A critical review of the SCOR Digital Standard (SCOR-DS): conceptual implications for supply chain performance measurement

The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model has long served as a global framework for analyzing and improving supply chain performance. Its digital successor, the SCOR Digital Standard (SCOR-DS), introduced in 2019, incorporates dimensions of digital transformation, sustainability, and advanced performance management. This paper critically examines the evolution from SCOR to SCOR-DS, assessing its strengths, limitations, and implications for both academia and practice. Using a critical-conceptual review approach that integrates academic and practitioner sources, including the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) materials and relevant gray literature, the study combines descriptive synthesis, evaluative critique, and conceptual development. The analysis reveals that while SCOR-DS expands the traditional framework to address digitalization and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) priorities, it remains underexplored in academic research and exhibits conceptual gaps, particularly in demand management, product design integration, and the specification of key performance indicators (KPIs). To address these limitations, the paper proposes an illustrative KPI framework to operationalize SCOR-DS processes and enhance their analytical depth. By bridging practitioner-driven evolution with academic conceptualization, this study provides one of the first scholarly assessments of SCOR-DS. It establishes a foundation for future empirical and theoretical research on digital supply chain performance management.