Chapter 31. Supply chains as dynamic socio-technical systems

The field of socio-technical systems design emerged from action research studies conducted by researchers at the Tavistock Institute for Human Relations in the UK in the 1950s. The research focused on the interface of workers and technology, in an attempt to understand how the design of jobs and work processes influenced the optimization of the overall human-machine system. Today, some of the same questions and concerns are manifesting themselves in the design and operation of supply chains that incorporate increasingly advanced digital technologies. As supply chains are becoming increasingly complex, it is difficult to build-in the rapid alignment that allows them to evolve as the world changes. This chapter covers the basics of socio-technical systems theory, the theory of dynamic supply chain alignment, and provides practical guidance to supply chain designers.