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This study investigates the enablers and challenges of digital supply chains (DSCs) adoption and develops a digital supply chain maturity (DSCM) model as a basis for developing guidelines for DSC adoption in the digital transformation journey.

The research involves a systematic literature review (SLR) of Industry 4.0 (I4) adoption in supply chain (SC) practices to identify key enablers and associated maturity levels. The literature search of published articles during the 1997–2020 period and subsequent screening resulted in 64 articles. A DSCM model was developed using the categorization of important enablers and associated levels transitioning from the traditional SC to the DSC ecosystem.

Four broader categories of DSC enablers and challenges were identified from the content analysis of SLR. Digital strategy alongside I4 technologies and human capital were prominent in DSC adoption as I4 technologies and human capital depend on other enablers such as dynamic capabilities (DCs). Lack of infrastructure and financial constraints to implementing I4 were significant challenges in the DSC adoption.

The proposed DSCM model provides a holistic view of enablers and maturity levels from traditional SC to DSC adoption. However, the DSCM model needs to be empirically validated and streamlined further using inputs from practitioners.

The proposed DSCM model can be used as a framework to guide practitioners in assessing maturity and developing implementation plans for successful DSC adoption.

This research introduces a novel DSC maturity model through a holistic view of enablers and maturity levels from traditional SC to DSC adoption.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of digital supply chain (DSC) technologies in automotive supply chain resilience (SCR) practices to improve the supply chain performance (SC-Perf.) objectives of companies operating in the automotive industry. This study also compares the results of the associated SC-Perf objectives before and after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak lockdown situation.

The authors undertook in-depth empirical research using a questionnaire survey to explore the performance of automotive supply chains. The sample for this study consisted of practitioners from supply chain entities such as automotive original equipment manufacturers, Tier-1 component manufacturers and lead logistics providers in Asia-Pacific (AP) emerging markets. Research questions, framework and hypotheses were developed using the literature review.

The research outcome from analysis of the data the authors collected from an emerging market context, specifically the automotive sector, emphasizes the role of DSC technologies and encourages the firm’s SCR practices which, in turn, supports the SC-Perf objectives. The DSC technologies competency moderates the SCR and SC-Perf objectives relation, and the moderation effect is higher for post-COVID-19 pandemic outbreak lockdown situation than at prior state.

The scope of the study is restricted to the automotive firms in the AP region. The data were collected from a representative sample of the population through a questionnaire survey. The small size of the sample incurs a certain level of subjectivity.

This research provides practical insights for practitioners and academicians on DSC technologies’ influence in SCR practices to improve the firm’s SC-Perf. This research shares the literature insights on use of DSC technologies across the sector to allow the automotive firm to reassess the existing operational practices.

The paper adds insights on introducing or implementing DSC technologies across AP automotive firms to increase the operations’ performance by improving SCR practices and sustainability.

The purpose of this paper is to study interactions between water‐based polymer isocyanate (WPI) adhesive and bamboo by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

The method of adapting new reference substance replacing aluminium was used due to the special characteristic of WPI adhesive when studying reactions between WPI adhesive and bamboo.

The methods of changing reference substance could counteract effect of water in the sample on DSC measurement. The results of DSC analysis showed that hardener of WPI adhesive can react with water and also with ‐OH in bamboo and matrix of WPI adhesives. That is to say that a competition exists between urethane formation (covalent bonding of isocyanate with hydroxyl groups in bamboo and matrix in WPI adhesive) and urea formation (isocyanate consumption due to the reaction with water) during the operation of glued bamboo products.

The method of changing reference substance can be used for other DSC samples in which water cannot be conveniently removed, but this method requires that weight of reference substance to be exactly the same as the sample used in DSC measurement. So accuracy of weighing was very important in this DSC measurement.

The method developed in this paper provides a simple and practical solution to studying interactions between WPI adhesive and bamboo by means of DSC.

Changing reference substance was brought forward as a new method of counteracting effect of water in the sample on DSC measurement. The understanding gained through this study could help improve bonding properties of glued bamboo products.

Major social changes, such as those induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, intensify the need for organisations in Africa to accelerate adaptation. Leadership plays an important role in their organisations’ adaptation. This study focuses on how leaders can build adaptive organisations through appropriate complexity leadership practices by establishing which of these most predict organisational adaptation. The study aims to contribute to dramatic social change (DSC) theory and to empirically confirm conceptual relationships between complexity leadership theory and perceptions of organisational adaptability (OA).

The convenience non-probability sample include 126 senior management respondents from 24 small and medium enterprises in Zimbabwe. The study focuses on these individual senior managers’ perceptions of their organisations’ adaptation, leadership practices and the social changes during COVID-19. The questionnaire used a five-point Likert scale, based on some items from existing scales on entrepreneurial, operational and enabling leadership of complexity leadership and items on OA and DSC. The study applied structural equation modelling using SmartPLS and SPSS software.

The study formulates recommendations for the boundary conditions under which each or a combination of the complexity leadership practices will bring about the appropriate level of adaptability. The enabling and entrepreneurial leadership practices required, include brokering, decentralisation and establishing multilevel collaboration.

The study contributes insight for leaders to differentiate between the levels of adaptation their organisations require at particular times in particular contexts. Different adaptations will require a different combination of complexity leadership practices. When the adaptation sought is internal, operational leadership is more appropriate, whereas if the motive is market adaptation, entrepreneurial leadership is more appropriate.

In previous years, the annual report of the British Library Lending Division appeared in the July issue of Interlending and Document Supply. As this journal has moved away from being a house journal for the British Library Document Supply Centre (DSC) towards being a more general journal of interlending and document supply matters, it is no longer considered appropriate to include a full annual report on the activities of DSC in this issue. Instead, a special July issue of DSC's Newsletter will be devoted to the full annual report for 1985–86. This is available free on demand from the Centre. Because of the global role that DSC plays in interlending and document supply, it was still considered useful to include in this issue a report of DSC's activities in interlending and document supply. This report describes developments in these activities from April 1985 to March 1986.

Downstream supply chain (DSC) performance metrics provide a standard framework to assess internal performance. DSC performance metrics can also help balance performance tradeoffs among firms. The purpose of this paper is to develop a survey instrument to determine whether observed performance metrics correspond to the literature and to determine if performance metric systems are used to improve inter‐firm performance.

The survey instrument used in this study was based on SCOR performance attributes consisting of: delivery reliability, responsiveness, flexibility, costs, and asset management efficiency. The survey was completed by 73 members of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) consisting of high‐level managers representing US companies.

One factor explained the underlying one‐dimensional structure of the surveyed Supply‐chain operations reference (SCOR) model as an internal metrics system but the authors did not find convincing support for the notion that external performance metrics are used to coordinate external, DSC inter‐firm activities.

A larger sample size would have allowed more insight into the inter‐relationships of the performance attribute variables. Moreover, the sampling plan limited generalization beyond US firms.

Firms used a standardized performance metric system and did not “pick” among metrics. In addition, firms used metrics independently of the decision to coordinate DSC activities. Perhaps they first learn to coordinate the internal performance and later extend to DSC members.

The paper describes one of the few empirical studies of the SCOR model in US industry.

The purpose of this paper is to study variation regularization with a positive sequence extraction-normalized least mean square (VRP-NLMS) algorithm for frequency estimation in a three-phase electrical distribution system. A simulation test is provided to validate the performance and convergence rate of the proposed estimation algorithm.

Least mean square (LMS) algorithms for frequency estimation encounter problems when voltage contains unbalance, sags and harmonic distortion. The convergence rate of the LMS algorithm is sensitive to the adjustment of the step-size parameter used in the update equation. This paper proposes VRP-NLMS algorithm for frequency estimation in a power system. Regularization parameter is variable in the NLMS algorithm to adjust step-size parameter. Delayed signal cancellation (DSC) operator suppresses harmonics and negative sequence component of the voltage vector in a two-phase Î ± β plane. The DSC part is placed in front of the NLMS algorithm as a pre-filter and a positive sequence of the grid voltage is extracted.

By adapting of the step-size parameter, speed and accuracy of the LMS algorithm are improved. The DSC operator is augmented to the NLMS algorithm for more improvement of the performance of this adaptive filter. Simulation results validate that the proposed VRP-NLMS algorithm has a less misalignment of performance with more convergence rate.

This paper is a theoretical support to simulated system performance.

Digital supply chain (DSC) is an agile, customer-driven and productive way to develop different forms of returns for companies and to leverage efficient approaches with emerging techniques and data analytics. Though the advantages of digital supply chain management (DSCM) are many, its implementation is quite slow for several reasons. The purpose of this paper is to identify the major barriers which hinder the adoption of DSC and to analyse the interrelationship among them. The barriers of DSC are explored on the basis of existing literature and experts’ opinion.

This paper uses the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach to develop a hierarchical structural model which shows the mutual dependence among the barriers of DSC. Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification analysis was performed to represent these barriers graphically on the basis of their driving power and dependence.

The research demonstrates that the barriers “no sense of urgency”, “lack of industry specific guidelines”, “lack of digital skills and talent” and “high implementation and running cost” are the most significant barriers to digital transformation of supply chain. This paper also suggests some managerial implications to overcome the barriers which hinder the implementation of digital transformation of supply chain.

This paper assists managers and policymakers to understand the order in which these barriers must be tackled and adopts a roadmap for successful implementation of DSCM and reap its benefits.

This is one of the initial research studies which has analysed the barriers of DSC using ISM approach.

The thermal history during laser exposure determines part properties in selective laser sintering (SLS). The purpose of this study is to introduce a new measurement technique based on a CO₂ laser unit combined with a high-speed DCS. A first comparison of the thermal history during laser exposure measured with Laser-high-speed-(HS)-differential scanning calorimetry-(DSC) and in SLS process is shown.

This Laser-HS-DSC allows an imitation of the SLS-process in a very small scale, as the sample is directly heated by a CO₂ laser. For this study, the laser power and the impact time is varied for determining temperature and achieved heating rates. Consequently, the temperature levels measured by the Laser-HS-DSC are compared with measurements in SLS-process.

The influence of laser power and impact time on resulting maximum temperatures und heating rates during laser exposure are investigated. With increasing laser power and impact time the maximum temperature rises up to approximately 450°C without material degradation. The heating rate increases up to an impact time of 3 ms and stays almost equal for higher durations.

The Laser-HS-DSC experiments are based on few particles limiting a complete comparison with SLS process. In SLS, one volume element is exposed several times. In this study the PA12 material was exposed only once.

For the first time, laser sintering experiments can be transferred to a laboratory scale to analyze the influence of laser exposure on resulting temperature field during laser exposure without superimposing effects.

Selective laser‐sintered (SLS) parts are known to include un‐melted regions, where insufficient energy has been input into the powder to fully melt all particles. Previous research has shown the presence of two distinct peaks on a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that these peaks relate to the melted and un‐melted regions of the part.

SLS specimens were produced under different build parameters, in order to vary the amount of energy input, and DSC traces produced for each. DSC results were also compared with optical microscopy images to confirm the findings.

DSC analysis of SLS Nylon‐12 parts has shown the presence of two distinct melt peaks. It has been shown that these correspond to the melted and un‐melted regions of the part, and that the amount of energy input in the SLS process affects the degree of melting. It has also been identified, via correlation between DSC charts and optical microscopy images, that the un‐melted, or particle core, peak provides the most adequate indication of the proportion of melting. In order to avoid confusion with the commonly used term “degree of sintering”, which provides only a qualitative description, the new term “degree of particle melt (DPM)” has been defined in order to describe the quantitative variations in the completeness of sintering.

Further work will correlate the DPM, as measured by the core peak height, with the mechanical properties of the parts produced.

Results have shown that it is possible to identify the level of melting in SLS parts via the use of a DSC chart. Owing to the small size of specimen required for DSC, and the relatively automated DSC procedure, this has the potential for use as quality control in SLS.

This is believed to be the first time that DSC has been used to indicate the DPM within SLS parts.