A systematic analysis of generative artificial intelligence for supply chain transformation

Abstract

Global supply chains face persistent disruptions from geopolitical shocks, sustainability pressures, and volatile demand, creating an increasing need for resilient and transparent operations. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), including Large Language Models (LLMs), Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), and multimodal generative systems, is emerging as a new decision layer that can generate scenarios, synthetic data, and actionable textual insights rather than only point predictions. This Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided systematic review analyzes 98 peer-reviewed studies on GAI applications in Supply Chain Management (SCM) and, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, provides the first combined thematic and Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model-based mapping of these applications. Publication activity shows a sharp upward trend, with fewer than five papers published before 2021 and 45 published in 2024 alone. Nearly four-fifths of the reported applications focus on the Plan and Enable processes, while the Make and Return processes account for only 4 % and 1 % of the coded functions, respectively. Although LLM- and Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT)-based models underpin over 40 % of the implementations, approximately 45 % of the studies do not fully specify their underlying architectures, indicating methodological immaturity. Reported benefits are concentrated in demand forecasting and risk analysis, supplier screening, logistics visibility, and sustainability analytics; however, most evidence remains at the prototype level and rarely reports system-wide Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The review concludes with a targeted research agenda that emphasizes longitudinal evaluation, hybrid GAI-driven optimization with digital twin architectures, and governance-by-design frameworks to support the responsible and scalable adoption of GAI in supply chains.