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Intial Proposal
Intial Proposal
Intial Proposal
I. Title
The Effects of Digitisation of the Supply Chain in the Qatari Retail Industry.
A. Research Objectives
This research aims at studying the effects of digitisation of the supply chain in the
retail industry.
To examine how supply chains have evolved with the use of digital technology.
To discuss theoretical models that show how digital supply chains need to be
To evaluate the level of digitisation taken place in supply chain in the retail
industry.
with their value chain partners as their digital supply chain matures.
industry due to the fact that the retail industry is experiencing tremendous changes
with the introduction of modern technology (Zelbst, Green, Sower et al., 2019). This
has made it essential for retailers to digitise their supply chains as this would enable
them to increase efficiency and reduce costs (Hänninen, Smedlund and Mitronen,
2018). In addition to this, majority of the research done on digitisation of the supply
chain in the retail industry has focused on a single organisation or country. But supply
chain digitisation requires integration not only within the organisation but also
collaboration with various external parties in the supply chain (Plomp, Batenburg and
III. Background
social and technological changes in markets around the world which has resulted in not
only change but also evolution in supply chain (Plomp and Batenburg, 2010). Supply
chains have evolved in various aspects such as size, shape, communication, technology,
configuration and how these activities are coordinated and controlled by organisations
Things (IoT) has changed the face of SC applications and logistics in organisations
(Hänninen, Smedlund and Mitronen, 2018). The introduction of these new technologies
and their implementation has contributed towards the digitisation of supply chains in
organisations.
Moreover, there are various other factors such as increasing competition, changing
conditions in various countries around the world, etc. that have caused organisations to
adopt digital supply chains (Zelbst, Green, Sower et al., 2019). Furthermore, one of the
biggest factors is the growth of electronic commerce in various countries around the
world. The adoption of ecommerce has challenged the profit margins charged by retailers
causing the adoption of digital supply chains with a view to reducing their transportation
costs (Zelbst, Green, Sower et al., 2019). In this view, the digitisation of supply chains
has also resulted from the fact that with ecommerce consumers have started expecting
greater transparency in the supply chain (Garay-Rondero et al., 2019). For example,
customers want to be able to track their products or shipments right from the time they
place an order with an organisation. Overall, there are various advantages of supply chain
digitisation but this process is not without challenges for organisations as they integrate
the digital supply chain with their business model and operations (Mahroof, 2019).
This research aims at studying the effects of digitisation of the supply chain in the retail
industry with a view to understanding how digitised supply chains can be integrated at
has increased the need for digitisation of the supply chain in the retail industry.
various countries around the world, and mainly the effect of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution (Bag, Telukdarie, Pretorius et al., 2018). Due to this, more and more
organisations are moving towards digitising their supply chain. Digital supply chain can
be defined as “an intelligent best-fit technological system that is based on the capability
of massive data disposal and excellent cooperation and communication for digital
consistent, agile and effective outcomes” (Garay-Rondero et al., 2019, pp. 13). However,
a digital supply chain does not mean that digital technology is implemented changing the
way how knowledge and information is managed in a supply chain. The main reason for
this is that digital supply chain requires changes in the entire structure, processes,
efficiency and speed (Remes, Mischke and Krishnan, 2018). The digital supply chain
requires the creation of a virtual value chain by technologies from the Fourth Industrial
Revolution focusing on the digital supply chain (Zelbst, Green, Sower et al., 2019).
It is highly important to distinguish between traditional supply chains and digital supply
chains by identifying their important characteristics. One of the main differences between
a traditional supply chain and digital supply chain is in terms of hierarchy whereby the
second difference is focus the traditional supply chain focuses only on speed and quality
whereas the digital supply chain goes one step ahead and focuses on responsiveness
(Hänninen, Smedlund and Mitronen, 2018). This is mainly beneficial in cases where
customers have to return or exchange products which become easier in digital rather than
traditional supply chains. Moreover, traditional supply chains are ineffective in getting
Comparatively, digital supply chains are effective in getting feedback from customers in
a short period of time which can be accessed by various parties in the supply chain
The third difference is in terms of response whereby traditional supply chains are
2019). Digital supply chains are not only responsive but can effectively utilise techniques
like data mining to predict changes in customer lifestyle or preferences to adapt their
operations. The fourth difference is that traditional supply chain uses one or more
management which is absent in traditional supply chains whereas digital supply chains
focus on continuous learning and innovation (Zelbst, Green, Sower et al., 2019). The
integration, both horizontal and vertical, without achieving interdependence in the real
sense between their networks. Comparatively, “digital supply chain keeps open channels
Rondero et al., 2019, pp. 15). In addition to this, digital supply chains also focus on
A. Data Collection
The secondary research method would be used to collect data for this research paper.
Under this method, the researcher will collect information from secondary sources
like scholarly articles, newspapers, books, magazines, government reports, and so on.
The method of secondary research offers the advantage of ensuring that information
is reliable and valid in nature. This can be achieved by collecting information from
reputed sources like academic journals that are peer-reviewed to enhance their
information collected is already validated by the author and the publishing company.
such as primary research during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because it would be
different scholars to study the effects of digital supply chains on the retail industry.
B. Research Ethics
Ethical concerns have been effectively addressed by the researcher in the process of
collecting information for this paper. In this view, the researcher has focused on
collecting information from reputed sources so that its authenticity can be guaranteed.
Moreover, the data has been effectively referenced so that no information is taken
from any author or organisation without giving them due credit for it. Also, the
researcher has not altered the information in any way to prove a point or include any
kind of bias. Additionally, the researcher has refrained from including any
confidential or sensitive information about the supply chain of any organisation that
could hamper their reputation in the market. This report will also not include any
Furthermore, the researcher respects the clause of confidentiality whereby this report
will only be shared with the relevant academic authorities and not any third party.
Contents of the Paper 7th 14th 21st 28th 2nd Sep 5th 10th
Aug Aug Aug Aug 2020 Sept Sept
2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020
Introduction
Literature Review
Research
Methodology
Data Collection
Recommendations
Conclusion
First Draft of
Dissertation
Final Submission of
Dissertation
The proposed structure has been designed keeping in mind the research objectives and
the research strategy of this dissertation. The research paper will consist of six chapters
Introduction – The first chapter introduces the role of supply chain in organisations
and how this function has evolved with the advent of globalisation. Moreover, this
chapter highlights how supply chains have evolved with the growth in ecommerce
defining digital supply chains. This chapter also compares who digital supply chains
are different from traditional supply chains. Moreover, this chapter discusses
theoretical models that show how digital supply chains need to be aligned at the
organisational level. It also critically analyses how digital supply chains affect
organisations.
objectives, ethical considerations and limitations of the research design. This chapter
discusses the research design which enables in selecting the research approach and
the methods for data collection. Moreover, data collection ensures that the respective
methods are effectively justified by discussing their advantages and disadvantages.
Data Analysis and Discussion – The fourth section is the data analysis and discussion
section. This section puts emphasis on the use of digital supply chains in the retail
industry. It evaluates the level of digitisation taken place in supply chain in the retail
industry. Besides, this section identifies the advantages and disadvantages of using
digital supply chains. In addition to this, it also explains how the COVID-19
pandemic has affected digitisation of the supply chain in the retail industry.
would enable organisations in the retail sector to effectively align their supply chain
collaborate and communicate with their value chain partners as their digital supply
chain matures.
Conclusion – The sixth section is conclusion. This section summarises the main
arguments in the paper. It also discusses future ideas for research in this area so that
scholars and researchers can review these ideas and conduct further research.
Reference
Bag, S., Telukdarie, A., Pretorius, J. and Gupta, S. (2018) Industry 4.0 and supply chain
Faroukhi, A., El Alaoui, I., Gahi, Y. and Amine, A. (2020) Big data monetization throughout Big
Data Value Chain: a comprehensive review. Journal of Big Data 7(1): pp.1-22.
Garay-Rondero, C., Martinez-Flores, J., Smith, N., Caballero Morales, S. and Aldrette-Malacara,
Gustafsson, E., Jonsson, P. and Holmström, J. (2019) Digital product fitting in retail supply
chains: maturity levels and potential outcomes. Supply Chain Management 24(5):
pp.574-589.
Handfield, R. (2017) Preparing for the Era of the Digitally Transparent Supply Chain: A Call to
pp.152-168.
Plomp, M.G., Batenburg, R.S., van Rooij, R.C. (2012) Determining chain digitisation maturity: a
Queiroz, M.M., Telles, R. and Bonilla, S.H. (2019) Blockchain and supply chain management
pp.241-254.
Remes, J., Mischke, J. and Krishnan, M. (2018) Solving the Productivity Puzzle: The Role of
pp.28-51.
Simchi-Levi, D. and Wu, M.X. (2018) Powering retailers' digitization through analytics and
Zelbst, P., Green, K., Sower, V. and Bond, P. (2019) The impact of RFID, IIoT, and Blockchain