Project-based supply chain intelligence and digital fabrication for a sustainable film industry

There is a societal, political and legislative drive towards greater transparency and accountability for environmental, social and economic sustainability in business. There is also the recognition of the complexities involved in monitoring operations in manufacturing and construction industries, and in particular where those are project-based. Developments in digital technology provide new ways of tracking elements within supply chain operations, as well as new communication platforms, fabrication techniques and data analysis capabilities. This chapter provides an argument for the need for transition research in project-based manufacturing and construction industries, with film production as an example, to provide the conceptualisation of supply chain constructs to respond to contemporary aspirations for society. These should exploit the opportunities digital technologies provide in the development of supply chain intelligence, whilst working with cultural and practical complexities within the industry, to create the paradigm shifts necessary for an effective re-organisation of practice. This chapter discusses the issues and challenges involved in adapting project-based supply chains for sustainability legislative oversight, and the development of sustainable supply chain practices enabled by digital technology, to propose alternative practices for project-based industries overall.