Towards Intelligent Supply Chain Automation

Shop floor automation has been leveraged in the industry for a long time. Recently, however, technological advancements in digital technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics (BDA) have increasingly focused on automating tasks commonly done by white-collar workers. In supply chain planning and management, for example, the level of automation has reached unprecedented levels, so we believe it is essential to introduce the concept of Supply Chain Automation (SCA). While similar concepts, such as Business Process Automation, have been widely discussed in academia, SCA still lacks conceptualisation. However, conceptualising an emerging field is an important endeavour, as it supports aligning and orchestrating efforts in academia and industry. To fill this gap, a systematic literature review was performed to identify different types of automation (Robotic Process Automation (RPA), AI-assisted or AI-driven RPA, and Hyperautomation), as well as the motivations and benefits of automation adoption, and to derive a framework that highlights the sequence of different automation levels according to supply chain processes and technological complexity. This research allowed us to propose a definition of Supply Chain Automation concept based on analysed contributions, characterise each type of automation from the technological perspective, highlighting the possible benefits. Supported by recent technological evolution, SCA can be regarded as the new paradigm in supply chain planning.