scholarly journals Artificial intelligence for supply chain resilience: learning from Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachin Modgil ◽  
Rohit Kumar Singh ◽  
Claire Hannibal
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
Last Mile Delivery ◽  
The Impact

PurposeMany supply chains have faced disruption during Covid-19. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one mechanism that can be used to improve supply chain resilience by developing business continuity capabilities. This study examines how firms employ AI and consider the opportunities for AI to enhance supply chain resilience by developing visibility, risk, sourcing and distribution capabilities.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have gathered rich data by conducting semistructured interviews with 35 experts from the e-commerce supply chain. The authors have adopted a systematic approach of coding using open, axial and selective methods to map and identify the themes that represent the critical elements of AI-enabled supply chain resilience.FindingsThe results of the study highlight the emergence of five critical areas where AI can contribute to enhanced supply chain resilience; (1) transparency, (2) ensuring last-mile delivery, (3) offering personalized solutions to both upstream and downstream supply chain stakeholders, (4) minimizing the impact of disruption and (5) facilitating an agile procurement strategy.Research limitations/implicationsThe study offers interesting implications for bridging the theory–practice gap by drawing on contemporary empirical data to demonstrate how enhancing dynamic capabilities via AI technologies further strengthens supply chain resilience. The study also offers suggestions for utilizing the findings and proposes a framework to strengthen supply chain resilience through AI.Originality/valueThe study presents the dynamic capabilities for supply chain resilience through the employment of AI. AI can contribute to readying supply chains to reduce their risk of disruption through enhanced resilience.

scholarly journals Local food supply chain resilience to constitutional change: the Brexit effect

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Caroline Hendry ◽  
Mark Stevenson ◽  
Jill MacBryde ◽  
Peter Ball ◽  
Maysara Sayed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Constitutional Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Building Resilience ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how local supply chains prepare for and respond to the threats and opportunities presented by constitutional change, thereby building resilience.Design/methodology/approachMultiple case study analysis of 14 firms in the food sector is presented in the context of the UK’s impending exit from the European Union (Brexit). Organisations studied include farmers, processors, retailers and non-government organisations (NGOs). Data from interviews and roundtable discussions has been interpreted using the dynamic capabilities perspective, covering the sensing, seizing, and transforming stages.FindingsThe data highlights the importance of both vertical and horizontal collaboration between supply chain actors as they seek to anticipate the impact of the disruption and influence the future shape of the constitution. There is also evidence to suggest firms in possession of dynamic capabilities can innovate to build resilience and enhance their competitive position. Characteristics of the disruption posed by constitutional change are identified and contrast with those of many other threats more typically described in the literature. As a result, the process of building resilience is different.Research limitations/implicationsThe study could be extended to include post-Brexit interviews to further understand the seizing and transforming stages whilst the impact of Brexit on actors that remain within the EU could also be considered.Practical implicationsPractitioners need to work together to influence the future shape of the constitution; and they need to reconfigure their operations and supply chains where necessary to become more resilient to the threat posed by Brexit, such as by reducing their reliance on EU funding streams and trade. The study also has policy implications.Originality/valueThe first study of supply chain resilience to constitutional change and a rare empirical study of resilience across multiple supply chain tiers.

AI technologies and their impact on supply chain resilience during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachin Modgil ◽  
Shivam Gupta ◽  
Rébecca Stekelorum ◽  
Issam Laguir
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Weak Links ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience

PurposeCOVID-19 has pushed many supply chains to re-think and strengthen their resilience and how it can help organisations survive in difficult times. Considering the availability of data and the huge number of supply chains that had their weak links exposed during COVID-19, the objective of the study is to employ artificial intelligence to develop supply chain resilience to withstand extreme disruptions such as COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachWe adopted a qualitative approach for interviewing respondents using a semi-structured interview schedule through the lens of organisational information processing theory. A total of 31 respondents from the supply chain and information systems field shared their views on employing artificial intelligence (AI) for supply chain resilience during COVID-19. We used a process of open, axial and selective coding to extract interrelated themes and proposals that resulted in the establishment of our framework.FindingsAn AI-facilitated supply chain helps systematically develop resilience in its structure and network. Resilient supply chains in dynamic settings and during extreme disruption scenarios are capable of recognising (sensing risks, degree of localisation, failure modes and data trends), analysing (what-if scenarios, realistic customer demand, stress test simulation and constraints), reconfiguring (automation, re-alignment of a network, tracking effort, physical security threats and control) and activating (establishing operating rules, contingency management, managing demand volatility and mitigating supply chain shock) operations quickly.Research limitations/implicationsAs the present research was conducted through semi-structured qualitative interviews to understand the role of AI in supply chain resilience during COVID-19, the respondents may have an inclination towards a specific role of AI due to their limited exposure.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers can utilise data to embed the required degree of resilience in their supply chains by considering the proposed framework elements and phases.Originality/valueThe present research contributes a framework that presents a four-phased, structured and systematic platform considering the required information processing capabilities to recognise, analyse, reconfigure and activate phases to ensure supply chain resilience.

Antecedents and consequences of supply chain resilience and reconfiguration: an empirical study in an emerging economy

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Al Naimi ◽  
Mohd Nishat Faisal ◽  
Rana Sobh ◽  
S.M. Fatah Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Management Culture ◽  
Major Disruption ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate the antecedents of resilience and to highlight the importance of resilience in achieving reconfiguration in supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on literature on supply chain resilience and collects data from 253 companies in Qatar to understand the influence of the antecedents of supply chain resilience and the impact of resilience on reconfiguration using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings show that antecedents like risk management culture, agility and collaboration positively affect the supply chain resilience. Further, the study establishes that companies can leverage their supply chain resilience to reconfigure supply chain in case of disruptions.Practical implicationsThis study is important for supply chain managers in Qatar, as the country faced major disruption of supply chains in wake of the blockade imposed by its neighbors with which it had the only land route and maximum trade. The findings from this study should aid mangers in developing resilient supply chains.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the role of supply chain resilience in achieving reconfiguration. Further, novelty of the work reported in this paper lies in its context where supply chains recently faced actual disruptions.

scholarly journals Building routines for non-routine events: supply chain resilience learning mechanisms and their antecedents

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirstin Scholten ◽  
Pamela Sharkey Scott ◽  
Brian Fynes
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Supply Chain Disruption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Organisations must build resilience to be able to deal with disruptions or non-routine events in their supply chains. While learning is implicit in definitions of supply chain resilience (SCRes), there is little understanding of how exactly organisations can adapt their routines to build resilience. The purpose of this study is to address this gap. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an in-depth qualitative case study based on 28 interviews across five companies, exploring learning to build SCRes. Findings This study uncovers six learning mechanisms and their antecedents that foster SCRes. The learning mechanisms identified suggest that through knowledge creation within an organisation and knowledge transfer across the supply chain and broader network of stakeholders, operating routines are built and/or adapted both intentionally and unintentionally during three stages of a supply chain disruption: preparation, response and recovery. Practical implications This study shows how the impact of a supply chain disruption may be reduced by intentional and unintentional learning in all three disruption phases. By being aware of the antecedents of unintentional learning, organisations can more consciously adapt routines. Furthermore, findings highlight the potential value of additional attention to knowledge transfer, particularly in relation to collaborative and vicarious learning across the supply chain and broader network of stakeholders not only in preparation for, but also in response to and recovery from disruptions. Originality/value This study contributes novel insights about how learning leads both directly and indirectly to the evolution of operating routines that help an organisation and its supply chains to deal with disruptions. Results detail six specific learning mechanisms for knowledge creation and knowledge transfer and their antecedents for building SCRes. In doing so, this study provides new fine-grained theoretical insights about how SCRes can be improved through all three phases of a disruption. Propositions are developed for theory development.

An empirical examination of firm financial performance along dimensions of supply chain resilience

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xun Li ◽  
Qun Wu ◽  
Clyde W. Holsapple ◽  
Thomas Goldsby
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Critical Dimensions ◽  
Firm Financial Performance ◽  
Supply Chain Agility ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of three critical dimensions of supply chain resilience, supply chain preparedness, supply chain alertness and supply chain agility, all aimed at increasing a firm’s financial outcomes. In a turbulent environment, firms require resilience in their supply chains to prepare for potential changes, detect changes and respond to actual changes, thus providing superior value. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 77 firms, this study develops scales for preparedness, alertness and agility. It then tests their hypothesized relationships with a firm’s financial performance. Findings The results reveal that the three dimensions of supply chain resilience (i.e. preparedness, alertness and agility) significantly impact a firm’s financial performance. It is also found that supply chain preparedness, as a proactive resilience capability, has a greater influence on a firm’s financial performance than the reactive capabilities including alertness and agility, suggesting that firms should pay more attention to proactive approaches for building supply chain resilience. Originality/value First, this study develops a comparatively comprehensive definition for supply chain resilience and explores its dimensionality. Second, this study provides empirically validated instruments for the dimensions of supply chain resilience. Third, this study is one of the first to provide empirical evidence for direct impact of supply chain resilience dimensions on a firm’s financial performance.

Dynamic capabilities in the “new normal”: a study of organizational flexibility, integration and agility in the Peruvian coffee supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Ramos ◽  
Andrea S. Patrucco ◽  
Melissa Chavez
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Organizational Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains

Purpose Considering the unprecedented supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the agri-food sector, the possession of dynamic capabilities (DCs) – particularly, the need for higher agility – seems to be the key to survival in highly uncertain environments. This study aims to use the dynamic capability view (DCV) theory to analyze how three key supply chain capabilities – organizational flexibility, integration and agility – should be combined to obtain the desired supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors designed a conceptual model in which the relationships between these three key capabilities and supply chain performance were hypothesized. The model was first tested through partial least square regression using survey data collected from 98 members of the Peruvian coffee supply chain. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to uncover how DCs could be combined in successful supply chain configurations. Findings The authors show that organizational flexibility is a driver of higher agility in agri-food supply chains, together with external and internal supply chain integration, that have a direct impact on agility, which positively affects supply chain performance. Higher levels of supply chain agility are necessary but insufficient to guarantee high performance, as sufficiency is reached when both integration (internal and/or external) and agility are present. Originality/value This study represents a pioneering attempt to apply the DCV theory to agri-food supply chains – characterized by many sources of uncertainty. All the DCs are included within the same model and the joint use of PLS regression and fsQCA provides evidence about the relationships between DCs and how they can empower agri-food supply to obtain the desired performance.

Developing a model for supply chain agility and innovativeness to enhance firms’ competitive advantage

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1511-1534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Jou Chen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Agility ◽  
It Integration ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Developing agility and innovativeness as dynamic capabilities are important for firms to sustain their competitive advantage in today’s global economy. The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a framework to investigate how the supply chain agility and innovativeness are achieved through IT integration and trust in members of supply chain and how these, in turn, can enhance firms’ competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a survey method and data are collected from senior managers working in the supply chain or IT area. The model and hypotheses are tested utilizing data from 204 usable Taiwan manufacturing firms via structural equations modeling methodology. Findings The study demonstrates that both IT integration and trust in supply chain members significantly enhance supply chain agility and innovativeness, which in turn positively affect firm’s competitive advantage. The results indicate that IT integration and trust are antecedents and major joint partnership resources for improving supply chain agility and innovativeness. Research limitations/implications Data are collected from manufacturing industry in Taiwan and single respondent from each firm, the generalizability of current findings to other industries or countries should require additional investigation. Practical implications The study suggests that a firm should focus on IT integration and trust in supply chain members to achieve supply chain agility and innovativeness. To take advantage of supply chain agility and innovativeness, through maximizing firm’s competitive advantage, firms should continually adapt to the fast changing business environment and search for creative ways to satisfy new market needs. Originality/value Given the attention paid to supply chain agility and innovativeness in terms of importance to responding to business uncertainty and competitiveness, and more recently, as important capabilities in managing supply chain management, this paper investigates how IT integration and trust can contribute to supply chain agility and innovativeness. Provide evidence regarding the impact of IT integration and trust on agility of supply chains, innovativeness and competitive advantage.

scholarly journals Developing Knowledge of Supply Chain Resilience in Less-Developed Countries in the Pandemic Age

Logistics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
João M. Lopes ◽  
Sofia Gomes ◽  
Lassana Mané
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Guinea Bissau ◽  
The Impact

The constraints imposed by the pandemic COVID-19 increased the risks of the disruption of supply chains, bringing new challenges to companies. These effects were felt more intensely in less-developed countries, which are highly dependent on imports of products and raw materials. This study aims to assess the impact of supply chain resilience in a less-developed country (Guinea-Bissau) using complex adaptive system theory. We used a qualitative methodology through multiple case studies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four companies. The semi-structured script contains questions about supply chain disruptions, vulnerabilities and resilience. The main results show that the companies in Guinea-Bissau, due to their dependence on the outside world and the absence of formal, larger and more diversified supply chains, suffered serious consequences with the disruption imposed by the pandemic. It was also concluded that the more resilient the supply chain, the fewer the impacts of crisis events and that the resilience of companies at this level depends on their obtaining competitive advantages over their competitors. The main practical implications of this study are the need to formalize the supply chain, diversify the supply of services and products of companies dependent on the exterior, adopt metrics that allow for the early detection of situations of supply chain disruption, effectively manage stocks and promote proactive crisis resolution strategies. Studies on the impact of resilience on supply chains in crises are scarce, especially on companies located in underdeveloped countries.

Supply chain resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings COVID-19 has had a dramatic and damaging effect on supply chains and distributors. This briefing considers why, and what strategies there may be to cope. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Intellectual capital and supply chain resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik ◽  
Nick Bontis ◽  
Mobasher Mubarik ◽  
Tarique Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Least Squares ◽  
Partial Least Squares ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe main objective of this study is to test whether firms with a higher level of intellectual capital (IC) perform better in terms of their supply chain resilience compared to those with lower levels of IC. Likewise, the study also examines the impact of IC (characterized by human capital, relational capital and structural capital) on supply chain resilience directly and through supply chain learning.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from the 159 processed-food sector firms using a close-ended questionnaire during the corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), partial least squares multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test a set of hypotheses emanating from a conceptual model of IC and supply chain resilience.FindingsEmpirical results revealed a significant influence of all dimension of IC on a firm's supply chain learning and supply chain resilience. Likewise, findings also exhibit a momentous role of supply chain learning in reinforcing the impact of IC on supply chain resilience. Cross-firm size comparison reveals that supply chain resilience of firms with a higher level of IC performed significantly better than those with lower levels of IC. Firms with a higher level of structural capital had a highly resilient supply chain.Practical implicationsFindings of the study imply that IC and supply chain learning should be considered as a strategic tool and should be strategically developed for uplifting a supply chain performance of a firm. The development of IC and supply chain learning (SCL) not only improves the supply chain resilience of a firm but also can help to integrate the internal and external knowledge for harnessing supply chain resilience.Originality/valueThis research study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic which provides a unique setting to examine resiliency and learning.

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