The world is changing, what has been known to work has been put to the test when both the geopolitical and the environmental climate are changing. War, a pandemic, material shortage, financial difficulties and an overall dis- tressed global transportation sector have shown that the ever-more important topic of resilience is crucial to stay relevant in today’s competitive markets. Companies are therefore switching focus towards ensuring sufficient supply chain resilience capabilities to handle these ever-changing situations on the global market.  In this thesis, we focus on how Volvo SML is working with resilience today, and how graph theory and optimisation can be useful tools when analysing a supply chain’s resilience. We made a qualitative analysis by conducting inter- views with employees and comparing our findings with capabilities related to resilience. In addition, we conducted a quantitative analysis by constructing a simulation of the supply chain, comparing two topology metrics and two op- timisation metrics, to analyse the robustness of the aftermarket supply chain.  We analysed the data and summarised the insights gathered from the inter- views using a resilience capability framework. Volvo SML proved to be agile and reactive when dealing with disruptions but is missing some key capabil- ities during the pre-and post-disruption phases. Some areas of improvement we identified were: robustness, collaboration and redundancy. We proved that the simulation is useful when evaluating the robustness of a supply chain, and we showed that a more flexible way of working would improve the overall robustness of Volvo SML’s aftermarket supply chain.

Supply chain disruptions, ranging from epidemics to geopolitical tensions, have been especially evident in recent years and have consequently become a hot topic in both boardrooms and academic literature. Supply chain resilience (SCR) denotes the ability to prepare, respond, recover, and facilitate growth during disruptions and is usually thought of as consisting of several enablers. Initial evidence suggests that one such enabler could be analytics, which broadly refers to the processing of data to support decision-making. This thesis aims to explore the use of analytics for SCR. The research design comprise one conceptual component followed by two empirical components consisting of a survey and interviews. The findings reveal six application areas for analytics in SCR. Three paths to SCR are also identified in terms of configurations of analytics and other SCR enablers, only one of which does not seem to be contingent on the level of supply chain complexity. Finally, obstacles to the use of analytics were identified. Clear consensus was noted for low data availability and/or quality as a major obstacle to SCR, while a somewhat consensus existed concerning the hindrance to quick decision-making, lack of a data-driven culture, and insufficient benefits and/or use. The thesis contributes to the nascent stream of research on the use of analytics and SCR by complementing individual observations with broader and deeper insights through the spectrum of application areas, configurations of analytics and complementary SCR-enablers, and finally, obstacles. For practitioners, the thesis provides insights into using analytics as a potential enabler for SCR. Firms can evaluate their current use of analytics for SCR and adjust their set of application areas and configurations of SCR-enablers as per the options outlined in the findings to better align with their specific needs and prerequisites. Finally, guidance is provided on what obstacles to be cognizant of and attempt to mitigate. / Störningar i försörjningskedjor, orsakade av händelser såsom pandemier och geopolitiska spänningar, har varit särskilt påtagliga under de senaste åren och har därmed blivit ett hett ämne både i näringslivet och akademin. Begreppet Supply chain resilience (SCR) avser försörjningskedjans förmåga att förbereda sig, reagera, återhämta sig och stödja tillväxt under sådana störningar. Det anses vanligtvis bestå av flera möjliggörare. Initiala bevis i litteraturen tyder också på att en av dessa möjliggörare kan vara analytics, som i stora drag betyder bearbetning av data för att stödja beslutsfattande. Denna avhandling syftar till att utforska användningen av analytics för SCR. Forskningsmetoden bestod av en konceptuell studie, följt av två empiriska studier i form av en enkät och intervjuer. Resultaten visar sex tillämpningsområden för analytics med avseende på SCR. Dessutom identifierades tre vägar till SCR när det gäller konfigurationer av analytics och andra SCR-möjliggörare, varav endast en konfiguration är oberoende av försörjningskedjans komplexitetsnivå. Slutligen identifierades hinder för användning av analytics för SCR. Det fanns en tydlig konsensus kring låg tillgänglighet och/eller kvalitet på data, medan det fanns viss enighet om hinder för snabba beslut, bristen på en kultur att basera beslutsfattande på analytics och slutligen otillräcklig nytta och/eller användning. Avhandlingen bidrar till forskning om användningen av analytics för SCR genom att komplettera enskilda observationer med bredare och djupare insikter om spektrumet av tillämpningsområden, konfigurationer av analytics och kompletterande SCR-möjliggörare, och slutligen, hinder. För praktiker ger avhandlingen insikter i att använda analytics som en potentiell möjliggörare för SCR. Företag kan utvärdera sin nuvarande användning av analytics för SCR och förändra tillämpningsområden och konfigurationer av SCR-möjligare enligt de identifierade alternativen för att bättre tillgodose sina behov och förutsättningar. Slutligen ges vägledning om vilka hinder man bör vara medveten om och försöka mildra.

Supply chain resilience has become an important topic within supply chain management, as increasingly complex supply chains set out for increased risk in these networks. Supply chain resilience is a risk management approach that includes the ability to mitigate disruptions through specific capabilities. The previous disruptive events of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage-21 have highlighted the vulnerabilities of global trade and the need for more resilient supply chains. The purpose of this thesis was to analyse supply chain resilience and the need for dynamic and operational capabilities in the global maritime transport sector to mitigate impacts from slow-onset and sudden-onset disruptions. In specific, the vulnerabilities highlighted through the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage-21 over time. This study was conducted as a multiple case study investigating the maritime transport sector’s resilience during COVID-19 and the Suez Canal blockage-21. The data was triangulated through semi-structured interviews, industry podcasts, and business reports and further analysed using a grounded analysis approach. The study showed that the continuous disruptions on supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage-21 generated economic consequences, congestions, and capacity constraints that the maritime transport sector could not fully mitigate. The study also provides evidence that severe impacts on supply chains were not necessarily caused by a lack of resilience, but rather the persistency of disruptions did not diminish over time. Even though the maritime transportation sector is considered flexible and agile in adapting to the new market situation, increased collaboration, integration, innovation, and digitalization were found necessary to improve the resilience of the maritime transport sector to become even better prepared for future disruptions.

The interconnectedness of global supply chains, combined with disruptive events like the Covid-19 pandemic, has emphasized the significance of enhancing supply chain resilience (SCRes). Thus, this study aims to investigate how businesses employ SCRes recovery strategies to address extreme supply chain disruptions (SCD). To contribute empirical evidence on reactive SCRes strategies, qualitative methodology was employed, with a specific emphasis on the construction department at Northvolt. The construction industry serves as an apt context for assessing and offers valuable insights. Unstructured and semi-structured interviews were conducted with supply chain executives within the company to collect the data. The findings reveal specific challenges faced by the construction department at Northvolt in the face of global supply chain disruptions, shedding light on their responsive strategies. This study not only emphasizes the necessity of cultivating all SCRes capabilities but also contributes valuable empirical evidence to the field. The implications of these findings extend beyond Northvolt, providing actionable insights for businesses in the construction industry and offering recommendations for enhancing overall supply chain resilience. / Den ökande globala kopplingen mellan leverantörskedjor, tillsammans med störande händelser som Covid-19-pandemin, har understrukit betydelsen av att förbättra leverantörskedjors motståndskraft (SCRes). Denna studie syftar därför till att undersöka hur företag använder sig av SCRes-återhämtningsstrategier för att hantera extrema störningar i leverantörskedjan (SCD). För att bidra med empiriska bevis om reaktiva SCRes-strategier användes kvalitativ metodik, med särskild tonvikt på byggavdelningen på Northvolt. Byggbranschen fungerar som en lämplig kontext för bedömning och erbjuder värdefulla insikter. Ostrukturerade och halvstrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med företagets leverantörskedjechefer för att samla in data. Resultaten avslöjar specifika utmaningar som byggavdelningen på Northvolt står inför i ljuset av globala störningar i leverantörskedjan och belyser deras responsstrategier. Denna studie betonar inte bara nödvändigheten av att odla alla SCRes-förmågor utan bidrar också med värdefulla empiriska bevis till området. Resultatens implikationer sträcker sig bortom Northvolt och ger handlingsbara insikter för företag inom byggbranschen, samt erbjuder rekommendationer för att förbättra övergripande motståndskraft i leverantörskedjan.