scholarly journals Disorders, Vulnerabilities and Resilience in the Supply Chain in Pandemic Times

Logistics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Catarina Ferreira ◽  
Catarina Cardoso ◽  
Mariana Travassos ◽  
Mariana Paiva ◽  
Micaela Pestana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Central Region ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Additional Pressure ◽  
Potential Problems

The economic and social environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional pressure on supply chains because they now have more pressure to develop and adapt to a context of economic constraint. Delays in the supply chain can bring consequences such as the lack of food products by retailers, transporters and manufacturers. Thus, this study aims to examine the supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic in small- and medium-sized food companies in the central region of Portugal, identifying potential problems and pointing out the respective solutions. For this purpose, the study uses a qualitative methodology through semi-structured interviews. It was found that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not have a codified supply chain and that generally, these companies have a minimal budget, which requires a constant search for new suppliers that represent a reduction in costs. Moreover, most of the companies surveyed faced unexpected challenges, such as a lack of alternative suppliers. The present paper is original because it studies the supply chain in SMEs in the food sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it allows the ascertainment of practical suggestions for these companies to improve, as well as contributing to the clarification of the literature on the supply chain in times of crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

scholarly journals The Active Customer in Logistics Services

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Joanna Alicja Dyczkowska
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Logistics Service Providers ◽  
Business Market ◽  
Logistics Services

<p>This article describes the notion of “customer activity” in logistics services as an interaction with providers. We reviewed concepts of customer activity in services offered by logistics service providers (LSPs) in the food sector. We then analysed customer activity in transport, storage and management of services. We used a direct diagnostic survey for comparative analysis of groups of customers. The roles of LSPs in the supply chain and within the framework of cooperation in the business-to-business market are presented. Basic customer activities were examined by studying the supply chain, within which LSPs adapted their processes to the activities of their customers. The research results present the degree of customer activity in supply chains.</p><p><strong>Theoretical background:</strong> Customer activity in logistics services is mainly understood as part of interaction with providers. This study goes beyond this view by focusing on the independent activity of the customer in solutions related to transport, storage and the management of logistics services.</p><p><strong>Purpose of the article:</strong> The purpose of the article was to review concepts of customer activity in services offered by LSPs in food-sector supply chains; customer activity was characterised and applied in exploratory research.</p><p><strong>Research methods:</strong> A literature review, comparison of groups of customers, and a direct diagnostic survey method were all used.</p><p><strong>Main findings:</strong> The perspective of customer activity predominating among customers allows LSPs to pursue different activities on behalf of different groups of customers. This article contributes to research on logistics services while focusing on the concept of customer activity.</p>

Building resilience in retail supply chains: Lessons learned from COVID-19 and future pathways

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Saleem Butt
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study explores the countermeasures taken by retailers to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on supply chain disruptions.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a multiple case study approach and undertakes 36 semi-structured interviews with senior management of the four largest retailers of the United Arab Emirates. The respondents were designated at different positions such as Vice President, Director and Project Manager.FindingsResults reveal that retailers are employing six countermeasures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on supply chains. Particularly, retailers are securing required demand, preserving cash flows, redirecting inventory, adding capacity to their distribution centres, becoming more flexible with their direct or third-party logistics provider and finally widening delivery options for their suppliers to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. First, the results of this study cannot be generalized to a broader population as it attempts to build an initial theory. Second, this study uses a cross-sectional approach to explore the countermeasures employed by retailing firms to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.Originality/valueA notable weakness in a supply chain disruption literature is an unfulfilled need for research examining the strategies employed by retailers to respond to/address the challenges posed by COVID-19. Our study fills this gap.

Broken chocolate: biomarkers as a method for delivering cocoa supply chain visibility

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Lafargue ◽  
Michael Rogerson ◽  
Glenn C. Parry ◽  
Joel Allainguillaume
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Child Labour ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Chain Map

Purpose This paper examines the potential of “biomarkers” to provide immutable identification for food products (chocolate), providing traceability and visibility in the supply chain from retail product back to farm. Design/methodology/approach This research uses qualitative data collection, including fieldwork at cocoa farms and chocolate manufacturers in Ecuador and the Netherlands and semi-structured interviews with industry professionals to identify challenges and create a supply chain map from cocoa plant to retailer, validated by area experts. A library of biomarkers is created using DNA collected from fieldwork and the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, holders of cocoa varieties from known locations around the world. Matching sample biomarkers with those in the library enables identification of origins of cocoa used in a product, even when it comes from multiple different sources and has been processed. Findings Supply chain mapping and interviews identify areas of the cocoa supply chain that lack the visibility required for management to guarantee sustainability and quality. A decoupling point, where smaller farms/traders’ goods are combined to create larger economic units, obscures product origins and limits visibility. These factors underpin a potential boundary condition to institutional theory in the industry’s fatalism to environmental and human abuses in the face of rising institutional pressures. Biomarkers reliably identify product origin, including specific farms and (fermentation) processing locations, providing visibility and facilitating control and trust when purchasing cocoa. Research limitations/implications The biomarker “meta-barcoding” of cocoa beans used in chocolate manufacturing accurately identifies the farm, production facility or cooperative, where a cocoa product came from. A controlled data set of biomarkers of registered locations is required for audit to link chocolate products to origin. Practical implications Where biomarkers can be produced from organic products, they offer a method for closing visibility gaps, enabling responsible sourcing. Labels (QR codes, barcodes, etc.) can be swapped and products tampered with, but biological markers reduce reliance on physical tags, diminishing the potential for fraud. Biomarkers identify product composition, pinpointing specific farm(s) of origin for cocoa in chocolate, allowing targeted audits of suppliers and identifying if cocoa of unknown origin is present. Labour and environmental abuses exist in many supply chains and enabling upstream visibility may help firms address these challenges. Social implications By describing a method for firms in cocoa supply chains to scientifically track their cocoa back to the farm level, the research shows that organizations can conduct social audits for child labour and environmental abuses at specific farms proven to be in their supply chains. This provides a method for delivering supply chain visibility (SCV) for firms serious about tackling such problems. Originality/value This paper provides one of the very first examples of biomarkers for agricultural SCV. An in-depth study of stakeholders from the cocoa and chocolate industry elucidates problematic areas in cocoa supply chains. Biomarkers provide a unique biological product identifier. Biomarkers can support efforts to address environmental and social sustainability issues such as child labour, modern slavery and deforestation by providing visibility into previously hidden areas of the supply chain.

A Virtual Supply Chain Architecture to Grant Product Transparency in Agribusiness

2017 ◽  
pp. 20-38
Author(s):  
Giulia Bruno
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Chain Architecture ◽  
Electronic Product ◽  
Nosql Database ◽  
Available Information

Especially in the food sector, fraud and counterfeiting are affecting the trust of consumers, who are more and more oriented to chose products basing on quality and traceability attributes rather than the price. Recently, the Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) standard was introduced to provide specifications for the representation of product traceability information. The collection and analysis of such information allows supply chains to be monitored and controlled through virtualization. Several applications of EPCIS were presented in literature, even if most of them are mainly focused on enabling technologies, with less emphasis on assessing how the available information can be used for a control at a higher level. This chapter review the relevant literature available on this topic, and present an architecture allowing the traceability of information about products throughout the entire supply chain by exploiting both the EPCIS standard and a NoSQL database. An application showing the potentiality of the proposed system in a case study is also reported.

scholarly journals Post-shipment financial flows in supply chains: A study of small- to medium-sized enterprise importers

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francois Schutte ◽  
Wesley Niemann ◽  
Theuns Kotzé
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Lead Times ◽  
Global Sourcing ◽  
Working Capital ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Financial Flows

Background: Global sourcing has impacted inventory levels, lead times and the availability of working capital, affecting the standard financial flow of a supply chain. Poorly managing the link between the financial and physical supply chains could therefore lead to unnecessarily high inventory investments or to a short supply of inventory, affecting cash flow, working capital, sales and, subsequently, a firm’s profitability.Objectives: The aim of this generic qualitative study was to explore how firms manage their financial supply chain alongside their physical supply chain.Method: Data were collected from 12 semi-structured interviews with senior managers across six small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) importing firms in various industries.Results: The research finds that the buyer is the driver of both upstream and downstream financial supply chain management (FSCM) as SME importers in Gauteng are proactively managing their financial alongside their physical supply chains. Through the continuous evaluation of sourcing strategies, exchange rate risk management strategies and inventory investment management strategies, firms can align their physical and financial supply chains.Conclusion: This study highlights the lead time and disruption risks and costs of global sourcing and identifies FSCM tools that can be used to alleviate the financial burden associated with long lead times.

scholarly journals The Identification of Sustainable Supply Chain Elements in The Enterprise X

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-27
Author(s):  
Paula Bajdor
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Purpose ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Green Supply Chains ◽  
Further Development

Abstract Today, operating on the market, enterprises, to a lesser or greater extent, try to carry out their activities in such a way to minimize the possible negative impact on the environment. In most companies, the analysis of its supply chains can identify them as "green supply chains", which primarily involves not harming the natural environment. However, the further development of this concept is "sustainable supply chain", the chain that means not only protection of the environment but also means caring for the closest social environment together with economic development of the company. As opposed to green supply chains, it is still difficult to identify a sustainable supply chain in Polish enterprises. For the research purpose, the interview sheet has been created, based on the answers provided by the companies it is possible to further identify and determine the elements that make up a sustainable supply chain. This article presents an interview sheet with the answers given by one of the companies investigated

scholarly journals Modelling the inhibitors of cold supply chain using fuzzy interpretive structural modeling and fuzzy MICMAC analysis

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249046
Author(s):  
Anshuman Sharma ◽  
Haidar Abbas ◽  
Muhammad Qutubuddin Siddiqui
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Hierarchical Model ◽  
Structural Modeling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Inadequate Information ◽  
Fuzzy Micmac ◽  
Lack Of Commitment

The Cold Supply Chain (CSC) is an integral part of the supply chain of perishable products. The aim of this research is to examine the inhibitors that have a major impact on the performance of CSC operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study provides a synthesis and suggests a hierarchical model among CSC inhibitors and their respective relevance. The hierarchical synthesis of twelve (12) primary CSC inhibitors is achieved through a comprehensive literature review and consultation with academics and CSC professionals. This study used semi-structured interviews, a fuzzy interpretive structural modeling (FISM) and a Fuzzy-MICMAC (FMICMAC) analysis to explore and establish the relationship between and among identified inhibitors. FISM is used to examine the interaction between inhibitors, while FMICMAC analysis is used to examine the nature of inhibitors on the basis of their dependence and driving power. The results of the FISM and FMICMAC analysis show the inter-relationships and relative dominance of identified inhibitors. The results show that some inhibitors are of high strategic importance due to their high driving power and low dependence. These inhibitors seek more management attention in order to improve their effectiveness. The result of a hierarchical model helps to understand the influence of a particular inhibitor on others. ‘Higher capital and operating costs’ occupy the highest level in the FISM model. The ‘fragmented cold supply chains’, ‘lack of skilled labor’, ‘inadequate information system infrastructure’ and ‘lack of commitment by top level management’ had strong driving power but weak dependence, which characterizes them as independent inhibitors. Management should be extra careful when dealing with these inhibitors as they influence the effects of other variables at the top of the FISM hierarchy in the overall management of the cold supply chain. The study also suggests a number of recommendations for addressing these inhibitors in cold supply chains operating in the UAE. With due attention and care for these inhibitors, the operation of the cold supply chains is likely to be even more successful.

scholarly journals The Use of Intelligent Packaging in Supply Chain of Food Products

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 639-653
Author(s):  
Aleksandar Grubor ◽  
Jelena Končar ◽  
Radenko Marić ◽  
Goran Vukmirović ◽  
Nikola Milićević
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Type Number ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Intelligent Packaging ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Business Operations

The research aims to identify the limitations and expectations of producers, transport companies, distributors and retailers in introducing intelligent packaging into supply chains of food products on the market of the Western Balkans. The limitations and benefits from the use of intelligent packaging have been identified in transportation, storage, operations of physical handling and display of food products at the place of their final purchase. The results have shown that there are significant differences in terms of limitations affecting the implementation of intelligent packaging into business operations of supply chains, bearing in mind the business type, number of employees, available capital and integrated standards into business operations. In contrast to this, the results point that there are no significant differences in terms of benefits that the analysed entities expect from introducing intelligent packaging into their systems. A set of measures and incentives have been defined for the competent institutions and food supply chain management to take, in order to minimize the restrictions and advance the implementation of intelligent packaging. The proposals and suggestions for further research are stated in the paper.

scholarly journals PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT OF PERISHABLE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN SYSTEMS BASED ON THE VOLATILITY OF THE LOGISTICS CYCLE

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (47) ◽  
pp. 47-58
Author(s):  
Vorkut T ◽  
◽  
Gryshchyk A ◽  
Sopotsko O ◽  
Khalatska I ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Food Research ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Object Of Study

The article discusses the theory and practice of optimizing the supply of perishable food products in the context of the concept of supply chain management, taking into account the harmonization of the economic positions of supply chain companies. The purpose of the study is to develop a method of managing the efficiency of supply chain systems of perishable food products, taking into account the variability of the logistics cycle. Object of study – the processes of managing the supply of perishable foodstuffs in the respective supply chains. The subject of the study are methods and models of managing the supply of perishable food. Research methods – systematic approach, probability theory and mathematical statistics, optimization. As a result of the conducted researches the method of managing the efficiency of supply chains of perishable foodstuffs taking into account the variability of the logistic cycle is proposed, which allows to evaluate the effectiveness of measures for the improvement of logistic, and considered in its structure of transport, servicing of supply chains of perishable foodstuffs in the context of development perishable food supplies. KEYWORDS: QUALIFIED SUPPLY PRODUCTS, SUPPLY CHAIN, LIKELY-STATISTICAL MODEL, SUPPLY MANAGEMENT, VARIABILITY.

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