THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRY 4.0 TECHNOLOGIES ON SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS FROM A SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE: A PERFORMANCE AND MATURITY MEASURING APPLICATION

This study aims to investigate the potential impact of Industry 4.0 technology and its associated technological advances on Supply Chain management performance from a sustainability perspective. Many companies are adopting Industry 4.0 technologies to ensure operational sustainability against the increasing effects of climate change, reduce natural resources and increase consumer awareness on environmental issues. Although the concepts of smartness and sustainability are intertwined in ready maturity assessment, no studies focus on these concepts simultaneously. The study attempts to conceptualize and develop an operational framework supported by investigating the impact of Industry 4.0 technology on the functions of supply chain management from a sustainability perspective by conducting a literature review. It is verified by preparing a survey with production engineers at the Tümosan factory operating in Konya, which produces tractors in the automotive sector, and analyzing the results. The maturity level of sustainable supply chain management was examined by taking the basic information from the literature review presented in the previous chapters of the study. The model evaluates to what extent Industry 4.0 technologies are integrated with supply chain management in the social, environmental and economic dimensions, which are the three basic dimensions of the concept of sustainability, how much they contribute, how much they are included in organizational goals and what level of performance and maturity they have reached. Thus, by supporting sustainability and innovation activities by carrying out continuous R&D studies in the adaptation of industry 4.0 technologies to supply chain management, positive results such as evaluating existing situations with a performance and maturity approach, measuring performance and maturity and setting targets can be achieved. The functions of the Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable supply chain maturity approach model are designed as 12 Industry 4.0 technologies and 10 sustainability functions in three main dimensions social, environmental and economic.