Sustainability through digital transformation and digital supply chains: a systematic literature review

This study examines whether the relationship between digital transformation and digital supply chains enhances sustainability. Given fragmented evidence and inconsistent findings in prior research, it aims to provide a clearer understanding of this linkage. A two-phase research design was adopted. First, a systematic literature review using the Scopus database explored how digital transformation contributes to supply chain sustainability. Second, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether digital transformation influences sustainability outcomes directly or indirectly. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between digital transformation and sustainable supply chain performance. However, existing empirical studies report mixed results, limiting the ability to draw definitive conclusions. Although the evidence suggests that digital transformation can strengthen sustainability, current support remains largely theoretical and insufficiently validated. This study highlights the need for more robust empirical investigations from diverse perspectives to confirm the causal mechanisms and advance the development of sustainable digital supply chains in practice.