The Role Industry 4.0 Tools in Preventing Supply Chain Disruptions - Framework and Future Research Directions

Contemporary management of global supply chains takes place in conditions of permanently increasing uncertainty and a relatively high risk of disturbances occurring in supply chains. This paper describes nine pillars of the Industry 4.0. In addition, this work addresses the very important, according to the authors, topic of interrupting the continuity of processes flow implemented in modern supply chains. Verifying the hypothesis formulated in this article the authors of this paper indicated potential influence of Industry 4.0 tools, as well as their usage, on particular supply chain disruptions. Furthermore, as part of this article the authors pointed out main Industry 4.0 tools implementation of which enables levelling of interference arising at individual stages along the smiling curve. This paper is the basis for the development a framework for future research focusing on the methodology of selecting Industry 4.0 tools, the usage of which could be helpful in preventing supply chain from breakage, or compensate for its effects, caused by a crisis situations (currently an example is a coronavirus pandemic).