Production, Operations and Supply Chain Management
Refine
Year of publication
Document type
- Bachelor Thesis (65)
- Master's Thesis (8)
Is part of the Bibliography
- No (73)
Keywords
- Supply chain management (5)
- Automotive industry (3)
- Digitalization (3)
- Nachhaltigkeit (3)
- Prozessmanagement (3)
- Prozessoptimierung (3)
- Automobilindustrie (2)
- Industry 4.0 (2)
- Logistics (2)
- Logistik (2)
Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Beantwortung der Frage, ob das Gesetz über unternehmerische Sorgfaltspflichten in der Lieferkette (LkSG) in der deutschen Automobilindustrie am Beispiel der Mercedes-Benz Group AG umgesetzt werden kann. Dabei werden die folgenden Forschungsfragen gestellt: Welche Risiken für deutsche Automobilunternehmen sind mit den gesetzlichen Vorgaben des LkSG verbunden?Wie kann eine nachhaltige Lieferkette im Sinne der Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) etabliert und umgesetzt werden? Welche Auswirkungen hat das Lieferkettengesetz auf die Lieferketten deutscher Automobilunternehmen und insbesondere auf die der Mercedes-Benz Group AG?Zur Beantwortung der Forschungsfragen wurde eine quantitative Studie zur Umsetzbarkeit des Lieferkettengesetzes auf Basis der deutschsprachigen Bevölkerung durchgeführt. Des Weiteren wurde im Rahmen der qualitativen Forschung eine Befragung durchgeführt. Die quantitative Studie hat gezeigt, dass Nachhaltigkeit im Zusammenhang mit Menschenrechten und Umweltstandards eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Die Befragten sprachen sich für mehr Nachhaltigkeit im Zusammenhang mit den Menschenrechten aus. Vor allem mehr Transparenz entlang der Wertschöpfungskette würde durch die Gesetzgebung und den Druck der Verbraucher erreicht werden. Die Befragung ergab, dass die einzige Möglichkeit, rentabel zu sein, darin besteht, die Umwelt zu schützen. Außerdem würden sich die Unternehmen jetzt mehr mit Fragen der Lieferkette befassen. Die Hauptrisiken liegen im Finanzsektor und in der Reputation; das Gesetz über die Lieferkette birgt einige Menschenrechts- und Umweltrisiken. Die Lieferkette scheint zu komplex zu sein. Daraus ergeben sich Risiken wie Kontrollverlust, mangelnde Transparenz und fehlende Informationen über Entscheidungen. Die Unternehmen müssen jedoch die Bestimmungen des Lieferkettengesetzes einhalten, das sie zu einem angemessenen Risikomanagement mit Analyse verpflichtet. Zu diesem Zweck wurden in den Unternehmen bereits einige Compliance-Lösungen eingeführt, wie z. B. Lieferanten-Screenings und CSR-Audits. Das Lieferkettengesetz wirkt sich positiv auf den Ruf der Automobilunternehmen aus und verringert die Risiken entlang der Lieferkette. Die Unternehmen profitieren von weniger Lieferausfällen, mehr Transparenz und widerstandsfähigeren Lieferketten.
Even though the idea of nearshoring is not new, it has attracted a lot of attention lately. This strategy entails moving corporate activities, such as IT services or manufacturing, to nearby countries in order to take advantage of a variety of competitive benefits. Nearshoring is a phenomenon that is intimately related to trade wars, regional trade agreements, and changing global economic dynamics. The objective of this research is to investigate the development of nearshoring, the forces that drive it, and the effects it has on various industries, economies, and geopolitical ties. The study is specifically focused on the automotive and semiconductor sectors. The study takes a broad approach, including case studies, economic strategies, and historical patterns. It examines the growth of nearshoring in different areas, such as the USA and Europe, and analyses its effects on global trade and economic stability. In accordance to the study, nearshoring has a number of advantages, including lower costs, less risk, and easier access to trained labour. But it also brings with it difficulties like disparities in culture and regulations as well as worries about data security. Nearshoring trends have had a substantial impact on the automotive and semiconductor sectors, leading to notable changes in supply chain strategy and production processes. In response to the requirement for operational flexibility and the pressures in the global economy, nearshoring has become a popular option for these two industries. The approach emphasizes the necessity for flexible and resilient company strategies in a constantly shifting economic environment and helps to reshape the dynamics of global commerce.
Sustainable sourcing strategies to prevent environmental and human rights risks
along the supply chain have become increasingly relevant for global operating
companies. The aim of this thesis is to provide the theoretical framework and
practical implementation of a sustainable sourcing risk management system
anchored in the German supply chain law and based on defined criteria. These
criteria include requirements in the area of Natural Capital and Materials that are important for the company Kendrion N.V. In total, three research questions have been defined: What are the required criteria of Natural Capital and Materials the suppliers should comply with? How should these be implemented for Kendrion and its supply chain? And what are the remaining challenges?
In detail, the requirement criteria contain the topics of renewable energy, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, reuse and recycling, as well as current regulations of the European Union.
The practical implementation demonstrates the implementation at Kendrion N.V. To assess risks along the supply chain, a questionnaire is developed that serves as a basis for the evaluation process. In addition, this thesis includes the concept creation of a Power BI report that can be used as a methodology for the risk management analysis. The Power BI system presented at the end of this thesis will be used as a template for Kendrion to evaluate the results of the supplier questionnaire as part of the risk management system. However, some challenges need to be addressed: The proportion of suppliers who have signed the Code of Conduct, the reliability of the supplier data provided, and the verification of supplier contacts.
The aim of this research is to investigate the unique factors that affect the
adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices in Greek
companies, with a specific focus on how they align with the overall business
strategy and performance. To achieve this objective, a "bottom-up" approach
is utilized, which involves conducting case studies to assess the status of
GSCM implementation in Greece. Additionally, the research seeks to identify
the key barriers that must be overcome for successful integration of GSCM in
Greek businesses.
A primary purpose of the study is to advance the field of Green Supply Chain
Management (GSCM) research by providing new and valuable insights on
the implementation of GSCM in a context that has received relatively minor
or even no attention in previous studies. The findings of this study have
practical implications for businesses operating in Greece and beyond, as
they offer recommendations, solutions and strategies for companies seeking
to implement GSCM practices. Eventually, this research aims to contribute to
the overall development and understanding of GSCM, as well as to promote
sustainable business practices in the region.
Keywords: Green supply chain management, Greece, business strategy,
implementation, barriers, case studies, bottom-up approach
Automated ERP process for the provision of materials and semi-finished goods between two companies
(2023)
Competitive pricing policies in the industry are causing a surge of companies to explore ways to improve the efficiency of various processes. With the implementation of automated procurement and production processes in an enterprise resource planning system, a company could save cost and diminish time-consuming processes and therefore gain a competitive advantage. Data management is a key factor to be considered and analyzed before an implementation can be initiated.
In this thesis, current literature and concepts are used to create an automated procurement and production process between two companies which can be implemented in an enterprise resource planning system. These automated processes have been developed specifically for a medium-sized company operating in the insole and shoe care industry.
Advantest Company ("the company") is the world’s leading manufacturer of automatic test and measurement equipment used in the design and manufacturing of semiconductors. Because of the complexity of technologies and the supply chain of the semiconductor business segment, the company depends on both internal and external suppliers to manage some aspects of the supply chain of its main product, the System on Chip (“SoC”) test system. As a result, it is of ongoing interest to the company to have tools to continually strive for increased quality, reliability, capacity, and speed. Above all, these tools must enhance the relationships with the suppliers, and ensure the profitability and the company's position in the future.
The goal of this thesis is to understand the supply chain procedure at Advantest Company’s current state from the data-driven perspective by using the process mining technique. This technique is an emerging discipline, providing a comprehensive set of tools to provide fact-based insights and support process improvement. This new discipline is built on process model-driven approaches and data mining.
In this thesis, we discuss opportunities for process mining with an approach to analyse the process and how it can help the company enhance the procedure. This approach, which consists of data extraction from both third-party and internal software solutions, provides better visibility and faster disruptive event notification of the supply chain at the company.
Cost Optimization is a persistent discipline to adjust expenses and reduce costs while maximizing business value, and it has proven to be one of the most influential strategies to generate profits and stay competitive in the market. In this study, technical and strategic solutions that can lead to manufacturing cost optimization were considered. For this purpose, a test environment was created according to the DFMA methodology using the DFMA Concurrent Costing V4.1 software developed by Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc. and the production expenses of a JED029M3 aluminum bushing product from WABCO Group were analyzed.
Results revealed that these charges can be assigned to five main cost drivers Material, Machine Setup, Process, Scrap and Tools, of which Tooling was the most influential driver at lower volumes, while Material and Process remained two of the considerably substantial drivers across all ranges of volumes produced. Furthermore, among the optimization alternatives, the right choice for machine and raw material shape demonstrated to have a relative effects of less than 5% in reduction of manufacturing cost for 1,000 pieces, while outsourcing to China and transitioning toward economies of scale lowered could impact the total costs by -40% and -70%, respectively.
In today's fast-paced business environment, customers expect more than just high-quality products or services. They also demand excellent customer support that is both efficient and personalized. With the growth of businesses and the increasing complexity of products and services, providing efficient customer support has become a critical component of any successful business strategy to fulfill customers and user’s expectations. The present study investigates the need for a technical support helpdesk solution within the business unit Industrial Hydraulics of Bosch Rexroth, a global leader in drive and control technology. The primary objective of this thesis is to assess the current state of the support processes, identify areas of weakness, and leverage these insights to optimize and enhance them. The focus will be on finding a way to enhance transparency of customer data.
Based on the theory to process optimization, a current state analysis was conducted, and expert interviews were carried out to identify weaknesses and potential solutions for improving customer support. The research question "How can the Industrial Hydraulics Services of Bosch Rexroth deliver more effective and efficient customer support?" is addressed through the findings that a central platform is necessary to handle customer inquiries more efficiently, given the diverse communication channels and varying modes of operation within the business unit. The use of the existing SAP CRM ticketing system Robin is suggested as an efficient solution path, which should be optimized for future use based on the identified optimization approaches. The results underscore the importance of a unified approach to working, which is vital for the success of the business unit, resulting in increased efficiency, quality, collaboration, scalability, and customer orientation.
Unternehmen stehen in der heutigen Zeit mehr und mehr unter Druck, Verantwortung für ethische Lieferketten zu übernehmen. Dabei scheitert der Ansatz an die pure Moral und das Gewissen der Wirtschaftsakteure zu appellieren. Durch psychologische Einflussfaktoren, verhalten sich Personen oft nicht so ethisch, wie sie von sich denken. Auch können Unternehmen bei der Umsetzbarkeit an ihre Grenzen kommen, da Moral und Werte der unterschiedlichen Unternehmen oft nicht direkt miteinander kompatibel ist. Fokalen Unternehmen kommt die große Aufgabe zu, ihre Werte an ihre Lieferanten weiterzugeben und somit die Ethik in der Lieferkette zu gewährleisten. Da die freiwillige Verpflichtung zur Übernahme der Verantwortung nicht funktioniert, tritt ab 01.01.2023 ein Gesetz in Kraft, was Unternehmen in Deutschland zur Implementierung spezieller Maßnahmen zur Förderung der Ethik, zwingt. Die Frage, ob Ethik und Ökonomie überhaupt zeitglich in der Lieferkette existieren können, kann mit „ja“ beantwortet werden.
Implementierung eines international gültigen Managementsystems mit Fokus auf Prozessreifegradmodelle
(2023)
In den letzten Jahren hat die steigende Zahl von Cyberangriffen auf Fahrzeuge gezeigt, wie wichtig es ist, Sicherheitslösungen im Automobilbereich zu implementieren. Die in den Fahrzeugen enthaltene Software muss aktualisiert werden, um neue Funktionen zu ermöglichen oder Fehler zu beheben. Um das Risiko zu verringern, dass ein Fahrzeug oder seine Komponenten angegriffen und kompromittiert werden, wurden zwei neue Regularien für die Cybersicherheit veröffentlicht: UNECE WP.291 R155 und R156. Im März 2021 veröffentlichte die Wirtschaftskommission der Vereinten Nationen für Europa die Verordnungen, die in einigen Ländern ab Juli 2022 verbindlich ist, um die Cybersicherheit von Fahrzeugen zu homologieren.
Als Reaktion auf diese Entwicklung gilt es für die Automobil- sowie für die Nutzfahrzeughersteller zu handeln. Aus diesem Grund führt der Nutzfahrzeughersteller MAN Truck & Bus ein Managementsystem unter Verwendung eines sog. Reifegradmodells ein. Die vorliegende Arbeit fokussiert sich auf die Verwendung von Reifegradmodellen. Als Teilbereich der strategischen Planung für das Projektmanagement bieten Reifegradmodelle ein Mittel zur Identifizierung der wichtigsten Schritte, der zu erledigenden Aufgaben und der Abfolge von Ereignissen, die erforderlich sind, um sinnvolle und messbare Ergebnisse zu erzielen. Grundsätzlich besteht der Zweck des Reifegradmodells darin, einen Rahmen für die Verbesserung des Geschäftsergebnisses einer Organisation zu schaffen, indem die Stärken und Schwächen des Projektmanagements der Organisation bewertet werden, Vergleiche mit ähnlichen Organisationen ermöglicht werden und ein Maß für die Korrelation zwischen dem Projektmanagementniveau einer Organisation und der tatsächlichen Projektleistung geschaffen wird.
The present research work investigates the potential of combining Lean Production and Industry 4.0 explicitly by IoT solutions as well as digital twins at manufacturing companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. First, elementary concepts of lean management and Industry 4.0 are discussed. The paper then focuses on the content of IoT solutions and digital twins. For this purpose, five small and medium-sized manufacturing companies are used, which are examined by means of qualitative, semi-structured guideline interviews, in order to provide valuable results regarding the current state, effects, potentials as well as challenges of both technologies. The results show that IoT solutions and digital twins are already partly under establishment and further development. The consequences are numerous advantages, which enable a more efficient way of working. However, due to a lack of regulations and limited financial resources, small and medium-sized enterprises tend to be hesitant regarding the implementation of new technologies. This work provides valuable insights into the day-to-day work of manufacturing companies in the DACH region, which are currently facing the challenges, seeking the potential and seeing initial successes with the help of IoT and digital twin.
This bachelor thesis examines the topic of global collaboration. The work was done in cooperation with the Marquardt Group, to work on an internal analysis within their Factory Planning department. The goal is to define recommendations for the improvement of the governance structure within this department. This thesis answers the following two main questions: Why does the Factory Planning need improvement in their governance structure? How can they improve their collaboration on a global level? In order to answer these questions, the following work looks at different factors within the department. The work starts with a theoretical overview about the topics of collaboration, communication and corporate governance. After learning more about these topics, the next part explains the analysis of the current state within the department. For this, the usage of two different types of models happens. First, the usage of a Target Operating Model to gain an overview about the internal state within the headquarter. The second analysis is a survey, in the form of a questionnaire that addresses three different groups globally. Therefore, the generation of three different views happens. Based on these analyses, the thesis states the gaps in the global collaboration. Following is the definition of recommendations to try to improve the structure. With the help of this thesis the company can than work on the gaps, to move toward their desired state of collaboration.
Bedingt durch sich verändernde Anforderungen des Marktes, der Produkte sowie der Produktionsbedingungen entsteht für produzierende Unternehmen ein Handlungsbedarf zur Anpassung ihrer Fabrikstrukturen. Die Fabrikplanung hat in diesem Zusammenhang die Aufgabe, Fabriken gleichzeitig wirtschaftlich und attraktiv für Mitarbeiter zu gestalten, als auch strategische Handlungsspielräume durch Flexibilität und Wandlungsfähigkeit der Strukturen zu gewährleisten. Die genannten Veränderungen führen zu Herausforderungen und Potenzialen auf der Ebene der Werkstrukturplanung. Für zukünftige Werkstrukturen stellen sich neue Herausforderungen bei den Layouts und der Infrastruktur. Durch die bei Realisierung eintretende Fixierung der flächenmäßigen Aufteilung und Anordnung der Gebäude auf dem Fabrikgelände haben Entscheidungen mittel- und langfristige Auswirkungen.
In der Arbeit wird zunächst der Stand der Technik aktueller Werkstrukturen der Automobilindustrie erarbeitet. Nachhaltigkeits-, Digitalisierungs- und Elektrifizierungs-trends fordern die Hersteller zur Anpassung ihrer Werkstrukturen. Um die angesprochenen Herausforderungen zu bewältigen und Potenziale zu nutzen, wird in der Arbeit ein Konzept zur Weiterentwicklung einer standardisierten Werkstruktur entwickelt. Das Konzept dient als methodischer Leitfaden zur Überarbeitung einer standardisierten Werkstruktur. Es unterteilt sich in vier Teilbereiche. Die Prämissen der Werkstruktur bilden die Basis in dem sie die Anforderungen und das Zielbild der Fabrik definieren sowie Gestaltungsprinzipien und den Werkstyp bestimmen. Die Updates aus den Fertigungsbereichen sammeln alle prozessualen Veränderungen mit Layoutauswirkung und beschreiben die Ausprägungsformen der Gebäude. Im dritten Schritt werden Innovationen analysiert. Darunter fallen die vertikale Integration, Nachhaltigkeit sowie weitere Entwicklungstrends, welche Auswirkungen auf die Werkstruktur haben. Im vierten und letzten Schritt werden alle vorherigen Veränderungen aus den Teilbereichen aggregiert und zu einem Werkslayout zusammengeführt. Hierbei wird die Anordnung der Fertigungsbereiche nach Flussprinzip bestimmt, Erweiterungsflächen und Sekundärfunktionen werden verortet und das Verkehrskonzept wird definiert. Als Weiterentwicklung resultiert eine standardisierte Werkstruktur.
The sector of supply chain risk management has been expanding for several years now, with the goal to not only prepare organizations to recover after supply-chain disruptions but also mitigate risks to reduce losses.
One of the most remarkable techniques in the field is the Artificial Intelligence technology, which owing to its effectiveness and efficiency, allows humans to develop new solutions to predict or prevent a great variety of supply-chain disruptions.
This paper aims to forecast the future state of the Artificial Intelligence technology in Europe by 2035 with the use of the INKA 4 scenario manager software. A total of four areas of influence –– i.e., technological, financial, legal, and social –– were identified.
From those, 11 descriptors were created based on relevant scientific literature and were inserted in the INKA software to develop the scenarios. This process resulted in three clearly differentiated scenarios that exhibit high probabilities and positive outlook for the Artificial Intelligence technology to be widely integrated in supply chain risk management systems in Europe by 2035.
Abstract
The large-scale impact of the climate change on all regions and industries of the world underlines the need for action in the logistics sector. Despite literature in this field has matured fast since the last 5 years, it neglects the consideration of digital tools or measures to introduce sustainability in the sector. Consequently, precise recommendations on how to manage digital disruptions in order to reach sustainability goals in Logistics are lacking.
The objective of this thesis is to develop those recommendations and to facilitate their implementation for practitioners in the truck container transportation sector. To do so, the impact as well as the evolution of digitalization must be determined. Besides, factors for managing digital change successfully and measuring their impact in this sector shall be ascertained. Finally, a holistic framework to support the implementation process for becoming more sustainable by using digitalization should be presented.
A single-case study at the Logistics Start-Up “driveMybox” intends to fill the identified gap in knowledge. Particularly, it is studied how the organization manages to use digital tools to offer CO2-neutral truck container transports on their platform. Thereby, the different approaches are being looked at. Besides, data is gathered through qualitative interviews and other internal documents.
The first outcome of the thesis is an overview that illustrates the role of digitalization in Logistics. It increases the awareness of the digital impact and helps practitioners to take useful actions. Furthermore, a clear set of success factors to forward sustainability in the transportation sector was developed. Finally, a holistic result depicts which steps can lead to a more sustainable transportation process. Summarising, the thesis contributes to extant literature by combining digitalization with approaches to sustainability. The given recommendations consider the particularities of Start-Ups and support practitioners in this field with valuable guidelines and a holistic framework.
Since the occurrence of cybercrime rises every year, it has become increasingly important for companies to further secure their data and important information. It is not enough to just secure the data inside of the company, by now companies must go one step further.
This thesis focuses on a way to develop tools and methods to determine whether company data is secure in the hands of third-parties as well. To do so it is important to understand what different methods are available and reliable enough for the everyday usage.
The aim of this thesis is to present an evidence-based methodology to identify third-party risks. To achieve this goal, an analysis of international standards of technology knowledge is conducted. The market is searched for already existing service providers with the intend to find already existing information and templates on the topic. By conducting interviews information and expert knowledge is gathered.
The analysis and interviews contribute to the development of a generalized questionnaire which can be used to evaluate third-party risks. A generalized questionnaire that is fit for every third-party working with company data, that can be adjusted if necessary.
Moving places in cars impacts human activity daily. Therefore, living in a world without cars is inconceivable. While demand for cars exists, supply experiences shortcomings. Customers receive their vehicles with only one key or must deal with long delivery times. There is a correlation between the car industry, supply shortfalls and the current state of the world regarding COVID-19. The objectives of this research are examining how the semiconductor chip shortage affected sales and production of German car manufacturers and what strategic conclusions can be drawn for the future. To reach the objectives a quantitative theory analysis of existing literature was applied. The chosen car manufacturers are Audi AG, BMW AG, and Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
The results show that all objects to the research topic experienced a decline in production and sales. Further, that the semiconductor shortage, mainly anticipated by the pandemic, revealed the fragility of supply networks of the automotive industry. Different strategic attempts may cure supply chain management issues as such; however, it depends on the evaluation of the automotive industry whether this crisis carries a sustainable effect with its presence or not.
In Anbetracht der anthropogen verursachten Veränderung des Klimas seit Beginn der Industrialisierung werden Unternehmen zur Verantwortung gerufen. Das Treibhausgas Kohlenstoffdioxid und seine Erfassung dienen Firmen als Werkzeug, ihre umweltschädigenden Praktiken zu messen und Reduktionsmaßnahmen durchzuführen. Dies ist besonders für energieintensive Sektoren, wie der deutschen Automobilindustrie, von Bedeutung. Viele Unternehmen konzentrieren sich auf Reduktionen des CO2-Ausstoßes innerhalb der eigenen Produktion, jedoch werden diese innerhalb der Lieferkette Experten zufolge nicht genügend ausgeschöpft. In diesem Zusammenhang wird in dieser Bachelorarbeit der Status Quo bei Automobilherstellern und Maßnahmen zur Reduzierung der CO2 Ausstöße entlang der Lieferkette betrachtet.
Zunächst wird der Nachhaltigkeitsbegriff und seine politischen Rahmenbedingungen vorgestellt, um die Komplexität und die Multilateralität des Begriffs festzulegen. Anschließend wird die deutsche Automobilindustrie, ihr CO2-Fußabdruck und Möglichkeiten, ihn zu reduzieren, näher betrachtet. Als Fazit kann festgehalten werden, dass zahlreiche Maßnahmen zur Messung und Reduktion der Emissionen existieren, es jedoch der Branche, Experten zufolge, noch einer gewissen Einheitlichkeit bezüglich der Berechnungs- und Erfassungsmethoden bedarf.
Außerdem müssen Potenziale zu CO2-Reduktionen innerhalb der Lieferkette noch weiter ausgeschöpft werden. Bedeutende Hindernisse sind jedoch die massiven Investitionen, die Zulieferer zur Einhaltung von CO2-Grenzwerten tätigen müssen.
Ferner stellt das praktische Fallbeispiel Maßnahmen und Ambitionen des Automobilherstellers Daimler vor und vergleicht diese mit dem Konkurrenten BMW. Die Maßnahmen der beiden Hersteller zeigen Gemeinsamkeiten auf, jedoch unterscheiden sich die Strategien hauptsächlich in den unmittelbaren Hauptschwerpunkten und den Planungshorizonten. Außerdem kritisieren Experten besonders die widersprüchlichen Ziele und ihre Auswirkungen, wie beispielsweise der stets wachsende Materialverbrauch.
In der Gesamtbetrachtung lässt sich folgendes Fazit ziehen: Unternehmen sind sich ihrer Verantwortung bewusst, der Erfolg der Maßnahmen wird sich jedoch erst in Zukunft zeigen. In Anbetracht potenziell strenger werdender Richtlinien und weiter fortschreitenden Megatrends befindet sich die Zukunft der automobilen Lieferkette in einem spannenden Umbruch.
Artificial Intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of everyday life and is considered a matter of course by many people. Since it can be assumed that artificial intelligence will play an increasingly central role in business in the future, this paper aims to investigate the intersection between AI and Digital Sales Technologies through a systematic literature review. This thesis identified 32 relevant articles through an extensive literature search in the databases Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink. Through the detailed analysis of these 32 articles, the following four topic clusters could be identified: “Application Layer, Social Layer, Challenges, and Futuristic Layer”. Based on these layers, the developed research questions were answered successfully, and the following conclusions were drawn: AI is already being used in Digital Sales Technologies in numerous ways, for instance through voice assistants like Alexa. In addition, various changes for consumers and salespeople were identified, that accompany the adoption of AI in Digital Sales Technologies. Furthermore, this thesis provides an answer to which challenges this integration brings and how AI will influence Digital Sales Technologies in the future. Finally, research gaps for future research are identified based on the collected findings from the literature review.