scholarly journals Supply Chain Resilience: Unleashing the Power of Collaboration in Disaster Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10573
Author(s):  
Muhammad Umar ◽  
Mark Wilson

This study builds on the extant literature of supply chain collaboration, specifically, vertical and horizontal collaboration, and examines how these capabilities influence the resilience of supply chains that experience regular natural disasters in rural communities, as their economic wellbeing relies heavily on the continuation of these supply chains. A multiple case study approach has been adopted to investigate the role of collaboration within food supply chains of two different South Asian regions. This context was selected because these regions are prone to regular natural disruptions, and these food supply chains also play a crucial role in the disaster relief process. The data revealed that effective communication, mutual dependence, information sharing, informal financial support, and trust are some of the components of supply chain collaboration that enhance the overall resilience of supply chains in natural disasters.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Umar ◽  
Mark Wilson ◽  
Jeff Heyl

Purpose This study aims to build on the extant literature of knowledge management (KM) capabilities, notably infrastructure and processes, and examine how these capabilities influence the resilience of supply chains that experience regular natural disasters. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study approach has been adopted to investigate the role of KM within foods supply chains of two different South Asian regions. This context was selected as these regions are prone to regular natural disruptions and these food supply chains also play a crucial role in the relief process. Findings The data shows that supply chain resilience can be enhanced when supply chain members collaborate to generate, share and use knowledge. These KM processes are greatly facilitated by KM infrastructure capabilities. IT advancements, a cohesive collaborative culture and the presence of strong central hubs firms in the network facilitate knowledge generation, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilisation, thus building supply chain resilience. Given the abductive nature of this research, these findings form the most likely associations, but with a degree of uncertainty. Hence, the authors provide propositions for further detailed research in this important area. Originality/value This study is one of the few, as far as the authors can tell, that seeks to examine the influence of KM on the resilience of supply chains. Further, uncovering the sub-structure of KM in this context adds to this emerging body of literature.


2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shikha Aggarwal ◽  
Manoj Kumar Srivastava

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the process and role of supply chain collaboration in Indian agri-food industry and highlight the perceptions of buyers and suppliers towards each other. The paper seeks to find out how can collaboration in agri-food supply chain lead to low wastage and better efficiency. Also, the paper attempts to capture the nuances of collaborative practices and perceptions of buyers and suppliers towards collaboration. Design/methodology/approach Case study methodology in a top Indian food-processing firm was conducted to explore the application and benefits of collaboration in supply chains. In-depth interviews with upstream supply chain members were conducted to understand the process of supply chain collaboration. Grounded Theory Methodology was used to analyze the transcripts. Findings Firstly, through content analysis of interview transcripts a comprehensive framework and a generic model was derived to understand the process of supply chain collaboration. Supplier selection, Joint Planning and Information sharing were found to be main antecedents while profits; waste reduction and supply chain efficiency were major outcomes of collaboration. Secondly, it was found that the suppliers are usually more skeptical of the buyers and don’t trust them easily. While, for buyers, it is very important to have good relations with suppliers and should make provide incentives to suppliers for collaboration. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to elaborate the process and outcomes of collaborative activities along an Indian agri-food supply chain through in-depth qualitative study. In developing countries, agriculture industry is the backbone of economy. Therefore, the insights developed in this study may be useful for managers in agribusiness to dwell into such supply chain practices that would increase profit and efficiency, and decrease wastage.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Michael Willett

The production of food, its delivery to markets, and its use by consumers depends on the proper functioning of numerous supply chains and critical infrastructure networks, many of which are threatened by a changing climate. To ensure the proper functioning of food supply chains during weather-related catastrophes, climate change adaptation and food security plans must consider risks to all elements of the chain and identify strategies for bolstering resilience. This paper explores the efforts of various North American cities to respond to this challenge and offers recommendations for improving food supply chain resilience in Toronto, Ontario.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Michael Willett

The production of food, its delivery to markets, and its use by consumers depends on the proper functioning of numerous supply chains and critical infrastructure networks, many of which are threatened by a changing climate. To ensure the proper functioning of food supply chains during weather-related catastrophes, climate change adaptation and food security plans must consider risks to all elements of the chain and identify strategies for bolstering resilience. This paper explores the efforts of various North American cities to respond to this challenge and offers recommendations for improving food supply chain resilience in Toronto, Ontario.


With the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic, agricultural food supply chains (AFSC) have suffered from unprecedented challenges and disruption. AFSC must possess extremely high levels of resilience when confronted by the pandemic. In this study, we have identified six important resilience criteria and eighteen sub-criteria of AFSC in the context of the COVID-19. The research presents the conceptual mixed multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technology to prioritize the resilience criteria based on understanding their interrelationships. Results identify three essential resilience criteria, namely “coordination and collaboration in the supply chain”, “efficiency”, and “strategic management” and the top five key sub-criteria as “velocity”, “visibility”, “continuity management”, “connectedness”, “collaborative planning and replenishment”. The framework proposed in this study contributes to the interdisciplinary understanding towards building resilience within AFSC, and has the potential to be extended to other types of supply chains in response to COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Ramos ◽  
Andrea S. Patrucco ◽  
Melissa Chavez

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.


10.1068/a3717 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Ilbery ◽  
Damian Maye

In this paper findings are presented from survey work conducted with producers of specialist livestock products in the Scottish–English borders. Using supply-chain diagrams, the paper highlights how specialist livestock businesses operate individual or customised supply chains. The heterogeneity of surveyed producer initiatives throws into question both the simple conceptual distinction drawn between the labels ‘conventional’ and ‘alternative’ and also what is meant by a ‘short’ food supply chain. The starting point of the specialist food chain is clearly not the point of production but rather a series of upstream supply links—as is found in conventional food chains. Likewise, ‘alternative’ producers are regularly obliged, or choose, to ‘dip in and out’ of different conventional nodes downstream of the business, such as abattoirs, processors, and wholesalers. In practice, delimitations between ‘alternative’ and ‘conventional’ food supply chains are often blurred and are better characterised as ‘hybrid spaces’.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 27-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Bremmers ◽  
Bernd Van der Meulen ◽  
Zorica Sredojevi ◽  
Jo Wijnands

Recent price movements have put food supply chains under pressure. On the one side, upward price tendencies on commodity markets result in higher costs to processing firms. On the other side, these firms are confronted with a strong retail sector that is able to prevent compensation to protect consumers’ and own economic interests. Regulatory impediments of European law, especially with respect to foodstuffs, can adversely be utilized as barriers to protect the interest downstream the supply chain. The problem is that legal-economic instruments which can serve to smooth price volatility in supply markets can also opportunistically be used at the expense of the middlesection in food supply chains (i.e., mainly small and medium sized producers). The aim of this article is to identify the legal-economic mechanisms that effect price transfers in food supply chains in the European Union and define policy adjustments to improve pricing mechanisms, while safeguarding the interests of the processing industry. Policy alternatives to improve the smooth functioning of notably intermediate markets in food supply chains are the restructuring of competition law, improved processor information management and creating transparency of value added in the supply chain by means of labelling devices.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Yi ◽  
Phil Bremer ◽  
Damien Mather ◽  
Miranda Mirosa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to facilitate the successful adoption of traceability technologies, such as blockchain, into food supply chains and facilitate the understanding of the barriers and enablers to their uptake by channel members' needs so that appropriate enabling strategy can be put in place.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, an integrated framework involving five components was used as the methodology: (1) diffusion of innovation theory, (2) the innovation concept, (3) the business structure-conduct-performance paradigm, (4) legitimacy and (5) trust was developed and assessed for validity through interviewing 21 channel members, including distributors, wholesalers, Internet retailers and traditional retailers associated with a global fresh produce company's supply chain in China.FindingsBarriers negatively framing channel members' attitudes and decisions included a perceived lack of need owing to fresh produce having a short shelf life and being of low value and risk. However, the importance of traceability and the need for effective food recalls were not always understood among channel members, and distributed trust innovations were also suppressed by their lack of compatibility with the Chinese hierarchical culture.Originality/valueTo date, channel members' perception of innovations in food supply chains has not been considered in light of the components proposed in the integrated framework. The adapted framework used in this study ensured a comprehensive assessment of channel members' attitude and motivations toward traceability practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato Rocha dos Santos ◽  
Patricia Guarnieri

Purpose This study aims to analyze which collective actions (cooperation, coordination and collaboration), present in the supply chain of artisanal products, generate positive effects in terms of social gains. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct multiple case studies in the supply chain of seven artisanal agroindustries in the Distrito Federal, Brazil. The data were collected through interviews, documental analysis and direct observation. The data were analyzed using the content analysis technique proposed by Bardin (1977). With priori and a posteriori analytical categories, it was possible to conduct: a detailed analysis of the current situation of artisanal agroindustries regarding collective actions from the perspective of supplier/supplier and supplier/client and a detailed analysis for the possible effects of collective actions that impact the supply chain and the indicators of social sustainability of artisanal agroindustries. Findings The results indicate that cooperation and collaboration have contributed positively in the transactions of the products of the artisanal agroindustries, reflecting in social gains for the producing families. In this context, some collective actions can be highlighted as follows: the collective commercial spaces, the demonstration spaces of the artisan products in the clients’ environment, the prospecting of improvements from the final consumers, the face-to-face meetings with the suppliers, the product dissemination by the customer, the joint marketing actions and the rationalization of transportation logistics. Research limitations/implications The study used a qualitative approach and findings and discussion are inherently interpretative and cannot be generalized. Practical implications This study can contribute to researchers and practitioners interested in collective actions contributing to the incrementation of social responsibility in agri-food supply chains. Social implications Understanding how the collective actions support the inclusion of smallholding and artisanal producers in agri-food supply chains can help policymakers and managers to implement initiatives related to social responsibility, which can be measured using social indicators. This creates a social benefit through rural growth and economic development, generation of income and social productive inclusion of the artisanal producers in larger agri-food supply chains. Originality/value For the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper approaching collective actions as the main source of incrementation of social benefits, which can measure the incrementation of social responsibility in agri-food supply chains.


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