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.

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.

Evaluating Supply Chain Resource Limits From News Articles and Earnings Call Transcripts: An Application of Integrated Factor Analysis and Analytical Network Process

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Yuan Chu ◽  
Elif E. Gunay ◽  
Omar Al-Araidah ◽  
Gül E. Kremer
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Analytical Network Process ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Latent Constructs ◽  
Textual Data ◽  
Network Process ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Due to the impact of globalization, companies have extended their borders across nations to launch products more competitively. However, globalization affects various uncertainties and risks that may limit the performance of supply chains. Research indicates that models that incorporate uncertainties and risks will help to improve the resilience of global supply chains. In the era of technology, we experience the abundance of textual data from various web-media resources related to companies, which can be deployed to understand the impact of risks on the chain. Accordingly, this study aims to utilize textual data collected from news articles and earnings call transcripts to assess the vulnerability of the suppliers and the chain. Among many, we considered supply chain resource limits as a subcomponent of vulnerability and collected textual data associated with its sub-factors. Then, we proposed an integrated factor analysis and Analytical Network Process (ANP) method to model the company’s supply chain resource limits index. Specifically, factor analysis was used to determine the latent constructs of the variables that are grouped under resource limits and their correlations. This latent construct and correlations were then applied as the interdependencies among variables in the ANP to discover the final importance weights of the variables in terms of supply chain resource limits. The results of the study showed that the shortages of capacity, components, and energy supply are the most critical sub-factors. The company’s supply chain resource limits index (SCRLI) can be further calculated to assist decision-makers of an enterprise in supply chain configuration design, and improve the 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 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.

Supply chain resilience during pandemic disruption: Evidence from healthcare

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Scala ◽  
Claire Frances Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
The Public ◽  
Pandemic Response

Purpose This paper aims to explore how resilience is evident in healthcare supply chains in the public sector when faced with pandemic disruption and to identify any learnings to inform recovery and future-readiness phases. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study was conducted, consisting of seven semi-structured interviews with public sector supply chain actors in the healthcare personal protective equipment supply chain. The data included document analysis. Findings Key findings show how specific resilience strategies such as agility, collaboration, flexibility and redundancy, contributed to supply chain resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Collaboration is identified as a key mechanism for resilience with public sector networks viewed as facilitating this. Established collaborative relationships with suppliers pre-pandemic did not support increased visibility of tiers within the supply chain. Originality/value This is one of the first papers to provide in-depth resilience insights through an example of healthcare supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

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.

Practices and mechanisms for increasing supply chain ​​resilience: the supply chain resilience sheaf

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelson Pereira do Nascimento ◽  
Marcos Paulo Oliveira ◽  
Timothy J. Pettit ◽  
Marcelo Bronzo
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Organizational Resilience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Embedded Case Study ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper approaches the dynamics of supply chain resilience from the company from customer's point of view, seeking to illuminate which mechanisms and practices are used (intentionally or unintentionally) to increase the resilience of their critical suppliers, and thus to evaluate the impact of these mechanisms and practices on its entire supply chain (SC).Design/methodology/approachThe authors explore some emerging developments in organizational resilience with an embedded case study of a group of focal companies operating in the automotive SC. Therefore, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with buyers and sellers using content analysis, in the light of the prospect theory and the resource dependency theory.FindingsThe results indicate the existence of a resilience sheaf that runs through the entire supply chain, formed by a set of 11 formal mechanisms and informal practices.Practical implicationsThis resilience sheaf can guide managers thorough SC resilience development by taking its components as a reference and optimizing the use of resources both effectively and efficiently.Originality/valueSC resilience has been conceptualized as a function of an organization's situational awareness, the identification and management of key vulnerabilities and the ability to successfully react in a complex, dynamic and interconnected environment. These propositions highlight the features of both internal and external mechanisms to enhance organizational resilience.

scholarly journals Managing network responsiveness in emergency preparedness supply chains for safety and security in developed nations

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (34) ◽  
pp. 453-477
Author(s):  
Elvira Kaneberg ◽  
Leif-Magnus Jensen ◽  
Susanne Hertz
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Planning Approach ◽  
Developed Nations ◽  
The Impact

Supply chains can play a major role in reducing countries’ safety and security threats; the role of network responsiveness offers insights into management exchanges responding to the preparedness of developed countries like Sweden. Illustrating the managing of overall supply chain capabilities among network responsiveness stems from the supply chain responsiveness concept. Several challenges to responsiveness prevent actors’ networks from fully benefitting from coordination. A management approach is employed to explore the impact of network responsiveness on the supply chain as an overarching strategy for safety and security. The study suggests three different approaches which differ in their impact on the network’s responsiveness: (i) an overall strategic planning approach, (ii) one integrated system approach for the overall response, and (iii) a coordination approach for managing the overall supply chain responsiveness strategy.

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.

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