Key constraint factors for designing sustainable supply chains in Industry 4.0- evidence from Egypt

Purpose The study develops a systematic framework for analyzing hierarchical constraint relationships affecting sustainable supply chain design in Industry 4.0 contexts. The research examines how Egyptian industrial companies navigate implementation challenges across the triple bottom line framework, revealing interdependent constraint patterns that determine implementation success. Design/methodology/approach The research employs qualitative methodology through semi-structured interviews with 38 professionals from 17 Egyptian industrial companies. Data analysis follows a systematic three-stage coding process, achieving 87% inter-coder reliability, introducing an interesting three-level classification system for measuring participant consensus on constraint significance. Findings Analysis reveals eight previously unrecognized constraint factors beyond the sixteen derived from literature. Environmental factors comprise 50% of constraints, followed by social (29.16%) and economic (20.83%) dimensions. The investigation shows how some factors have multiplicative effects across organizational systems by exposing hierarchical relationships and cascading effects between constraints. Practical implications The CSSC4M provides companies implementing sustainable supply chain practices in Industry 4.0 with methodical guidance validated by a simulation case. The framework makes it possible to prioritize interventions based on evidence, focusing on high-influence constraints that have a positive ripple effect across sustainability dimensions. Originality/value The study contributes in four ways: (1) presenting the Constraints Sustainable Supply Chain 4.0 Model (CSSC4M) as a framework for mapping hierarchical constraint relationships in Industry 4.0; (2) identifying eight new constraint factors; (3) creating a three-level classification methodology for qualitative constraint analysis and (4) offering a four-phase implementation framework that has been validated through a simulation case.