Digital Transformation Propagation in Supply Chains and Networks: An Analysis Across Supplier Tiers

In the Global Manufacturing sector, supplier digitalisation has become fundamental for Digital Supply Chain (DSC) integration, requiring suppliers to develop Digital Capabilities (DCs) and align with increasingly complex competitiveness demands. Hence, suppliers and focal companies must understand how Digital Transformation (DT) propagates across suppliers at different tiers rather than occurring in isolation at the firm level to navigate the complexities across interconnected (D)SCs and networks. By conceptualising “propagation” as a cascading process shaped by interdependencies, differences in digital maturity, and strategic influence, this paper explores the following research question: How do DT strategies, practices, and standards propagate across supplier tiers in (D)SCs and networks? The study identifies key enablers, approaches, and challenges that support this propagation process using a structured literature review and conceptual mapping methodology. It offers a conceptual and exploratory foundation for rethinking DT as a systemic process with implications for designing supplier development strategies that build firm-level DCs and catalyse alignment and integration across (D)SCs and networks.