The Role of Digitalisation Technologies in Enhancing Supply Chain Performance in the Service Industry: Identifying the Current Research Gaps

Digitalisation technologies are proving to be effective in many different situations across the service industry. Technologies such as AI, blockchain, big data, IoT, IoE, 6G, digital twin, and cobots are showing positive effects when implemented in different types of companies. This research highlights the important role of digitalisation technologies in enhancing supply chain performance within the service industry. Although these technologies are being adopted across sectors, limited research examines their specific impact on service supply chains. A comprehensive search of three academic databases identified 429 peer-reviewed studies published since 2019. PRISMA was implemented, resulting in a final dataset of 66 studies. The findings reveal a positive correlation between digital technologies and supply chain performance. While there has been significant progress in digital technologies, a unified and accessible framework to systematically integrate all eight technologies with service supply chains remains absent. This article highlights the potential of such a framework to serve as a strategic tool for organisations pursuing digital transformation in complex service environments. It also proposes a preliminary model that links the type of firm, high-level processes, metrics, and digitalisation technologies that improve supply chain performance in the service industry.