Digital Supply Chain and Sustainable SME Management

Dear Colleagues,

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of many economies worldwide, playing a pivotal role in global supply chains. In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the convergence of digital technologies and sustainable practices has become paramount. This Special Issue seeks to explore the dynamic interplay between digital supply chain management and sustainable SMEs management, aiming to shed light on the challenges, opportunities, and innovative solutions in this critical area.

We invite researchers and practitioners to submit original research papers, surveys, case studies, reviews, experiments, simulation modeling and scenario analysis addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

1. Digital transformation in sustainable supply chains within SMEs;
2. The adoption and impact of digital technologies (e.g., IoT, blockchain, AI, RFID) on supply chain efficiency and resilience in SMEs;
3. Analyzing challenges and opportunities for SMEs in integrating digital technologies into their supply chain operations;
4. Examining the adoption of sustainable supply chain practices in SMEs, including green sourcing and circular economy principles;
5. Responsible logistics and digitalization in SMEs’ supply chains;
6. Assessing the environmental and social impacts of digital supply chain practices in SMEs;
7. Supply chain visibility and transparency in SMEs, including tracking and tracing product origins and sustainability attributes;
8. Evaluating the role of transparency in building trust with customers and stakeholders;
9. Digital collaboration and platforms in sustainable supply chain networks in SMEs;
10. Exploring the benefits and challenges of SME collaboration within digital supply chain ecosystems;
11. SME resilience and risk management in response to disasters and pandemics;
12. Risk management strategies and tools for SMEs in digital supply chains;
13. Developing key performance indicators (KPIs) and frameworks tailored to SMEs that engage in digital supply chain management and sustainability efforts;
14. Analyzing the connection between performance metrics and sustainable outcomes;
15. Investigating the influence of government policies, regulations, and incentives on sustainable practices and digitalization among SMEs in their supply chains;
16. Assessing the impact of global and regional trade agreements on SMEs’ supply chain practices;
17. Case studies of SMEs successfully integrating digital technologies into their supply chains while pursuing sustainability goals;
18. Sharing best practices and lessons learned from real-world implementations in SMEs;
19. Stakeholder perspectives on digital supply chain and sustainability practices in SMEs;
20. Exploring the link between digital transparency, sustainability practices, and consumer behavior (e.g., purchasing decisions and brand loyalty);
21. Ethical considerations and social implications of digital supply chain management in SMEs, including labor, human rights, and ethical sourcing;
22. Innovative digital financing mechanisms to support sustainable practices in SMEs’ supply chains.
23. E-commerce and omni-channel logistics in sustainable supply chains for SMEs;
24. Leveraging data analytics, machine learning, and predictive maintenance technologies to optimize SMEs’ supply chain sustainability and reduce waste;
25. Ensuring data privacy and protecting sustainable innovations in SMEs’ digital supply chains;
26. Supply chain talent and workforce development for managing digital supply chains with a sustainability focus;
27. Enhancing well-being and working conditions within SME supply chains using digital technologies;
28. The contribution of SMEs’ digital supply chains to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Prof. Dr. Mohamed Aboelmaged
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• digital transformation/technologies/collaboration/financing mechanisms
• SMEs (small and medium enterprises)
• sustainable supply chains and networks
• IoT (Internet of Things)/Blockchain/AI (artificial intelligence)/machine learning/RFID (radio-frequency identification)
• supply chain efficiency/resilience/visibility
• green sourcing/circular economy/sustainable development goals (SDGs)
• responsible/omni-channel logistics
• environmental/social impacts
• collaboration benefits/risk management/performance metrics
• case studies/data analytics
• stakeholder perspectives/consumer behavior
• ethics/ethical sourcing
• E-commerce
• workforce development
• well-being