The transformation towards a knowledge-based economy is happening on a global scale and the rapid ICT development in recent decades has influenced the business world. One of the most developed technology is information and communication technology (ICT) which provides extensive capabilities and advantages to firms. One of the emerging concepts linked to ICT is digital transformation. The term digital transformation of the supply chain is defined as the adoption and reliance of the supply chain operations on ICT and digital technologies to perform business activities and meet market requirements. Thus, to survive in competitive and dynamic markets, enterprises including SMEs should begin a digital transformation of the supply chain to improve their overall performance and efficiency. Despite the recurring research in this field, little research is conducted based on the managers' perspective. The aim of this research is to explore the perception of the managers about this phenomenon and to identify the success factor and challenges in the digital transformation of the supply chain. This qualitative research is conducted based on semi-structured interviews with managers of food SMEs in the Iranian context. The participants are supply chain managers who have five years of experience in the field. The empirical data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews with the selected participants, and from the review of organizational documents and was subject to a thematic analysis. From the analysis of the data five themes emerged which were reviewed in the context of the research question and the proposed theoretical framework with the help of the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) Model. Thus, based on the research result, participants perceive digital transformation as a conceptual tool that streamlines the supply chain activities and improves the overall efficiency of the supply chain. In addition, findings identify the development of ICT infrastructure and increased awareness of ICT benefits as success factors in this regard. On the other hand, there are two issues including lack of investment and the traditional business model which were considered hindering factors in digital transformation. Further, based on the TOE model and from the findings, it is evident that a successful digital transformation requires proper ICT adoption in three contexts of a firm i.e. technological, organizational, and environmental contexts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-117540 |
| Date | January 2022 |
| Creators | Fazlali Dastjerdi, Mahdi |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för informatik (IK) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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