Navigating challenges for supply chain transparency in the digital enterprises

Abstract

Purpose – In the age of digital businesses, the rise of innovative digital transformation has made supply chain transparency (SCT) an essential research topic. While digital technologies provide possibilities for enhancing transparency in supply chains, there is limited research on how digital businesses overcome different SCT issues or provide real-time visibility and traceability. This study aims to investigate the different challenges of transparency in supply chains for digital businesses in the age of digital transformation. Design/methodology/approach – Challenges are identified through a comprehensive literature review and finalized through the fuzzyDelphi method after industry experts’ validation. Data is gathered, ranked and prioritized through the analytic hierarchy process entropy method. Findings – The study reveals that challenges related to data privacy and security, supplier resistance and lack of data standardization grouped under Cluster 1 (critical digital friction points) pose the most significant barriers to SCT in digital enterprises. These are followed by Cluster 2 (operational capability gaps) and Cluster 3 (external and strategic constraints), highlighting a clear prioritization framework for addressing SCT issues in a structured, phased manner. Research limitations/implications – By leveraging advanced digital technologies to gather, share and analyze supply chain data, digital enterprises can overcome these challenges, enhance operational effectiveness and gain stakeholders’ trust. These findings can be used by policymakers to develop guidelines that enhance transparency while maintaining data security. Practitioners can develop targeted strategies to address supplier resistance and infrastructure deficiencies. Originality/value – This study makes three distinct contributions. First, it fills a gap in the current literature by initiating a clear debate on SCT beyond generic or sustainability-focused models, illuminating its unique dimensions in digital enterprises. Second, it demonstrates the practical importance of SCT by identifying and prioritizing the key challenges that are faced by digitally transforming companies. Third, it advances theory by contrasting traditional perspectives with new insights drawn from our findings, offering both actionable guidance and novel conceptual frameworks for transparency in digitally enabled supply chains