Process improvement initiatives in supply chains: a structured literature review

Abstract

Emerging interest can be observed in applying Business Process Improvement (BPI) initiatives to supply chains in various industries. Academic literature and standard industry practices indicate that emergence of such initiatives is often subject to technological advancements. This paper aims to set the context for BPI initiatives by presenting the first systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis focusing on how different organizations perceive the benefits, confront challenges, and realize critical success factors in the context of supply chain management. The present state of the literature reviewed in this paper suggests that process reengineering is the widely incorporated BPI initiative among researchers and industry practitioners. Interestingly, this method's adoption has taken place among procurement, production, warehousing, and distribution activities. The paper concludes by summarizing the key learnings from more than two decades of academic research in BPI initiatives and suggests future research avenues to expand the role of BPI initiatives in decision-making.