Supplier relationship management for sustainability: A comprehensive review of business intelligence applications

Supplier relationship management (SRM) plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability across global supply chains. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the integration of business intelligence (BI) applications in SRM, examining their impact on enhancing sustainability outcomes. The study aims to explore how BI tools are being utilized to improve decision-making, monitor supplier performance, and support sustainable practices across various industries.

The research methodology involved a systematic review of academic literature and case studies, focusing on the role of BI in fostering transparency, reducing environmental impact, and improving supplier collaboration. Key findings reveal that BI applications provide real-time data analytics, predictive insights, and automation capabilities that enable organizations to track and optimize supplier performance against sustainability metrics. Additionally, the use of BI facilitates risk management by identifying potential sustainability challenges and offering actionable insights to mitigate them.

The review concludes that BI technologies significantly enhance SRM by fostering sustainable practices, improving supply chain visibility, and strengthening supplier partnerships. However, challenges such as data integration, technological adoption, and high implementation costs persist, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Future research should focus on addressing these barriers and exploring emerging BI trends that can further support sustainability efforts in SRM.