Supply chains have become more complex in the global economy, which has made supply chain disruptions inevitable. Disruptions can cause loss of profitability and hinder business growth. The goal of this multiple case study was to explore strategies to mitigate the effects of disruption in grocery store supply chains. The conceptual framework for this study was the resource dependency theory, which stipulates that firms rely on other businesses in the external environment for critical resources to create a competitive edge. Four purposively selected participants from 4 grocery store businesses in Northwest Arkansas participated in semistructured interviews and provided organizational documentation for this study. The participants were supply chain managers who had knowledge about disruptions and had successfully mitigated disruptions in their grocery stores' supply chains. Yin's 5-step process was used to analyze data, which involved compiling the database, disassembling data, reassembling data, interpreting data, and making a conclusion. Four themes emerged from the data analysis: supply chain partners' collaboration, multiple supply base and supplier qualification, inventory management, and information technology and communication. The uninterrupted flow of grocery merchandise to the community could result in a positive social change by helping to ensure that community members have timely access to food.

The diploma thesis is focused on creating a business plan for establishment a new restaurant that will dedicate itself to serve slovakian, hungarian and czech cuisine. Part of the thesis is to put together sales and costs prediction model in a pertinent subbranch. It also contains internal and external environment analysis, financial and business continuity plan.

In recent years, disruptive events have tested companies supply chain resilience. These challenges have emphasized the crucial role of effective supply chain management strategies. As a result of the negative performance, companies are recognizing the importance of supply chain resilience. The purpose of this study is to understand how firms manage their supply chain in practice and will answer RQ1: How has the approach of supply chain risk mitigation changed after recent disruptive events?” and RQ2: “What are the barriers & enablers to the implementation of business continuity management within a supply chain?”. The study follows a qualitative case study which involves both primary and secondary data. The primary data is based on 10 interviews with industry experts meanwhile the secondary data is based on reports and a panel discussion. The data is analyzed through a thematic analysis. The findings of the study are a risk management model, consisting of three different dimensions: 1) Supply Chain Orientation 11) Business Relationship and Communication and 111) Risk Mitigation. These dimensions can be used by companies and organization to improve its supply chain resilience. As well as understanding the challenges of proactive implementation within their supply chain, to be more prepared for the next disruptive event in the future.

Dagens samhälle präglas av globalisering och hög grad av sammankoppling mellan länder och sektorer, vilket även bidrar till sårbarheter. Komplexa risker som präglas av osäkerhet, tvetydighet och konsekvenser med potentialen att få spridningseffekter hotar samhällsviktig verksamhet och därigenom samhällets funktionalitet. Sjukhus är en typ av samhällsviktig verksamhet som behöver upprätthållas för att samhället ska kunna fungera. Skydd av samhällsviktig verksamhet kan uppnås genom en kombination av riskhantering, kontinuitetshantering och incidenthantering. Kontinuitetshantering syftar till att minimera avbrottstider i kritisk verksamhet och tillse att oacceptabla konsekvenser undviks. Internationellt sett har kontinuitetshantering visat sig vara ett effektivt verktyg om det nyttjas korrekt och med rätt kompetens. Det har hittills saknats studier som undersökt hur kontinuitetshantering används på svenska sjukhus, och hur representanter för regionala aktörer som arbetar med kontinuitetshantering ser på verktyget. Syftet med den här studien var därför ”att bidra till en ökad förståelse för implementeringen av kontinuitetshantering på svenska sjukhus, samt synliggöra faktorer som bidrar till respektive hindrar den implementeringen”.Datainsamling skedde genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem respondenter med erfarenhet av kontinuitetshantering på svenska sjukhus. Insamlade data bearbetades därefter genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys, och resulterade i två huvudkategorier med två respektive sex underkategorier. Resultatet visar att kontinuitetshantering ses som både ett förhållningssätt och ett verktyg, där målbilden är att genom kontinuitetshantering som verktyg utveckla en plan B för inom sjukhus kritisk verksamhet. Samtidigt ses kontinuitetshantering även som ett förhållningssätt, som präglar den vardagliga verksamheten och i förlängningen har förmåga att bidra till ökad resiliens på svenska sjukhus. Resultatet visar även att risken för att kontinuitetshantering inte ger önskat resultat kan bero på låg kompetens, att underliggande vägledningar upplevs svåra att följa eller att resurser prioriteras till andra arbetsuppgifter.Studiens resultat diskuteras utifrån tidigare vetenskapliga fynd, framgångsfaktorer och hinder för praktisk implementering och även i förhållande till katastrofmedicinsk beredskap, samhällssäkerhet och huruvida kontinuitetshantering kan anses bidra till ökad resiliens på svenska sjukhus. Framtida forskning bör bland annat fokusera ytterligare på det praktiska genomförandet på verksamhetsnivå och lärdomar från störningar där kontinuitetsplaner använts skarpt på svenska sjukhus. / Modern society is largely globalized and different countries as well as sectors are intertwined to a large extent, giving arise to increased vulnerabilities. Complex risk characterized by uncertainty, ambiguity, and consequences with the potential of spill-over effects threaten vital societal functions with the possibility of huge consequences for society. Hospitals are an example of these types of institutions that are critical for a society’s functionality to be upheld. The protection of vital societal functions can be achieved by risk management, business continuity management [BCM] and incident management. BCM aims to minimize disruptions in critical activities and to make sure that unacceptable consequences are avoided. In an international context BCM has been proved efficient when used properly and with the correct competencies in the organization in which it is to be applied. So far, no studies have investigated the usage of BCM in Swedish hospitals, and how the method and concept is viewed by actors on a regional level. Due to this, the aim of this study was to “contribute to knowledge regarding the implementation of business continuity management in Swedish hospitals, as well as map factors promoting and hindering that implementation.”. Data was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with five respondents who work with BCM on a regional level in Sweden with a focus on health care. Collected data was analyzed through qualitative content analysis and resulted in two main categories with two and six subcategories respectively. The result shows that BCM is viewed as both an approach and as a tool. As a tool with the goal of creating a plan B for critical operations within a system, as well as an approach to everyday operations within the organization. Together these two viewpoints have the ability of increasing resilience in Swedish hospitals. The result also shows that the risk of BCM not resulting in the aspired outcome might be due to low level of understanding of the concept and method, or that resources needed are prioritized to other areas.The result is discussed from a perspective of past research, as well as practical implementations based on hindering and promoting factors. It is also discussed in relation to disaster medicine, societal safety and how BCM can contribute to increased resilience in Swedish hospitals. Future research should focus on the practical implementation of BCM on an organization’s operative level and lessons learned from real incidents where business continuity plans have been used.

Due to its environmental attributes, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a clean fossil fuel source of energy has witnessed a steady increase in demand worldwide over the last decade. This increase is mainly attributed to higher demand from the power generation sector as well as from domestic and industrial usages .This growing role of LNG among competing energy sources has raised concerns over the safety and security of the LNG chain of production, transport and distribution and its related infrastructure. Within this context, LNG ports and marine terminals, being strategically located at the midstream of the LNG Supply Chain (SC), are further exposed to safety and security risks and represent credible targets for international terrorism. Ensuring uninterrupted, robust and resilient LNG SC requires first, adequate management of safety and security risks in LNG ports and marine terminals. While each discipline of risk, be it safety or security, has received significant attention both in theory and practice, less attention was given to the management of interfaces and shared impacts among LNG Ports safety and security risks which led to the existence of gaps in the risk management (RM) systems of LNG ports and may represent a major source of risk and disruption to LNG ports. This research addresses such gaps which are poorly addressed in the current literature and proposes a holistic and integrated approach to the issues of LNG ports safety and security risks assessment and management. It also aims to model safety and security RM from a SC perspective and examines the relationships and shared impacts among LNG ports safety and security risks in the present context of increased LNG demand worldwide in the post 9/11 terrorism era. A unique combination of multiple methods within port and maritime SCs, including a Delphi survey, quantitative survey, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and a focus group expert consultation, is applied to reformulate the prevailing RM approach marked by dichotomy and a disciplinary silo and to propose a more enhanced and holistic approach to safety and security RM. The results of the study confirm that an integrated and holistic approach to the issue of RM in LNG ports and marine terminals is necessary to cost-effectively address safety and security risks and ensure reliable and resilient LNG SCs. Furthermore, a practical framework, in the form of a conceptual model, for LNG ports risks and emergencies management is proposed which integrates all facets of safety and security risks and emergencies management, including risk prevention, mitigation, emergency planning and response and port business continuity. The proposed conceptual model shows how the proposed RM approach can be practically applied in the context of LNG ports in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as in any LNG port worldwide which lacks an integrated approach to risks and emergencies management.

A well-functioning infrastructure is the foundation of a stable society, where payment systems are an important part. Grocery stores provide the general public with groceries and rely on customer consumption. Disruptions in the card payment system leads to consequences because 97% of all customers have access to card payment and is the payment method they prefer to use.  The aim of the survey is to find out about food stores' experience of disruptions in the payment system and how they wish a good management for this to look like. Next, a general crisis management model is developed to mitigate the consequences of a disruption in the payment system. A qualitative method is used to sample a result from each individual stores’ experiences and wishes.  Earlier research where decision analysis is used to handle disruptions in the payment system within the food industry has not been found. Through interviews and theories can a crisis management model for payment disruptions be developed, and examine the business continuity of food stores. The results of the survey shows that food stores today do not have any risk management to handle a break in the payment system or how a desirable management of it would look like. They have previously handled this by letting the customer pay with cash. A smaller store let a customer pay at another time. The general crisis management model has three phases: preliminary studies, management and evaluation. The preliminary studies involve that the store evaluates which payment methods they are capable of implementing. The management of a crisis takes place in three iterative steps; offer alternative payment methods, see how the crisis develops and finally remedy it. The evaluation step in the model is important because a positive outcome can not be guaranteed and therefore continued research is encouraged. / En välfungerande infrastruktur är grunden för ett stabilt samhälle där betalningssystem är en viktig del. Livsmedelsbutiker förser befolkningen med dagligvaror och är beroende av kundernas konsumtion. Störningar i kortbetalningssystemet medför konsekvenser eftersom 97 % av alla kunder har tillgång till kortbetalning och är den betalningsmetod de föredrar att använda.  Målet med undersökningen är att ta reda på livsmedelsbutikers erfarenheter av betalningsstopp och hur de önskar att en bra hantering för detta ser ut. Därefter tas en generell krishanteringsmodell fram som mildrar konsekvenserna av ett betalningsstopp. För att undersöka detta intervjuas butiker angående deras affekter av alternativa betalningsmetoder. En kvalitativ metod används för att få ett resultat utifrån butikernas erfarenheter och önskemål.  Tidigare forskning där metoden beslutsanalys tillämpas för att hantera betalningsstopp inom livsmedelsindustrin hittas inte. Genom intervjuer och teorier tas en krishanteringsmodell för betalningsstopp fram. Resultatet av undersökningen är att livsmedelsbutiker idag inte har någon riskhantering av betalningsstopp eller uppfattning av hur en önskvärd hantering ser ut. De har tidigare hanterat detta genom att låta kunden betala med kontanter. En mindre butik har låtit kunden betala vid ett senare tillfälle. Den generella krishanteringsmodellen sker i tre steg: förstudier, hantering och utvärdering. I förstudierna ser butiken över vilka betalningsmetoder de är kapabla till att implementera. I hanteringsfasen itereras tre steg; erbjuda alternativa betalningsmetoder, se hur krisen utvecklas och slutligen åtgärda det. Utvärderingssteget i modellen är viktig eftersom ett positivt utfall inte kan garanteras och därför uppmuntras fortsatt forskning av denna.

Diante da constante necessidade de funcionamento ininterrupto dos sistemas computacionais, das mais diversas organizações, é imperativo que existam meios de continuidade dos negócios e recuperação de desastres implantados, testados e prontos para serem invocados. Diante disso, torna-se essencial a existência de uma maneira de avaliar se as informações, os procedimentos e o nível do conhecimento dos colaboradores da organização estão adequados para enfrentar uma ocorrência inesperada e devastadora no ambiente computacional da organização. A presente tese propõe um modelo hierárquico para se representar e avaliar a qualidade dos Projetos de Planos de Continuidade de Negócios (PPCN) aplicados a sistemas computacionais. Este modelo apresenta o mapeamento das principais características que esses planos devem possuir, de acordo com as principais normas relativas ao tema (BS 25999, ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 27001 e ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 27002), as experiências de especialistas da área e dados reais dos usuários dos PPCNs obtidos por meio da utilização de questionários. É proposto neste trabalho, também, um Índice de Qualidade (IQ) para os PPCNs que permite a comparação de um PPCN existente com um PPCN ideal, identificando-se os pontos fracos nele existentes e munindo a organização com informações para a busca de soluções que resultarão na melhoria do PPCN atual. / Given the need for computer systems uninterrupted operation, for the most different organizations, it is imperative that business continuity and disaster recovery plans be already in place, tested and ready to be invoked. Given this, it is essential for there being a way to assess whether the information, procedures and organizations employees knowledge level are adequate to deal with an unexpected and devastating event in the organization\'s computing environment. This thesis proposes a hierarchical model to represent and assess the organizations computer systems Business Continuity Plan Project (BCPP) quality. This model maps the main features these plans should have, in accordance with the main standards related to this area (BS 25999, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002), specialists experience and real data from BCPPs users obtained from questionnaires. As a complementary proposal, a BCPP Quality Index (QI) is suggested, which will allow organizations to compare their existing BCPP against an ideal BCPP, identifying the gaps between these plans and providing the organization with information for seeking solutions that will result in the improvement of current BCPP.

Diante da constante necessidade de funcionamento ininterrupto dos sistemas computacionais, das mais diversas organizações, é imperativo que existam meios de continuidade dos negócios e recuperação de desastres implantados, testados e prontos para serem invocados. Diante disso, torna-se essencial a existência de uma maneira de avaliar se as informações, os procedimentos e o nível do conhecimento dos colaboradores da organização estão adequados para enfrentar uma ocorrência inesperada e devastadora no ambiente computacional da organização. A presente tese propõe um modelo hierárquico para se representar e avaliar a qualidade dos Projetos de Planos de Continuidade de Negócios (PPCN) aplicados a sistemas computacionais. Este modelo apresenta o mapeamento das principais características que esses planos devem possuir, de acordo com as principais normas relativas ao tema (BS 25999, ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 27001 e ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 27002), as experiências de especialistas da área e dados reais dos usuários dos PPCNs obtidos por meio da utilização de questionários. É proposto neste trabalho, também, um Índice de Qualidade (IQ) para os PPCNs que permite a comparação de um PPCN existente com um PPCN ideal, identificando-se os pontos fracos nele existentes e munindo a organização com informações para a busca de soluções que resultarão na melhoria do PPCN atual. / Given the need for computer systems uninterrupted operation, for the most different organizations, it is imperative that business continuity and disaster recovery plans be already in place, tested and ready to be invoked. Given this, it is essential for there being a way to assess whether the information, procedures and organizations employees knowledge level are adequate to deal with an unexpected and devastating event in the organization\'s computing environment. This thesis proposes a hierarchical model to represent and assess the organizations computer systems Business Continuity Plan Project (BCPP) quality. This model maps the main features these plans should have, in accordance with the main standards related to this area (BS 25999, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002), specialists experience and real data from BCPPs users obtained from questionnaires. As a complementary proposal, a BCPP Quality Index (QI) is suggested, which will allow organizations to compare their existing BCPP against an ideal BCPP, identifying the gaps between these plans and providing the organization with information for seeking solutions that will result in the improvement of current BCPP.

Hot mot organisationers cybersäkerhet innebär stora risker för dessa. När organisationer drabbas av incidenter så som dataintrång kan de kostnader som följer av detta vara mycket höga. Tidigare forskning påvisar att forskning inom cybersäkerhet ofta brister i att utforska och förstå de utmaningar verksamheter ställs inför, med detta som motivering utforskar denna studie de lösningsförslag som relaterad forskning respektive cybersäkerhetsindustrin presenterar gällande de hot som omfattas av studien. Utifrån denna kartläggning förväntades studien att kunna bidra med att minska eventuella kunskapsluckor mellan forskningen och cybersäkerhetsindustrin ifall sådana påträffas. Denna studies frågeställning är; "Gällande de i uppsatsen studerade hoten, hur skiljer sig cybersäkerhetsindustrins lösningsförslag från de lösningar som presenteras i den vetenskapliga litteraturen?" Befintlig forskning gällande respektive hot studerades och sedan utfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer med personal från ett cybersäkerhetsföretag. Studiens resultat visar på många likheter och skillnader mellan de presenterade lösningsförslagen, identifierar en grupp relaterade bifynd och bidrar med förslag gällande vilka lösningsförslag som bör utredas ytterligare.

This thesis is concerned about Business Continuity Management with the focus on determination of the RTO and RPO parameters. The work is divided into two main parts. The first section briefly describes theoretical issues of Business Continuity Management in conjunction with IT Service Continuity Management. Then there are described various technologies that are currently used to ensure continuity and recovery of IT systems. In conclusion of the theoretical part, the work focuses on the process of Business Impact Analysis. This thesis thus offers a comprehensive view of main principles and benefits that these concepts have for company and how they should be integrated with each other. It provides an overview of various technologies, their link to RTO and RPO parameters and also the definition of steps of disaster recovery procedure. The work also briefly defines the basic procedure for determination of the RTO and RPO parameters, subsequent steps needed to design recovery solutions and analyzes various aspects which need to be considered when defining the parameters of continuity. The second practical part is based on the previous theoretically defined procedure and its aim is to analyze the data acquired during the questionnaire investigation in chosen company to determine the parameters of continuity for the applications in use and then suggest appropriate ways of addressing their backup and recovery. The result of this thesis is therefore a description of the analysis and practical application of methods for setting the parameters for continuity of information systems and the subsequent establishment of necessary measures.