# Support of Advanced Technologies in Supply Chain Processes and Sustainability Impact
## 2 Background
### Digitalization of Supply Chains
materials, and process controllers to intercommunicate in real-time as naturally as in a social network [85]. Technological integration in the SC has also led to innovative systems such as, SMART containers, SMART warehousing, SMART ports, SMART shelves, and SMART manufacturing [86]. All these innovations associated with the digitalization of the SC contribute to an increase in the amount of communication efficiency, transparency, surveillance, and control, and, consequently, to minimize downtime, waste, defects, and risk across production processes [87, 88].  
These technologies enable a smoother integration of Lean Production, Logistics and SC that allows a better business performance by focusing on waste in the entire value stream [76, 89, 90, 91]. Moreover, according to [PERSON] and [PERSON] [92] the adoption of advanced technologies in SCs contributes not only to waste elimination, but also to increase SCs' agility by allowing their members a quicker response to market changes and technologies through configurable SC cloud networks.  
According to [PERSON] et al. [15] a Smart SC has some distinctive characteristics compared to the traditional ones such as: (i) information is overwhelmingly machine-generated; (ii) the entire SC, comprising business entities and assets, IT systems, products, and other smart objects, are connected; (iii) large-scale optimal decisions are made to optimize performance; (iv) many of Smart SCs process flows are automated by means of machines to replace other low-efficiency resources including labor; (v) the integration of SC processes through collaboration across SC stages; and (vi) the development of new values through solutions that meet new requirements.  
These characteristics are important drivers to a better collaboration and integration under the platform of Smart SCM giving rise to many advantages such as: (i) ICT enables products and production to be engineered digitally; (ii) modular simulations and techniques allow firms to decentralize and change production processes and thereby stimulate faster innovation of processes and products [93], (iii) reduction of lead time in product design and prototyping through improved SC visibility, (iv) the time benefit of increased data availability at the SC level, especially regarding time compression of innovation cycles [84], (v) SC members save costs in research and development processes and can respond to customers' specific demands [94].  
Moreover, some advanced technologies can be used to obtain the most significant insights for supporting SC management [68]. The digitalization of supply chains contributes to the integration of a lot of SC functions, such as automation of warehousing, autonomous smart vehicles, human-machine interfaces, SMART logistics planning algorithms, reliable online order monitoring, real-time re-planning, real-time vendor inventory monitoring and no-touch processing, providing advantages through the process of physical flow and management of orders [93, 95].  
This trend in the use of advanced technologies holds new opportunities. Nevertheless, it also carries unforeseen new challenges for producing new business models and refining existing operations, thereby generating market benefits [96] such as the possibility to obtain complete information about customer demand, inventory levels, cost, pricing, location, capacity, quality and technological information, which could be shared among partners [97].  
In their work, [PERSON] et al. [98] presented a list of 38 different technologies. These are associated with smart manufacturing and clustered into the following 11 groups: data analytics/big data; visual technology; intelligent control systems; energy saving/efficiency technology; smart products/parts/materials; cloud computing; cybersecurity; internet of things (IoT)/internet of services (IoS); cyber-physical systems (CPSs); three-dimensional printing/additive manufacturing; advanced manufacturing; and IT-based production management.