How Enterprise Systems Enable Sustainable Digital Transformation: An Evaluation of Industry 4.0 Practices and Risks in the Brazilian Context

This paper presents the results of a study corresponding to Phase I of a broader research project on the Sustainable Adoption of Industry 4.0 (AS-I4) in the Brazilian context. The empirical focus is placed on the integration of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to inbound logistics, particularly warehousing, picking operations, and decision-support processes. Methodologically, the study adopts an exploratory approach based on a structured literature review and a field survey conducted with academic and industry experts. The results indicate that ERP–AI integration is predominantly perceived as a driver of operational efficiency, productivity gains, cost reduction, and improved coordination of logistics processes. However, the findings also reveal the presence of significant socio-technical risks related to data governance, cybersecurity, system reliability, and workforce preparedness. The combined analysis highlights a structural tension between efficiency-oriented benefits and sustainability-related challenges, suggesting that Industry 4.0 adoption in logistics environments remains largely functional and instrumental, rather than strategically aligned with a comprehensive sustainability agenda. As a contribution, this study empirically frames the sustainable adoption of Industry 4.0 through the lens of ERP–AI-supported inbound logistics, reinforcing the need for integrated governance mechanisms that align technological capabilities, organizational processes, and human factors. The results provide an initial diagnostic foundation for subsequent research phases aimed at advancing AS-I4 maturity assessment and decision-support frameworks in logistics systems.

Index Terms:  Industry 4.0, sustainability ERP, artificial intelligence, inbound logistics.