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The growing demand for fresh products presents a formidable challenge for managers to design a supply chain that is both cost-effective and efficient while maintaining the freshness of the products. This article examines the use of blockchain technology as a solution for enhancing resource sharing and improving the efficiency and sustainability of fresh product supply chains. In particular, we propose a smart contract that deals with the intricacies of the facility location-routing optimization problem, taking into account both resource sharing and product freshness requirements. To tackle this problem, we propose a hybrid solution approach that integrates a greedy clustering algorithm and the YALMIP toolbox. Our computational experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed model and the feasibility of the presented solution method. Our research findings reveal the potential of blockchain technology in the fresh product industry, underscoring its significance in the development of sustainable and efficient supply chains. Furthermore, the proposed model and adopted solution method contribute to the advancement of the fresh product supply chain and provide practical suggestions for managers and policymakers.

The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020–2021 caused unprecedented disruptions to global supply networks. Companies worldwide faced significant challenges as they dealt with the unexpected surge in demand for specific goods and services. This study delves into the importance of supply chain coordination (SCCO), supply chain resilience (SCRE), and supply chain robustness (SCRB), considering supply chain flexibility (SCFL) and Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics (IoT-BDA) integration. We explore how SCFL influences SCCO, SCRE, and SCRB, enhancing supply chain performance (SCFP). Using a cross sectional approach, we collected survey-based responses to ensure comprehensive representation from the supply chain domain. A total of 217 complete responses were collected and analyzed using AMOS 20. The findings suggest that SCCO, SCRE, and SCRB act as mediators between SCFL and IoT-BDA. However, statistical significance between SCCO and SCRB with SCRE was not established. The study emphasizes the robust predictive nature of SCFL, highlighting its pivotal role in fostering SCCO, SCRE, and SCBR through empirical evidence. Furthermore, it emphasizes the influence of SCFL on enhancing SCFP, particularly in the post-pandemic era.