Digital Supply Chains and the Human Factor—A Structured Synopsis

Digital developments and changes in the production, supply chain and logistics sector as well as specific concepts like automation and Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things are omnipresent. Especially the human role in such settings experiences important changes, which has not been adequately addressed in research yet. This introduction chapter contains an overview of elements encountered in digitalization processes in order to ensure sustainable work environments and efficient Human-Computer Interaction settings for the benefit of workers and organizations. Thus, it is the aim of this chapter to provide a structured synopsis to consider the human factor in analyzing digital work processes. This synopsis is aligned with typical workflow developments in digitalization projects and can be transferred to different work settings in supply chains. Finally, we outline the chapter structure of this book within four thematic sections in order to provide a joint storyline on investigating the human factor in digital supply chains.