Augmented Reality in Supply Chains of Indian Micro and Small Enterprises

Abstract

A supply chain converts unfinished goods into finished goods supplied to customers. It consists of a complex network of enterprises and procedures, including distributors, manufacturers, vendors, and distributors of raw materials. Industry 4.0 has been offering fresh perspectives and creative solutions to issues that supply chains all around the world are facing. This paper analyses how augmented reality may be utilized by micro and small-sized businesses in several areas to create a sustainable supply chain. This review focuses mainly on the qualitative attributes and applications of augmented reality in supply chain bottlenecks that can be useful for Indian Micro and Small Enterprises.

Introduction: Supply Chains have been part of the World economics ecosystem for all levels of enterprises long before the supply chain was even coined. But with the advent of Industry 4.0, it has been noted that many former problems that have been plaguing this ecosystem can now be eliminated by these sustainable solutions. The analysis of qualities of AR use in the supply chain will be done by random sampling of enterprises presently using AR in the respective sphere of quality. Each sampling will be made of one large, medium, small, or micro-enterprise. The use cases will provide evidence of why and how AR can help in building creative and resilient supply chain systems.

Objectives: The research objective of this paper is to investigate and evaluate the implications of incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology into modern supply chains, with a specific focus on understanding how AR can enhance customization and specialization, facilitate flexibility in workplaces, and enable dynamic reconfiguration of operational processes, aiming to provide valuable insights and recommendations for organizations seeking to leverage AR to improve operational efficiency and deliver enhanced customer experiences in the context of supply chain management.

Methods: The design of the study is a descriptive research method. The total number of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from July 2020 to March 2023 in India is 1,47,50,018 respectively, as per the Udyam Registration portal.

Results: This study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to explore the potential applications of augmented reality (AR) technology in supply chain management (SCM). The findings revealed that AR has significant potential to enhance various activities along the supply chain and provide value-added solutions. Specific areas within the value chain where AR can be applied were identified, offering improvements in operational optimization and loss minimization. However, more empirical studies are needed to assess the functionality of AR systems in organizational tasks. The study emphasizes the need for practical solutions to organizational, technological, and ergonomic challenges in adopting AR in SCM and logistics. Future research should investigate the interaction between AR and other emerging technologies and explore factors influencing AR acceptance and integration in SCM.

Conclusions: This study aimed to explore the potential applications of augmented reality (AR) technology in supply chain management (SCM). To achieve this, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, which analyzed and categorized 43 relevant studies. The categorization was based on an adapted version of the value chain model. The findings of this study reveal that AR technology has significant potential in various activities along the supply chain. It was found that AR can provide effective and innovative value-added solutions to support different functions within SCM. By leveraging AR, companies have the opportunity to enhance the overall efficiency of their value chain and address challenges related to planning and scheduling, process integration, and resource utilization.