Do We Really Need Simulation for a Transition Towards Circular Supply Chain Management? A Possible Answer from Scientific Literature

In this paper, we conducted a structured literature review of 98 contributions that have been classified to investigate the impact of simulation techniques to model more sustainable Supply Chains (SCs). A massive number of resources are still being used to make and manage products, with the availability of natural resources that is becoming scarcer every day. This poses a challenge that supply chain management must address, coupled with enhanced customer awareness for environmental issues. Recent strategies to solve these issues include concepts such as the Circular Economy and Circular Supply Chain Management. The latter, in fact, integrates Circular Economy principles to enable the transition from Linear Supply Chain networks to circular models. Simulation modelling techniques, such as Discrete-Event and Agent-Based Simulation, are well-known solutions that support SC planning and design. As such, they can also support the transition towards circular SCs. Our findings highlight a lack of Closed-Loop and Circular Supply Chain network models, and clearly show that further investigation is required to comprehend and evaluate the effectiveness of simulation for Circular and Closed-Loop SC planning and design.