Examining Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) Adoption in Global Logistics Systems

Purpose - This study informs supply chain organizations about the risks of logistics system and proposes SBOM as an emerging alternative to global system management. Through experiments, it is found the factors that lead to the utilization of SBOM. This study aims to contribute to the practicalization of SBOM in Korea, which is spreading to global corporations including the United States. Design/Methodology - This study examined the factors affecting the adoption of SBOM based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). The survey was conducted among Logistics System managers. A total of 439 surveys were used in the analysis from January 23, 2023 to February 17, 2023. Structural equation analysis was conducted to validate the hypotheses of the study. Findings - Findings in this study indicate that Logistics System practitioners perceive all of SBOM’s features to be easy to use, and they are strongly associated with future adoption intentions. However, they only perceive security and relative benefits as useful features of SBOM, and not transparency and licensing. Transparency and license of the system structure do not appear to have a significant impact on supply chain operations. However, the relative advantage and security of SBOM are useful for supply chain operations, and these are strong drivers for using SBOM. Originality/value - Logistics systems have high business value because corporations in various countries and industries share information. To secure such global systems and exchange information securely, SBOM is emerging as a new alternative. However, although SBOM is spreading in the United States under the leadership of the government since 2021, its use cases are hard to find in Korea. Therefore, this study provides practical implications for corporations in Korea to securely manage global logistics systems. It is also valuable academically as an initial study on the application of SBOM to the global Logistics System, which is becoming an issue.