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Purpose The digital advances in modern industry are accelerating changes in the broad social, economic, political and business environments within which supply chain management (SCM) is practiced. Given this extraordinary contextual upheaval, the conduct of research to identify, define, understand and explain how the digital revolution will impact key SCM concepts is imperative. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a theoretically grounded Digitally Dominant Paradigm (DDP) framework that demonstrates how digital concepts and insights can be infused into existing elements of best-practice SCM, in order to help guide future research. Design/methodology/approach Middle-range theorizing is proposed as a means to explore the ways in which researchers can explain supply chain phenomena (i.e. build theory) in the age of digitalization. Findings An example of how a DDP framework can be applied to a well-entrenched logistics/supply chain concept is provided, and the authors conclude by identifying exemplary research propositions for future exploration. Originality/value The broad goal of the paper is to spark forward-looking supply chain scholarship based upon development of a DDP of SCM.

Over the past several decades, the disciplines of marketing and logistics grew apart from their common historical origins as marketing became more behavioral and more quantitative, while logistics leaned toward a more operational orientation We argue in this editorial that social and technological changes in the past 20 years, coupled with the effects of the COVID pandemic, have created the conditions for the two disciplines to reconnect We propose that scholars and practitioners consider a consumer‐centric approach to supply chain management Such an approach advocates that the entire supply chain should focus on consumer experience rather than mere customer service and that experiences might include issues such as last‐mile delivery, supply chain visibility, and consumer values We also introduce the papers appearing in this issue of the journal

Academic conferences serve the critical purposes of bringing together scholars to not only advance the state of the art in research, teaching, and practice, but also to socialize with established and prospective members of the academic society. In this way, conferences help to instill and reinforce the values of the academic society. Logistics and supply chain scholars are increasingly targeted to join in the dialogue of different academic networks and attend conferences in tangential disciplines. This editorial speaks to the growing affinity for logistics and supply chain scholars in different disciplinary settings, yet underscores the CSCMP Annual Global Conference (AGC) and its Academic Research Symposium (ARS) as the premier forums for advancing the state of the art in supply chain scholarship and reinforcing the discipline’s traditions and values.

Achieving impact in research is the goal of any singular article and for the journal, in total. This editorial helps to define how impact in scholarship and practice is achieved in the Journal of Business Logistics. We encourage scholars to “get out ahead” of practice by identifying problems that truly matter to industry and to conduct those inquiries using state-of-the-art methods, such that relevance, rigor, and impact are fully realized.

Businesses today are facing an unprecedented rate of change by virtue of disruptive technologies – many of which are focused on achieving “reach” efficiently in the marketplace. Organizations must evolve their business models to leverage the opportunities presented with the advent of these technologies, yet the pathways to success and failure remain unclear. Researchers of logistics and supply chain management find themselves on the front lines for these exciting developments. As editors, we encourage the research community to “get ahead” of business actions, inform strategy, and shape the next generation of competition.