Presenting a Model for the Application of the Internet of Things in Supply Chain Management of Information Resources in Information Centers Using a Qualitative–Quantitative Approach
Keywords:
Internet of Things (IoT), supply chain management, information centersAbstract
The present study aimed to develop a model for the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the supply chain management of information resources in information centers. The research method was an exploratory mixed design. In the qualitative phase, participants included 15 purposively selected experts and specialists with extensive work experience and graduate-level education in management, computer science, information technology, and knowledge and information science, all affiliated with information centers and universities in Iran. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population in the first stage comprised 10 carefully selected experts participating in a fuzzy Delphi panel, chosen for their deep knowledge, broad perspective, and sufficient experience to ensure valid and reliable results. In the subsequent stage, the population included 152 employees working in information centers, electronic archives, and document and data units in Tehran. The sample size was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table, and simple random sampling was applied. The data collection tools consisted of semi-structured interviews in the qualitative phase and a questionnaire designed based on the qualitative findings for the quantitative phase. Data analysis in the qualitative stage was performed using MAXQDA software, while the quantitative analysis employed fuzzy Delphi techniques, structural equation modeling (SEM), and the best–worst method (BWM) with the assistance of SPSS, SmartPLS, LINGO, and Excel software. From the analysis of 15 interviews, a total of 178 initial codes were extracted. After further thematic analysis, 49 basic themes and 11 organizing themes emerged. In the final stage, five overarching (global) themes were identified: procurement, production, distribution, information management throughout the supply chain, and relationship management throughout the supply chain. The quantitative results indicated that all paths between the variables were statistically significant, and all hypothesized relationships were confirmed. Furthermore, the prioritization of indicators for the IoT application model in the supply chain management of information resources in information centers revealed that “distribution” ranked first, followed by “procurement,” “information management throughout the supply chain,” “relationship management throughout the supply chain,” and finally “production.”
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Copyright (c) 2025 Sedigheh Siahsarani Salah ol Din Kola (Author); Hajar Zarei (Corresponding author); Seyed Rasool Toudar (Author)

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