Frameworks, Linkages, Benefits, Challenges, and Future Scope in Procurement 4.0: A Systematic Literature Review From 2014 to 2023

With digitalization and big data integration, traditional organizational boundaries between manufacturing, procurement, logistics, and the entire supply chain are becoming increasingly blurred. Procurement 4.0, at the core business, is expected to change what organizations buy and how they buy. While the P4.0 concept is not alien to the industry, particularly the manufacturing sector, it has rapidly gained traction in recent years. Its full implementation trackway is yet unknown. Thus, the study's objective is to comprehensively present various theoretical underpinnings, methodologies, frameworks, models, linkages with the broader ecosystem, benefits, and challenges, along with critical research gaps to provide thoughtful recommendations on the future research scope of procurement 4.0. The study adopted a systematic literature review approach on procurement 4.0, following PRISMA guidelines, to examine 74 high-quality research articles on this subject. Various authors have utilized multiple approaches, particularly conceptual frameworks and theories, to research this concept and its applications in public procurement, construction, manufacturing, and other industries. The research remained fragmented and patchy in the dedicated context of procurement 4.0, although it covers a wide base in a broader supply chain context. From the research front's standpoint, the most prominent theme demands more empirical analysis of the proposed conceptual frameworks and substantiation of findings. It also highlights the rigorous research required to analyze the dark side of P4.0’s technological implementation. The applications of P4.0 should also be separately researched in the manufacturing, services, or nonprofit sector, as the findings from one cannot be generalized for all.