Purpose: This paper aims to present a systematic literature review of 176 studies relating to change management in the context of process optimization and to investigate how companies effectively use change management to optimize processes across different industrial sectors. Design/methodology/approach: Descriptive statistics are used to represent patterns, trends and correlations between change management strategies, research methods applied for processes optimization and industry field. A comprehensive analysis of the papers’ keywords, crossed with research methods and industrial sectors, allowed us to substantiate the results in analytic terms. For some selected studies, chosen on the basis of their significance to the research field, the contents were mapped and discussed in detail. Findings: This study provides numerous insights into the various applications of change management across different industry fields. In general, change management appears to be no longer a theoretical discipline, showing instead practical relevance, which is reflected in testing theories through case studies and real implementations. The review emphasizes the need for careful and systemic planning by companies, effective communication, employee involvement and supportive organizational culture. These factors are crucial for enhancing process efficiency and employee acceptance of change. Digital technologies also prove to be valuable support for change management during process optimization. Originality/value: The innovative contribution of this paper consists of the joint perspective taken when looking at process optimization and the application of change management strategies. Such a perspective favors an in-depth examination of the interactions between the two aspects and provides more comprehensive results compared to the existing literature.

This paper presents a literature review on the topic of digitalization in the healthcare supply chain. The healthcare industry is currently undergoing a transformation, and the supply chain is not an exception. The adoption of advanced technologies such as the blockchain is increasingly prevalent, offering improved traceability, security, trust, and privacy. However, managing the influx of new data requires highly qualified personnel. The potential benefits of digitalization are thus explored, as well as the need for collaborations to improve the present and future of the healthcare supply chain. The authors analyze the current state of digitalization in the healthcare supply chain by conducting a literature review of 81 relevant documents. The outcomes of the analyses highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with digitalization, which has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare supply chain. However, it is apparent that further studies are necessary to ensure the success of digitalization in this context.

This article investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on logistics and supply chain processes through a two-phase analysis. First, a literature review maps the existing studies, published from 2021 to 2023 (101 papers), offering a view of the multiple challenges faced by supply chains during the pandemic emergency. The literature analysis makes use of descriptive statistics, thematic classifications and cross-analyses to provide a detailed overview of the issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and of the related implications. Second, a case study targeting a logistics operator was conducted, to derive practical insights into the real-world implications of pandemic disruptions. The study highlights the importance of proactive risk management strategies and the role of Industry 4.0 technologies to improve supply chain resilience and sustainability. Hence, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on logistics and supply chain processes and offers valuable guidance for companies, especially those working in the transport and logistics field.