Assessing Smart Supply Chain Risks in the Electricity Industry Using Digital Transformation

Rashidi, Vahid; Kasraei, Ahmadreza; Kabaranzadeh Ghadim, Mohammadreza

Assessing Smart Supply Chain Risks in the Electricity Industry Using Digital Transformation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Vahid Rashidi ¹

Ahmadreza Kasraei ²

Mohammadreza Kabaranzadeh Ghadim ³

¹ Department of Industrial Management, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Phd, Department of Industrial Management, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

³ Phd, Department of Industrial Management, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The study aims to assess and rank smart supply chain risks in the electricity industry by incorporating digital transformation technologies into a multi-criteria decision-making framework. The research is developmental–applied in nature and adopts a descriptive–survey design using a mixed-method approach. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with experts from the electricity industry were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify the principal supply chain risk criteria and strategic mitigation approaches. The analysis resulted in nine evaluation criteria: probability of supply disruption, severity of disruption impact, supply chain resilience, system recovery time, supply reliability, supply chain flexibility, total supply chain cost, economic efficiency of supply, and risk management cost. Three strategic responses were also identified: strengthening supply chain resilience, digitalizing and intelligently monitoring supply chain processes, and localizing and diversifying supply sources. In the quantitative phase, the Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method was employed to determine the relative importance of the identified criteria. The findings revealed that probability of supply disruption (0.232), severity of disruption impact (0.176), and supply chain resilience (0.136) were the highest-priority risk factors, followed by system recovery time, supply reliability, and supply chain flexibility. The proposed framework supports data-driven risk prioritization and demonstrates how digital transformation technologies can improve supply chain resilience, proactive risk management, and strategic decision-making in the electricity industry, thereby contributing to the development of more intelligent and sustainable digital supply chain ecosystems.

Keywords

Risk management

Smart supply chain

Electricity industry

Supply chain resilience

Digital transformation technologies

Subjects

Digital Transformation

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