Developing a framework of key performance indicators for Dhaka Metropolitan’s vegetable supply chain: a digitalization approach to sustainability

• Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the Vegetable Supply Chain (VSC) in Dhaka Metropolitan were identified using triangulation approach. • The contextual relationships among these KPIs were analyzed using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) with cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis. • The study provides a strategic framework for VSC stakeholders by highlighting the complex relationships between digitalization and sustainability indicators in an emerging economy. • Inter-organizational partnerships followed by energy efficiency in logistics, compliance with food safety regulations, supply chain digital literacy, and transportation effectiveness are the most significant KPIs driving the overall framework. • The outcomes provide policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers with a structured approach to leveraging digitalization for VSC in the Dhaka Metropolitan area The vegetable supply chain (VSC) in the Dhaka Metropolitan Area (DMA), an urban center of an emerging economy Bangladesh, faces challenges related to sustainability, efficiency, and digitalization. This study aims to develop a comprehensive framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate and improve the performance of the VSC from the perspective of digitalization-driven sustainability. Using a triangulation approach that includes a field survey among VSC stakeholders, literature review with expert validation, and an analysis of the regulatory policies, 19 critical KPIs were identified. Subsequently, the study applied Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) tool, to explore the interdependence among the KPIs and develop a hierarchical framework. Furthermore, the Matrice d’Impacts Croisés-Multiplication Appliquée et Classement (MICMAC) analysis categorized the KPIs into four groups based on their driving and dependence power. The results show that inter-organizational partnerships, followed by energy efficiency in logistics, compliance with food safety regulations, supply chain digital literacy, and transportation effectiveness, are the most significant KPIs driving the overall framework toward achieving environmental, economic, and social sustainability simultaneously. The findings further suggest that digital transformation (DT) can significantly enhance the performance of the developed KPI framework by increasing transparency, reducing waste, and promoting collaboration among stakeholders. This study provides policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers with a structured approach to leveraging digitalization for an efficient and resilient VSC in the Dhaka Metropolitan area.