In the era of Industry 4.0, manufacturing paradigms are shifting towards automation, intelligence, and digital transformation. The sheet metal bending process is critical in manufacturing industries such as automotive, aerospace and electronics. In the face of growing demand for customised products and shorter life cycles, Computer-Aided Process Planning (CAPP) for sheet metal bending has evolved. This article discusses the advancement of sheet metal bending process planning(SMPP) in the era of smart manufacturing, exploring integrating modern technologies, optimising processes and enhancing flexibility, quality and sustainability. The paper will highlight the transformation of sheet metal bending CAPP from traditional systems to intelligent and adaptive frameworks. Based on the review, it was noted that the available CAPP systems rarely optimise for material waste, energy consumption, or overall production cost. From the gaps obtained from the literature, as a conclusion, an adaptive sheet metal bending process plan(ASMBPP) was proposed. Further research will focus on developing an ASMPP by modification of the existing cloud-based process plan.