efficiency
(o) Classification and nomenclature of nodes in a supply network plan for organising data in spatial data maps and spatial data mines
(p) Multi-agency coordination through 3D spatial model of a virtualised supply chain using RFID-based tracking and tracing of items

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(I) Global Supply Chains: In the modern world, suppliers in a country are facing direct competition from international suppliers as if the latter are operating within the country. This has happened due to modernization of information management and dissemination, supply routes, payment channels, electronic contracts, leading to improved reliability and reduced lead times of international suppliers. The students may like to undertake study on monitoring and management of global supply chains/networking by professionals working in MNCs. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Influence of logistics performance on global business performance
(b) Global supply chain planning and operation in the modern era of disturbances and turbulences
(c) PESTEL analysis for designing an effective and efficient global supply chain
(d) SMART goals of global logistics and supplier management (SMART stands for
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound)
(e) Approaches for supplier selection in global sustainable procurement strategy
(f) Knowledge management for services innovation in global logistics management through tacit knowledge capturing from supply chain echelons
(g) Multi-layered visibility into supply networking for global commissioning projects with the help of update snapshots from PM databases
(h) Ecological uncertainty challenges in highly congested oceanic lanes in global supply chains and their effects on operational performance and integration (special studies may be conducted on the ecological challenges related to Malacca and Singapore straits)
(i) Collaborative global business intelligence using cloud-based data warehousing for measuring multi-echelon logistics performance
(j) Remanufacturing through global reverse supply chain of recyclable scraps (specific focus on scrap exports by massive dismantling services; like ship dismantling for extracting massive inventories of recyclable iron and steel)
(k) System dynamics modeling and control systems comprising global supplier networking supplying through trade exchanges
(l) Global supplier evaluation and strategic supplier engagements using multi-criteria decision-making on triple bottomline sustainability
(m) Standards for monitoring and governance of suppliers based on measurement of trust and reliability factors
(n) Multisite aggregation planning of production facilities for ensuring supplies during uncertainty and turbulence in global supply chains (you may like to study aggregation planning of multiple production facilities for essential medicines and healthcare products supply)
(o) Forecasting techniques and judgmental adjustments based on scenario analysis in global supply chains
(p) Study of global supply chains of international restaurant chains (example, you may study how McDonald and KFC are able to maintain standard menus and tastes across the world)
(q) Digitalisation of global value chains through cloud manufacturing
(r) Digitalised Supply Chain Operations Reference Model for Logistics 4.0 and Supply Chains 4.0
(s) Demand - Supply orchestration in Supply Chain 4.0 modeled in Supply Chain Operations Reference Digital Model
(t) Sourcing, Planning, and Ordering synchronisation in Supply Chain Operations Reference Digital Model
(u) Ordering and fulfilment synchronisation at demand side and sourcing and transformation synchronisation at supply side in Supply Chain Operations Reference Digital Model
(v) Orchestrating global supply chain processes using digitalisation and synchronisation - planning, ordering, sourcing, transforming, fulfilment and return (multiple topics are possible)
(w) Automating and synchronisation multinational warehousing operations through digitalisation
(x) Customer value generation through additive manufacturing
(y) Global supply chain value generation using blockchains and smart contracts
(z) Global value generation through lean and six sigma in digitalised logistics and supply chain networking

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Logistics and Supply Chain Management is undergoing a wave of digital transformations worldwide. In this context, we have presented .

(J) E-Supply Chains
: E-Supply Chains are linked with E-Businesses that use Internet as their medium for accepting orders and payments, and then using the physical channels to deliver the products. E-supply chain is an excellent example of pull strategy and short term demand forecasting. Information flow across the supply chain is instantaneous because both end points and the intermediate agents work through a single Internet enabled portal. E-Bay and Amazon are viewed as the two most successful companies using this concept at global scales with built-in electronic contract signing and management, electronic payment processing, and electronic delivery processing. The students can find various case studies on E-Supply chains, although the empirical theories are still evolving. The research studies would be quite challenging, modern and unique as the field is still evolving. Remember, in your planning and thinking process, your should follow the latest designs, transformation, innovations, and evolutions related to each topic. For example, you should consider Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 technologies in logistics and supply chain while considering your topic designs. Do not incorporate enhancements in traditional industrial process engineering technologies used in Industry 3.0 era. Taking a case, if your study is about programmable logic controllers, consider its latest transformation and evolution in the Industry 4.0 era using Industrial Internet of Things and Cloud Manufacturing. Do not go back to its design using traditional RS232 or RJ45 interfacing running the MODBUS, LONWORKS, or BACNET parallel signalling even if you are an expert on these protocols. Similarly, if you want to study B2B contracting in E-Supply Chains, then consider studying the evolving technologies of smart contracts stored in smart ledgers in the blockchains. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) A study of the structural design of an E-supply chain for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG)
(b) A study of multi-agent e-supply chain integration using an approach of market-oriented strategic business partnerships
(c) Integrating manufacturing SMEs through e-supply chains using multi-agency cloud-based information systems with workflows for collaboration
(d) Integrating multi-agency RFID/Bar Code databases through cloud-based E-supply chain
(e) Designing a multi-layer collaborative e-supply chain for business-to-business engagements
(f) Electronic contracts management in framework agreements through e-supply chain management
(g) Fostering collaboration tools of e-supply chains for inter-organisational learning, knowledge sharing, and adaptation to business standards
(h) Impact of ubiquitous computing through mobile cloud computing on e-supply chain process efficiency and effectiveness
(i) Global supply chain integration with mesh structures using latest HTML 5 (Web 2.0) technologies
(j) Designing an e-supply chain on service oriented architectures using cloud computing for multi-organisational logistics applications integration
(k) Introducing dynamic negotiations and decision-making in e-supply chains using agent-based coordination and scheduling for dealing with uncertainties
(l) Collaborative transportation networking through e-supply chains on cloud computing
(m) A study of carbon trading exchanges among multiple collaborative partners in e-supply networking
(n) Assemble-to-order and build-to-order fulfilment effectiveness through electronic decision support in e-supply chains
(o) Critical success factors of multi-agency knowledge transfer and management in an e-supply chain framework
(p) Integrating forward and reverse supply chains for re-engineering applications using an e-logistics framework
(q) Factors enabling and barriers opposing multi-supplier highly competitive e-supply chains through e-commerce portals in developing nations (this study may involve investigation into the challenges faced by Amazon, e-Bay, Snapdeal, etc. in developing nations and the possible solutions)
(r) Assessing value-creation opportunities in multi-supplier framework agreements through e-supply chain in regional trade
agreements of developing countries
(s) Assessing customisations in advanced planning and control strategies in e-supply chain management
(t) Redesign of business processes and business intelligence in logistics functions for adopting e-supply chain management
(u) Value-creation for achieving triple bottom-line (environmental, economical, and social) sustainability objectives through e-supply chain management
(v) A system dynamics simulations study of designing multi-echelon e-supply chains using smart and dynamic agents and graph theory for establishing and operating multi-agency partnerships
(w) Integrating e-marketplaces and e-supply chains for establishing an e-demand chain management framework
(x) Integrating MRP II and production planning schedules of multiple small production agents for make-to-order and assemble-to-order fulfilment of large-scale orders in an e-demand chain management framework
(y) Integrating R&D, design, and production planning schedules of multiple small production agents for engineer-to-order fulfilment of large-scale strategic demands in an e-demand chain management framework (this topic may involve study of strategic design and engineering agreements of multiple companies for creating sophisticated engineering machinery)
(z) Recycling and re-engineering e-supply chains combining forward and reverse logistics for triple bottom-line (environmental, economical, and social) sustainability in developing economies

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(K) Supply Chain Risk Management: Supply chain risk management is gaining immense popularity due to globalization of competitive landscapes, and
growing threats and uncertainty. Risk management in supply chains is directly linked with supply chain agility and hence it needs to be done in very
organized and objective manner, incorporating quantitative models. Supply chain risk management is a novel dissertation/thesis research area based on the known and teething current problems in logistics/supply chain management. The root of the problems lie somewhere in the uncertainties in upstream as well as downstream flows of materials, funds, and information. For example, if there are errors in calculating economic order quantities (EOQ) and reorder levels, the ordering process may not synchronize well with the lead-times. On the other hand, the lead-times are uncertain due to various delay factors and fluctuation in costs if a transportation mode is changed. Holding inventory is the safest haven for logistics managers, but I am sure the top management of any organisation will never like it. The primary purpose of this subject matter is to keep lowest possible inventories while ensuring consistent, timely, and accurate supplies to the end users. The challenges are in the following areas:

(a) Lack of integration/synchronization/co-ordination
(b) Lack of appropriate quantitative models
(c) Lack of integrated information availability, even if the quantitative models are in place (i.e., the company has invested in SCM software tools)

The solution is somewhere in implementing an appropriate supply chain risk communication system. You will appreciate, supply chain risk is also a floating entity just like materials, funds and information. If the entire chain is integrated through an extranet portal system, and updates of every consignment code are uploaded periodically by all agents connected with the portal, there can be proactive risks generated by the software for the logistics managers such that they can take operating level, tactical level, and even strategic level mitigation actions. Although such a system is still in its conceptual stage, academic researchers can contribute to its overall conceptualisation and design. It may be integrated as a layer above the traditional SCM software. An agent sensing any variations in delay or cost may log a threat and its probability against a consignment code. The probability and impact levels may be fed to the logistics agents that can calculate the impact (like stock-out by a date). The outcome will be a risk value which will be escalated to an appropriate authority level, and appropriate mitigation action will be suggested. For example, if there is a temporary unrest in a country, the current consignments can be airlifted and subsequent orders placed to an alternate supplier.

I suggest that you may like to study the source of supply chain risks in a selected sample of transactions in your field and design a novel SCRC (supply chain risk communication) framework employing the ISO 31000, M-o-R, COSO, COBIT v5, and similar Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) frameworks for
enterprise wide estimation and communication of risks (please visit our articles on IT governance and Information Risk Management). The key risks that you can target in your SCRM framework can be categorized as: disruptions, delays, forecast errors, procurement risks, supplier risks, lead time risks, receivable risks, capacity risks and inventory risks. You may collect a list of known supply chain threats in your area of interest, categorize them under one of these risk categories, judge the impact on business, judge the vulnerabilities, and arrive at the risk values using the quantitative formulations of the chosen model. Once the risk values are calculated, you may propose mitigation strategies pertaining to redundant suppliers, better supplier relationships (i.e., eliminating procurement hops), alternate routes (i.e., alternate loading/unloading ports and links), add capacity and inventory, shift warehouses, change distribution model (direct shipments, cyclic shipments, milk run shipments, in-transit merging, adding retail stores, cross-dock distribution, etc.), change transportation media, etc. You may validate the proposed SCRC framework by interviewing supply chain experts in your country. Hence, the problem statement of your thesis will be related to the known threats and vulnerabilities in supply chain management in the selected transactions (chosen by you), and the solution will be a novel Supply Chain risk communication framework to manage the risks resulting from these threats and vulnerabilities. It will be a quantitative research with descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The outcome of this model will be on-the-fly alerts on risk levels and their mitigation as soon as a risk is logged (you will need to define mitigation actions against various risk levels, and the suggested authorities to make decisions). You may like to validate your model by surveying experts in your network. A short, and to-the-point structured questionnaire may be used such that you can present validity and reliability analysis using SPSS. A large number of industry-specific studies are possible in this study approach and every researcher may come forward with a unique supply chain risk management model for a specific industry in a specific country and its location.

Do you want to explore more areas for topic development? Please visit the . You may also read the article on . Apologies for interruption; please continue reading!!

Please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic. We will be happy to assist you in developing your narrow research topic with an original contribution based on the research context, research problem, and the research aim, and objectives. Further, We also offer you to develop the "background and context", "problem description and statement", "aim, objectives, research questions", "design of methodology and methods", and "15 to 25 most relevant citations per topic" for three topics of your choice of research areas at a nominal fee. Such a synopsis shall help you in focussing, critically thinking, discussing with your reviewer, and developing your research proposal. To avail this service, .

(L) Information Technology in Supply Chain Management
: A number of information technology platforms are popular in supply chain management. Some of the key IT tools in supply chain management are IBM Supply Chain Simulator, Rhythm (by i2 Technologies), Advanced Planner and Optimizer by SAP, Manugistics, Matrix One, Oracle Supply Chain Management, etc. These tools possess various functionalities - like, enterprise planning, demand planning, production scheduling, distribution planning, procurement and replenishment planning, facilities location planning, replenishment planning, manufacturing planning, logistics strategy formulation, stocking levels planning, lead times planning, process costing, customer service planning, procurement, supply and transportation scheduling, global logistics management, constraint-Based master planning, demand management, material planning, network Design and optimization, supply chain analytics, transportation management, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) planning, continuous replenishment planning (CRP), and many more. The students may like to study about various IT systems and software tools for carrying out such activities in supply chain management. The studies may be primarily qualitative or triangulated. Your focus should be on application design and integration, system features that are practically useful in supply chain operations, decision-making and decision-supporting tools (like, dashboards, supply chain intelligence, supply chain performance monitoring, etc.), on-line analytical processing, collection, storage, and integration of information, sharing and dissemination of information, internal and external integration, process design, mapping, and integration, enterprise resources planning and IT enablement of global best practices (like, quick response, supply chain synchronisation, virtual supply chain, efficient customer response, collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment, etc.). A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Data engineering and management science, and predictive data analytics and big data analytics for achieving supply chain management effectiveness and efficiency
(b) A study of logistics workflows and information systems using integrated RFID/Bar code databases capturing inputs from data entry points in all the echelons of a supply chain
(c) Information Technology tools and applications for operating the third and fourth party logisics (3PL and 4PL) systems
(d) Operating and managing a cellular manufacturing system using location-aware 3D graphics mapping with the plant layout
(e) Integrated system of systems with risks, configuration, business, performance, and security policy (RCBPS) management for designing an enterprise-wide logistics resources planning system
(f) Logistics engineering with ubiquitous access using mobile cloud computing
(g) Supply chain collaborations and cooperation through social media communication tools
(h) A study of system design and applications using Internet of Things in Logistics engineering
(i) A study of designing and implementing environmental information analysis and decision support in supply chain information systems
(j) Modeling information diffusion in the logistics network of a multi-echelon supply chain
(k) Modeling information flow between warehouse management system (WMS) and transportation management system (TMS)
(l) Modeling information flow in a multi-echelon supply chain operating in an unpredictable and volatile environment
(m) Integrating RFID systems with web services architecture for inventory control in an e-logistics system
(n) Wireless vehicular area networking (VAN) for operating and managing an intelligent transportation infrastructure under multi-modal logistics
(o) Location-aware transportation infrastructure for routing decision-making in an integrated manufacturing city comprising small and medium manufacturing enterprises
(p) Integrating information flow of forward and reverse logistics systems in a virtual manufacturing framework
(q) Real-time locating and monitoring of work-in-progress inventories stored in job shops' buffers using RFID sensors communicating with an integrated WiFi network in a manufacturing plant
(r) Using RFID system for storage and retrieval of containers in a large warehousing using a container management system application
(s) Enhancing multi-party horizontal collaboration using public cloud computing in an international logistics network
(t) Map-based transportation information system with GIS and GPS for managing container movement on an inter-city motorway network
(u) GIS and GPS applications in a logistics information system with 3D plant layout for managing internal materials movement in the plant campus
(v) Indoor GPS application for managing materials movement in a large warehouse
(w) Self-driving vehicles for warehousing and order fulfilment centres
(x) Industrial Internet of Things for digitalisation of production logistics operations
(y) Edge computing design for integrating production logistics with warehousing logistics in localised manufacturing networking
(z) Reducing information distortion and delays by adopting Industry 4.0 design


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(M) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in Supply Chain Management and Value Chain Management: RFID/IIoT may be viewed from two perspectives: (a) a highly innovative technology for location-based services, and (b) a tool for achieving process excellence in industrial engineering, supply chain management, vehicle tracking, asset management, government services, and many other applications. I hereby suggest you some topics in which, both the perspectives are integrated. Especially in the field of value chain management, many studies are emerging on the relationships between technology excellence variables and process excellence variables.

Let us visualize the variables of the two sides:

RFID and IIoT Technologies:

(a) Cost effectiveness
(b) Distributed information tagging (information attached with assets)
(c) Asset owner identification
(d) Information sharing accuracy
(e) Real time information sharing
(f) Ubiquitous coverage
(g) Location identification (both outdoor and indoor positioning of assets)
(h) Connectionless
(i) Integration with cloud-based information systems
(j) Integration with industrial sensors / control systems
(k) Assets security (against thefts and sabotage)
(l) Rapid incident response
(m) Integration with environmental sensors (like, continuous emissions and contamination reporting)
(n) RFID technology and Internet enabling (for communications and information sharing over the Internet)
(o) Rapid scalability
(p) Rapid commissioning and decommissioning

Value Chain process excellence:

(a) Multi-echelon information sharing
(b) Strategic supplier relationships
(c) Strategic customer relationships
(d) Automation of processes and tasks
(e) Multi-echelon collaborations
(f) Real-time information sharing
(g) Quality excellence
(h) Elimination of wastes (eliminating processes and tasks that do not add value)
(i) Elimination of defects and errors (quality excellence)
(j) Multi-skilled employees
(k) Cellular production systems
(l) Lean consumption of resources
(m) Agility in demand fulfillment
(n) Flexible assembly systems
(o) Demand pull strategy
(p) Just-in-time inventory management
(q) Real-time communications

There may be many more variables that we can add in these two lists. In addition, we can also add sub-variables (or latent variables to each of them).
If you observe, each of these areas demand a separate study, which may incorporate explorations of designs, relationship building, and simulations. Such designs can be implemented in modeling software (like, OPNET Modeler). We have completed multiple technical studies involving design of architectures using RFID sensors or IIoT sensors and actuators and WiFi networks in different application scenarios, and simulating the key variables reflecting performance, behavior, efficiency, effectiveness, and problem areas. You may design your research in two directions: Technical architecture and designs with the help of significant levels of system reviews, product reviews, design reviews and their detailing, and quantitative studies for exploring relationships between RFID/IIoT variables and process excellence variables in supply chain / value chain management.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management is undergoing a wave of digital transformations worldwide. In this context, we have presented
.

We will be happy to assist you in developing your narrow research topic with an original contribution based on the research context, research problem, and the research aim, and objectives. Further, We also offer you to develop the "background and context", "problem description and statement", "aim, objectives, research questions", "design of methodology and methods", and "15 to 25 most relevant citations per topic" for three topics of your choice of research areas at a nominal fee. Such a synopsis shall help you in focussing, critically thinking, discussing with your reviewer, and developing your research proposal. To avail this service, .

(N) Cloud Computing in Supply Chain Management
: Cloud computing is a new ICT research paradigm of services-oriented computing in which, infrastructure, platforms, applications, security, databases, communications, and security are offered as on-demand services by cloud service providers through virtualisation and orchstration of computing, networking, and storage facilities deployed through massive parallel computing of hundreds of thousands of hardware systems connected in arrays. Please visit . Recently, multiple studies have been conducted on the role and value of cloud computing in supply chain management. Researchers have related effectiveness of information systems integration, process intergration, collaboration, coordination, communications, information sharing, information availability, strategic supplier relationships, operations performance, lean operations, just-in-time operations, elimination of dysfunctional phenomena (like, bullwhip effect, beer gaming, and order rationing), and sustainability of supply chain management with the characterstic variables of cloud computing, such as real-time communications, multi-platform and multi-vendor integration, ubiquitous access, multinational systems, low costs of business operations dependent upon ICT, low capital investments, platform independence, high security through virtual clouds and their boundaries, high scalability, high availability, high uptime, high performance, exchange of services, multi-tenancy, ease of deployment, and many more. Integration of RFID information databases and control of shifting, movement, and storage of assets through RFID integration with cloud computing are latest innovations enhancing the efficiency of supply chain operations. Cloud computing has also facilitated effective integration of Internet of things in which, assets and their groups can be directly controlled through semi-automated control panels and automated algorithm-driven intelligence for identifying, tracking, moving, and controlling of millions of assets stored by thousands of suppliers across the world.

Cloud computing has helped in evolving some new forms of systems in supply chain management. For example, cloud computing has eliminated the need for manual electronic data interchange between the suppliers' echelons and the manufacturers' echelons. With the advent of cloud computing, suppliers and manufacturers can share cloud-based application systems with real-time processes' and databases' integration. Collaborative operations like vendor-managed inventory, upstream flow of consumption patterns and demand information, and collaborative replenishment of inventory are managed more effectively through cloud computing. New forms of framework agreements between a pool of strategic suppliers and a pool of buyers, real-time bidding and order closures, real-time auctions, real-time tracking of inventory status of multiple suppliers, and real-time display of prices offered by multiple suppliers have emerged with the advent of cloud-based exchanges. The current models of trading exchanges like Amazon, Snapdeal, and eBay and payment exchanges like PayPal, PayTM, and Skrill use the cloud exchange-based framework agreements between supplier and buyers that ensure protection of either sides irrespective of their locations anywhere in the world. Cloud computing has also helped in evolution of virtual marketplaces, virtul retail, and virtual shopping malls.

You may like to know the difference between an e-supply chain and a cloud-based supply chain. E-supply chain is a larger concept that can be implemented on multiple platforms. Cloud supply chain is one of the platforms of e-supply chains. It requires separate study because of its rapidly growing popularity and adoption worldwide. In addition, cloud-based e-supply chains are much more complex than an e-supply chain implemented on traditional Internet-enabled platforms (like, self-hosted web services servers). For example, cloud-based e-supply chains are multi-layered with multiple service-oriented architectures stacked one above another. In cloud computing, some of the popular service models are Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Database-as-a-Service (DaaS), and Security-as-a-Service (SaaS). Service oriented architectures employ virtualisation and Web 2.0 (HTML 5 and XML-based) technologies. Hence, while the topics suggested above are related to the general framework of e-supply chains, the topics suggested in this section are related to design, implementation, and operations of e-supply chains using cloud computing technologies only. The topics suggested here will involve more technical studies than the ones suggested under the section of e-supply chains. You are invided to study our page on modern IT systems topics with cloud computing as one of modern IT systems. The topics pertaining to cloud computing in supply chain management may comprise quantitative study of relationships between the variables at the either sides or exploratory studies on new business models and their designs emerging from cloud-based supply chain management. The studies shall involve qualitative methods like interviews, focus group discussions, action research, organisational ethnography, phenomenology, and grounded theory, and quantitative methods like inferential statistical analysis, multivariate statistical modeling, simulations, system dynamics modeling, and Taguchi's method. The key tools recommended are Ishikawa diagrams, observation flow charts, mapping charts for analysing interviews, qualitative data analysis (identifying, cleaning, categorising, classification, encoding, comparing, and contrasting), SPSS, LISREL, ARENA, VENSIM, OPNET, and TAGUCHI's templates. A sample of possible research topics in this area is presented below. In addition to the following sample topics, please contact us at or to get more topic suggestions and to discuss your topic.

(a) Service-orientation of manufacturing on cloud computing with distributed manufacturing agents
(b) Cloud-based big data analysis for demand and supplies predictions
(c) Workflow modeling for logistics engineering on cloud-based HTML 5.0 and XML-based applications
(d) Advanced parsing systems for populating cloud-based databases from logistics workflows and collaboration systems
(e) The emerging concept of manufacturing-as-a-service on cloud computing for producing customised products
(f) Mass customisations through collaborative manufacturing networks on cloud computing
(g) Cloud-based logistics design for enhanced process information and risks visibility
(h) The emerging concept of cloud of things for enhanced intelligence, controls, and management of integrated supply chains
(i) Taking RFID and Internet of Things to the next level through cloud-based sensors portfolio management and information fusion
(j) Intelligent decision-making through cloud-based analytics in a cluster of logistics services by spare parts manufacturers
(k) Logistics software-as-a-service for integrating Internet of Things for enhanced manufacturing resources capability
(l) Modeling and simulations of a cloud-based inventory replenishment workflow in OPNET's custom process design module
(m) Cloud-based decision-support architecture for monitoring, scheduling, and controlling production tasks in a distributed manufacturing architecture
(n) Smart cloud-based manufacturing architecture with real-time synchronisation of production logistics using Internet of Things
(o) Securing a network of Internet of Things in a cloud manufacturing system
(p) Designing a virtual enterprise of manufacturers using cloud-based logistics and production scheduling processes
(q) Sharing of logistics assets and logistics services in a manufacturing hub enabled with Internet of Things on cloud computing
(r) Cloud-based service-oriented heterogenous logistics and transportation management for collaborative business networking
(s) The changing paradigm of supply chain agility with the development of cloud manufacturing systems
(t) A study of changes in cloud-based manufacturing systems as compared with traditional manufacturing systems
(u) Integrated supply chain operations management for service-oriented manufacturing on cloud computing
(v) Cloud-based remanufacturing planning and scheduling in a forward-reverse logistics framework on cloud computing
(w) Faceted and Semantic search protocols on integrated data collected from Internet of Things associated with collaborative logistics processes
(x) Energy-aware smart manufacuring systems built using Internet of Things integrated through cloud computing
(y) A taxonomy of Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) components for Internet of Things-based manufacturing
(z) Virtualisation with web services infrastructure for cloud-based supply chain management
(aa) Real-time adaptive planning, decision-making, and control in transportation and distribution logistics under demand uncertainties using cloud-based open source requirements planning application
(ab) Ubiquitous cloud computing and event-driven decision-making in collaborative supply chain operations conducted through cloud-based logistics information systems
(ac) A study of enterprise wide open source applications and their modules for cloud-based enterprise architectures
(ad) Cloud-based order fulfilment and its effect on e-business performance of small-scale retailers (topic designed for studying the Amazon Prime framework of small and high quality retailers using fulfilment through Amazon)
(ae) Virtual office systems for supply chain managers with ubiquitous access through mobile smartphones for making logistics decisions
(af) Collaboration agents and their collaboration modeling on cloud-based enterprise process integration framework for interlinking distributed multi-country manufacturing facilities
(ag) Supply and demand visibility through cloud-based integration and analysis of data collected from transaction entry points
(ah) Design of cloud-based OLAP dashboards and business objects application supported by XML data files exported from distributed supplier databases maintained within secured virtual clouds of supplier companies
(ai) Collaborative supply chain risk management using information shared through cloud-based registries and risk views
(aj) A study of challenges, opportunities, threats, and success stories of cloud-based e-supply chain management
(ak) Optimising production logistics and distribution through cloud-based supply chain observers and controllers connected with electronic markets' transaction processing systems
(al) Cloud-based IT governance framework based on COBIT 5.0 for e-logistics and e-supply chain business governance
(am) A study of design and operation of a grid of machines with Internet of Things technology integrated through cloud-based production control applications using XML data files and SOAP transactions
(an) Supplier performance measurement, monitoring, and control through cloud-based logistics intelligence
(ao) Order tracking and decision-making using cloud-based intelligence of production updates from consumer products manufacturing companies integrated by OEM-driven networked manufacturing
(ap) Integrated research and development by a network of innovative startup businesses through cloud-based R&D function


Other possible proposed research areas are the following. Please visit the extension of this article for topic development in Supply Chain Management and its related domains in some of the areas listed below.

Do you want to explore some of these areas for topic development? Please visit the You may also read the article on .


We will be happy to assist you in developing your narrow research topic with an original contribution based on the research context, research problem, and the research aim, and objectives.
Further, We also offer you to develop the "background and context", "problem description and statement", "aim, objectives, research questions", "design of methodology and methods", and "15 to 25 most relevant citations per topic" for three topics of your choice of research areas at a nominal fee. Such a synopsis shall help you in focussing, critically thinking, discussing with your reviewer, and developing your research proposal. To avail this service, .

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Responding to ESRS-E5: Is the Circular Economy Material to Your Organisation?

6th August 2024

esrs e5

Sarah Griffiths

Principal Consultant

United Kingdom

What is ESRS E5?

  • Sustainability reporting landscape
  • Who does it apply to?
  • What is required?
  • How to get started

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Sarah Griffiths, Anthesis Principal Consultant for Waste and Circular Economy, shares insights into the European Sustainability Reporting Stand ards E5 (ESRS-E5) that covers resource use and circular economy, including what it covers, who it applied to and how organisations can prepare.

Two cross-cutting ESRSs and ten topic-specific ESRSs (5 environmental, 4 social and 1 on governance) will require disclosure on governance, strategy, and impact, risk and opportunity management.

ESRS 1 General Requirements
ESRS 2 General Disclosures
ESRS E1 Climate
ESRS E2 Pollution
ESRS E3 Water and marine resources
ESRS E4 Biodiversity and ecosystems
ESRS E5 Resource use and circular economy
ESRS S1 Own workforce
ESRS S2 Workers in the value chain
ESRS S3 Affected communities
ESRS S4 Consumers and end users
ESRS G1 Business conduct

ESRS E5 is one of the ten topical standards that form part of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, developed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG). It focuses on resource use and circular economy, providing guidelines for organisations within the European Union to report on their efforts and performance in these critical areas. It encourages organisations to adopt sustainable practices that minimise resource depletion, promote recycling, and contribute to a circular economic model. The circular economy approach emphasises reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling to create a more sustainable and regenerative system.

Following the double materiality assessment required by ESRS 1, one of the two cross-cutting ESRS standards , organisations may determine that Resource Use and the Circular Economy is a key ESG topic that has both a sustainability and financial impact on its operations. Organisations must then prepare to disclose key information regarding their resource use, specifically:

  • Resource/material inflows, considering their circularity and sourcing (renewable vs non-renewable sources)
  • Resource outflows, including information on materials and products

Connection with the Wider Sustainability Reporting Landscape

ESRS E5 is part of a broader sustainability reporting landscape that includes various reporting standards and frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also builds on existing EU legislative frameworks and policies regarding resource use and the circular economy, including the EU Green Deal, the EU Taxonomy , EU Circular Economy Action Plan, the Waste Framework Directive and the EU Industrial Strategy.

It complements these frameworks by providing specific guidance on resource use and circular economy aspects. Integrating ESRS E5 into overall sustainability reporting enhances the comprehensiveness and relevance of an organisation’s disclosures.

Who Does ESRS E5 Apply To?

We expect that during a CSRD-compliant double materiality assessment , ESRS E5 will be found to be applicable to a large number of organisations who use resources and materials to produce goods, products and services. The good news is that, reporting performance for ESRS E5 presents a fantastic opportunity for companies to accelerate their circular transformation. Circular business models provide the ability for companies to save resources, mitigate against supply chain risks, reduce their carbon footprint and develop future-forward ways of working.

Becoming more circular also provides tangible environmental benefits that can be captured under the additional ESRS pillars; water and marine resources, reducing carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. This interconnectivity means that ESRS E5 should be prioritised by organisations looking to achieve sustainable performance.

What is Required by ESRS E5?

To comply with ESRS E5, organisations will need to meet several key requirements, including:

  • Resource Use Metrics: Organisations are required to measure and report on their resource use and resulting wastes, including water, energy, raw materials, and other relevant resources. This involves both quantitative and qualitative disclosures.
  • Circular Economy Initiatives: Organisations must outline their initiatives, strategies and targets related to the circular economy. This includes efforts to extend product lifecycles, promote recycling, and reduce waste generation. The anticipated financial effects of material risks and opportunities arising from circular economy interventions should also be assessed.
  • Supply Chain Considerations: ESRS E5 emphasises considering resource and circular economy aspects throughout the supply chain. Organisations should disclose information about their supply chain practices and collaborations to enhance sustainability.
  • Innovation and Research: Organisations are encouraged to disclose their efforts in innovation and research aimed at developing more sustainable products, processes, and business models.

esrs-e5

How to Get Started with ESRS E5

Once ESRS E5 disclosures have been determined to be required through a CSRD-aligned double materiality assessment, organisations need to act quickly to prepare for compliant reporting.

Based on our experience of assisting organisations to develop circular products, the following activities are important to consider;

  • Develop a waste baseline to understand quantities and types of resources being lost at different stages of product manufacturing, use and end of life. This baseline should be developed in line with ESRS E5 reporting mechanisms so that waste arisings can be accurately recorded, and reductions and circular interventions evidenced over time.  Working with waste contractors and suppliers to gather this data is important to ensure that upstream and downstream waste impacts are quantified.
  • Create targets to reduce resource use and increase circularity of product lines, using data from the baseline assessment. These targets should be incorporated into ESG frameworks, with operational teams responsible for monitoring and reporting on progress. 
  • Develop reporting mechanisms to illustrate:
  • The carbon reduction benefits of improved circulatory and waste reduction, so that businesses can incorporate associated savings into Scope 3 reporting and contribute to the evidence requirements of ESRS E2 ‘Pollution’.
  • The financial benefits of adopting circular business models and improved resource efficiency, so that sustainable products are viewed as economically viable and advantageous.
  • Engage with suppliers and consumers to understand their ability to interact with circular business models.  From a supplier perspective this could be the provision of take-back schemes, more sustainable materials or material reductions. For consumers this could mean the opportunity to extend product lifespans through repair or interacting with bespoke recycling solutions at end of life.

Anthesis can help organisations to implement the above steps, acting as a partner to facilitate circular transitions and drawing on our extensive experience of guiding clients to sustainable performance.

We are the world’s leading purpose driven, digitally enabled, science-based activator. And always welcome inquiries and partnerships to drive positive change together.

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HP Inc loves China – but wants to reduce the risks it presents

Amid reports that plenty of pc production will shift elsewhere, supply chain boss emphasizes agility.

HP Inc loves China and wants to keep making and designing products there, but also loves the idea of diversifying its operations to other countries in case geopolitics becomes a problem.

That's the gist of a Thursday post by chief supply chain officer Ernest Nicolas, titled "Transforming and Optimizing Supply Chains."

The Register fancies HP Inc. decided to share its views on supply chains after Japanese outlet Nikkei earlier reported the consumer part of HP wants "to shift more than half of its personal computer production away from China … in an attempt to reduce geopolitical risks around China and Taiwan." The report also claims HP Inc. will establish a design hub in Singapore as a backup to its Taiwanese facilities.

Nicolas's post confirms that geopolitical risk is something HP Inc. is considering – as is proper for any multinational organization.

thesis topic for supply chain management

"At HP, we remain laser focused on meeting our customers' needs with flexibility and reliability, and it makes sense to remain nimble," he wrote, adding that recent additions of production sites in Thailand and Mexico, plus expanded production in India, "has allowed us to do just that."

The offshore efforts have also "allowed us to provide a better customer experience and significantly reduce the risk of future natural or geopolitical challenges."

But the PC maker still loves China.

"Our teams in China are, and will continue to be, one of our most important manufacturing, engineering and innovation hubs," he wrote. "The advanced infrastructure and manufacturing talent pipeline allows it to serve as our standard of production that our global network strives towards."

Nicolas also pitched HP Inc.'s network of production efforts as making it "geographically closer to our customers, staying ahead of the growing requests from customers worldwide to provide multi-site, multi-region and multi-source production."

  • HP CEO pay for 2023 = 270,315 printer cartridges
  • HP customers claim firmware update rendered third-party ink verboten
  • India approves its first full wafer fab – a 28nm affair from Tata and Powerchip
  • HP Inc to lay off up to 6,000 staff, cut costs by $1.4 billion

In a 2023 post , Nicolas hailed HP Inc.'s China presence as the best example of the org's chain efforts and wrote "we continue to grow in China and with China."

This year's post contains no such commitment to China, and ends by stating "the next frontier is not only about enhancing efficiency or boosting sustainability on our own – it's remaining fluid and harnessing innovation across our global network to insulate our customers from whatever challenges may come our way." ®

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  1. Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics- Top 40 Ideas

    40 Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2024. On these premises, any supply chain management thesis should be comprehensive. There several topics and areas to consider, and below are 40 Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2020 that students can do research on towards an excellent postgraduate study in SCM.

  2. Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics- Top 30 Ideas

    30 Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2020. On these premises, any supply chain management thesis should be comprehensive. There several topics and areas to consider, and below are 30 Supply Chain Management Thesis Topics for 2020 that students can do research on towards an excellent postgraduate study in SCM.

  3. 50 Supply chain and logistic dissertation topics for 2024

    Most interesting supply chain topics are already researched in detail. Therefore, getting a better topic that can be defended at ease is quite challenging. Despite having our well-researched topics online, you can also access supply chain management thesis topics pdf from our website. we have also compiled a list of Ph.D. topics. 1.

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    SCM is the process of managing the components of the supply chain to ensure efficient delivery of goods and services to customers. (Kirovska et al., 2016). SCM strategies encompass a broad spectrum of topics including. (a) customer demand, (b) supplier lead time, and (c) inventory management (Kirovska et. al., 2016).

  5. Thesis Ideas for Supply Chain Students!

    Here is our list of potential thesis ideas for Supply Chain students to consider. Some of these thesis ideas are very broad and some are narrower. Within this range are innumerable thesis possibilities. 1. The Digital Supply Chain. We live in the digital age. Every aspect of our lives is touched by digital technology.

  6. PDF The Benefits of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices to Supply

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    the challenges faced in supply chain management (Crosby et al., 2016). With enhanced transparency, traceability, and efficiency, blockchain can help to streamline the supply. chain and enable faster and more accurate responses to market demands. As such, more businesses are expected to adopt blockchain te.

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    A recipient of the Exceptional Teaching Award from the University of Waterloo, Dr. Ülkü has taught operations management, business analytics, logistics, and supply chain management courses at various universities in Canada, Turkey, and the USA. He served as the Program Chair for the 2018 Canadian Operational Research Society Conference.

  12. Theses

    Master Theses at MIT. Title: A Qualitative Mapping and Evaluation of an Aerospace Supply Chain Strategy. Author: Jonathan Hung and Nicholas Pierce. Advisor: Roberto Perez-Franco. Year: 2011. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URL: CTL Publication Link.

  13. Master Theses

    If you are interested in the areas of supply chain or logistics management, industrial marketing management, purchasing/supply management, or operations management in a broader sense, we will support you in finding a suitable master thesis topic. ... A a list of suggested protected page master thesis topics lock which tie in closely with ...

  14. PDF Master'S Thesis

    MASTER'S THESIS SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION, RESILIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CASE: POLYCOM Inc. ... 2.4 Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) .....28 2.5 Supply Chain Risk Management Process (SCRM) Process and ... way to go to exhaust the topic (pandemic related disruptions and resilience) as stated by Remko (2020). Agreeing with Golan, Jernegen and ...

  15. Buying Channels strategy

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  16. PDF The Impact of Industry 4.0 on supply chain management.

    implementations within supply chains. 1.5 Thesis structure. The thesis structure is as follows: 1. Part one introduces the reader to the topic with the background to the research as well as the main objective and limitations. 2. Part two introduces the reader to the idea of Industry 4.0 and the technologies associated with it. 3.

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    This thesis will first explain the main idea and concepts behind risk and supply chain risk management (SCRM), objectives, benefits and challenges. ... Supply chain management is a very complex set of operations and functions with ... information available about one specific topic might be too limited for starting and proceeding to make tests ...

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    Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Examining strategies to integrate environmental, social, and economic sustainability practices into supply chain operati...

  21. A List Of Great Thesis Titles On Supply Chain Management

    There are many topics you can look into and in this post, we propose some strong dissertation topics related to supply chain management, take a look. Examine the role the role of supply chain management in business outsourcing. Evaluating risks involved in a supply chain. Evaluation of the use of technology in modern supply chain systems.

  22. PDF Sustainable Supply Chain Management

    and Supply Management, Journal of Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, and Journal or Business Ethics. The time frame was set to ten years between years 2011-2021. A keyword search was performed to get a narrowed search on the most important sustainability topics.

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    Supply chain risk management is a novel dissertation/thesis research area based on the known and teething current problems in logistics/supply chain management. The root of the problems lie somewhere in the uncertainties in upstream as well as downstream flows of materials, funds, and information.

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  27. HP Inc loves China but also wants reduced geopolitical risk

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