DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND RESILIENCE IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF EMERGING ECONOMIES IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Geopolitical tensions, infrastructural disparities, weather vulnerabilities, and global shocks (COVID-19, Suez Canal blockage) are more disruptive to supply chains in emerging economies such as Pakistan, highlighting the necessity to be more resilient. This empirical research explores the impact of digital transformation including technologies (IoT, blockchain, big data analytics, AI-driven forecasting, cloud computing, and digital twins) on supply chain resilience (SCR) in Pakistani manufacturers and logistics. The study is based on the Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT) and Resource-Based View (RBV) and uses structural equation modeling (SEM) of survey data of 320 firms to test the connection among digital maturity, dimensions of SCR (robustness, rapidity, redundancy, resourcefulness), and performance outcomes (cost efficiency, delivery reliability, flexibility, sustainability). Findings indicate that digital integration plays a major role in enhancing proactive resilience capabilities (= 0.620.78), with the most significant impact mediated by real-time visibility, predictive analytics, and collaborative platforms. Blockchain and IoT become important facilitators of traceability and agility, whereas AI forecasting minimizes bullwhip effects and inventory expenses by 1835. The research marks that the contextual moderators are the firm size, industry type (textile, automotive, pharmaceuticals), and CPEC-related infrastructure and that the barriers are perceived as digital skills gaps, cybersecurity threats, and capital constraints in SMEs. Results provide practical recommendations to policymakers and managers on how to focus on digital investments that develop flexible and future-resilient supply chains in unstable emerging markets.