This research has aimed to understand supply chain resilience in the federal government, specifically healthcare PPE supply chain resilience. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the fragility of global supply chains. Before COVID-19, low-cost medical supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE), which typically requires less skilled labor, had been produced in China and Malaysia and imported to the United States. However, COVID-19 created an overwhelming shortage in medical supplies globally, forcing the United States to create federal policies that could make their domestic supply chain lines more resilient to external disruptions. This research explored the effects of one such policy intervention, the “Making PPE in America Act” of 2021, on maintaining healthcare supply chain resilience of the healthcare supply chains for non-military areas of the U.S. government. Two qualitative studies were conducted to examine the federal government’s response to this issue and its impact on the industry. The research provides valuable insights into the resilience of the healthcare supply chains for non-military areas of the U.S. federal government. It enhances limited scholarly literature on healthcare supply chain resilience through the lens of U.S. civilian healthcare federal government organizations. The research highlights the importance of an organizational-level definition of supply chain resilience, which should be articulated throughout the organization to ensure a holistic approach. It also recommends incorporating technologies to facilitate predictive analytics, real-time data, and technology automation. Federal agencies and industry partners can use this research to develop and implement strategies to improve or, in some cases, create strategies that will positively impact their supply chain resilience posture.Keywords: Global value chain, healthcare, personal protective equipment, reflexive thematic analysis, supply chain resilience / Business Administration/International Business Administration

Yes / Purpose Medicine shortages have a detrimental impact on stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC). Existing studies suggest that building resilience strategies can mitigate the effects of these shortages. As such, this research aims to examine whether resilience strategies can reduce the impact of medicine shortages in the United Kingdom's (UK) PSC. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-methods approach that involved qualitative and quantitative research enquiry was employed in this study. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 23 key UK PSC actors at the qualitative stage. During the quantitative phase, 106 respondents completed the survey questionnaires. The data were analysed using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings The results revealed that reactive and proactive elements of resilience strategies helped tackle medicine shortages. Reactive strategies increased relational issues such as behavioural uncertainty, whilst proactive strategies mitigated them. Practical implications The findings suggest that PSC managers and decision-makers can benefit from adopting structural flexibility and proactive strategies, which are cost-effective measures to tackle medicine shortages. Also engaging in strategic alliances as a proactive strategy mitigates relational issues that may arise in a complex supply chain (SC). Originality/value This study is the first to provide empirical evidence of the impact of resilience strategies in mitigating medicine shortages in the UK's PSC.

On March 2011 a destructive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami along with nuclear explosions struck northeastern Japan; killing thousands of people, halting industry and crippling infrastructure. A large manufacturing company operating outside of Japan received the news in the middle of the night. Within a few hours of the tsunami hitting Japan, this manufacturer’s logistics team ran global materials management reports to communicate the precise status of the products originating from Japan to their entire global network of facilities. With this quick and far reaching communication the manufacturer was able to launch a successful contingency plan. Alternative suppliers, already existing as part of their global network, were evaluated and used to mitigate Japan’s disruptive impact. The resiliency of this manufacturer’s trusted network of supply chain trading partners allowed for minimum disruptions, saving countless money and maintaining continuity for its end-to-end supply chain. This manufacturer was part of a cloud-based supply chain that provided the catalyst to quickly shift its resources to allay the impact of no longer being able to receive product from Japan. Today's supply chains are global and complex networks of enterprises that aim to deliver products in the right quantity, in the right place, and at the right time in an increasingly volatile and unpredictable environment. To cope with internal and external supply chain instability and disruptions, supply chains need to be resilient to survive. A supply chain's ability to collaboratively share information with its supply chain partners is one of the most important factors that enhance a supply chain’s resilience. Cloud based supply chain management (SCM) creates a platform that enables collaborative information sharing that helps to identify, monitor and reduce supply chain risks, vulnerabilities and disruptions. However, supply chain academics and practitioners are at its infancy in understanding the capabilities of cloud based supply chains and its impact on resiliency. The goal of this dissertation is to explore how cloud based SCM make supply chains more resilient to disruptions. To achieve this goal the present research addresses the following fundamental research question: What is the impact of cloud based supply chain management (SCM) on supply chain resilience? To address this research question, this dissertation is comprised of three separate but interrelated essays. The first essay uses the systematically literature review (SLR) method to provide clear definitions of supporting constructs of supply chain resiliency (SCRES), classify the capabilities of SCRES, and identify existing research gaps and future SCRES research ideas. The second essay applies resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities as the theoretical lens to investigate the role of cloud based SCM in establishing SCRES. The second essay develops a theory-driven, conceptual model to illustrate and explain the relationships among cloud based SCM, SCRES, and the supply chain capabilities identified in the first essay. The third essay uses systems dynamics theory to develop two novel casual loop diagrams (CLD) and its equivalent systems dynamics (SD) models to quantitatively analyze the impact of cloud based information sharing on supply chain performance. A hospital supply chain is used as an illustrative example to show the positive impact on performance. Lead-time, inventory spend, and customer service levels are the comparative performance metrics used in this essay and are consistent with the findings of essays 1 and 2. One CLD and its equivalent SD model represent a traditional on-premise hospital supply chain information sharing platform and the other represent a cloud based hospital information sharing platform. The SD models simulate and compare the performance of the traditional and cloud based hospital supply chain platforms.

Independent de la performance remarquable accomplie par la logistique d’aujourd’hui, les réseaux actuels sont majoritairement dédiés à un acteur et donc très peu interconnectés. Cette fragmentation conduit une difficulté de mutualisation des flux et dès lors à une efficacité limitée. Ces organisations dédiées et hétérogènes sont de plus en plus challengées par les nouveaux défis d’aujourd’hui posés à l’efficacité, l’efficience et la résilience. Pour répondre à cet antagonisme, un innovant concept logistique - l’Internet Physique (PI) - a été proposé. Dans ce système, les infrastructures et les moyens de transport peuvent être organisés de façon dynamique et attribués à court ou à long terme en fonction des besoins. Par conséquent, les décisions des opérations logistiques peuvent être prises de façon dynamique, agile, et donc de manière plus optimale. Cette thèse concentre les perspectives de PI concernant la gestion de stocks et du transport par rapport aux défis de l’efficacité et de la résilience.Comme l’étude de l’efficacité de PI par rapport au transport a été déjà effectuée, le premier objectif de cette recherche est d’explorer les potentiels de l’interconnexion des réseaux dans la gestion de stocks, qui n’a par encore été adressé. À cette fin, nous examinons d'abord les trois nouvelles pratiques apportées par PI : 1) les stocks distribués à proximité des clients finaux; 2) le transbordement de stocks entre les hubs; 3) de multiples options dynamiques de sélection de la source pour chaque commande. Deux modèles de gestion de stocks correspondants sont proposés. Cette étude sert de guide pour des décisions de stockage pour les vendeurs dans un tel système logistique ouvert.Après l’analyse d’efficacité de PI, la deuxième partie de cette thèse concerne la résilience des modèles de stockage et de transport dans PI confrontés à des interruptions dans la chaîne logistique. On a étendu les modèles de stockage et de transport avec interruptions imprévisibles dans les infrastructures telles que l’usine ou les hubs. Des stratégies différentes sont développées pour atténuer les risques de perturbation des flux. Des études numériques sont effectuées pour évaluer la performance des modèles proposés.En résumé, cette recherche est la première qui étudie le potentiel de l’Internet Physique pour la gestion de stock et la résilience de ce système. D’après les résultats, il n’y a aucun doute que le PI change le design de chaîne logistique d’aujourd’hui et améliore la performance de gestion de logistique à la fois en efficience et en résilience. / Irrespective of significant performance achieved, today’s logistics networks are overwhelmingly dedicated to an actor and therefore poorly interconnected. This fragmentation exhibits inevitable inefficiency and needs to be changed in respond to today’s new arising challenges in efficiency and resilience. To solve this antagonism, an innovative concept - Physical Internet (PI) - has been proposed which is a fully interconnected, open, dynamic logistics system. In such a system, the facilities and means of transportation can be dynamically organized and allocated in the short-term or long-term according to the economic environment. As a result, decisions can be made dynamically, agilely, and thus optimally. This thesis studies the perspectives of the PI to inventory management and transportation regarding the challenges in efficiency and resilience.As the efficiency of the PI to transportation has been carried out in literature, the first objective of this thesis is to explore the potentials of the PI to inventory management. To this end, we firstly qualitatively examine the new practices brought by the PI and conclude three main characteristics: 1) Distributed stocks near end customers; 2) Transshipment of inventories; and 3) multiple dynamic source options. Corresponding inventory models and solutions are proposed and evaluated with numerical experiments in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). This part of study gives a guideline for the vendors applying the PI to make inventory decisions in such an open logistic system.The second objective is to analyze the resilience of the proposed PI enabled inventory and transportation model confronted to disruptions. The proposed inventory and transportation model are extended with different disruptions at facilities including plants and hubs. Different disruption strategies are developed. Numerical studies in FMCG are carried out.In a word, this research investigates the inventory management in the PI and the resilience of PI enabled logistics models. It is the first time such a work is done and it should be upfront. From the results of studies, there is no doubt that the PI changes today’s supply chains design and improve the performance of supply chain management both in efficiency, effectiveness and resilience.

Submitted by Regina Correa (rehecorrea@gmail.com) on 2016-09-19T19:48:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFHOC.pdf: 4797220 bytes, checksum: b0135398de121773d22185e9ed8dce59 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-21T12:30:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFHOC.pdf: 4797220 bytes, checksum: b0135398de121773d22185e9ed8dce59 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-21T12:30:28Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFHOC.pdf: 4797220 bytes, checksum: b0135398de121773d22185e9ed8dce59 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-21T12:30:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFHOC.pdf: 4797220 bytes, checksum: b0135398de121773d22185e9ed8dce59 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nowadays supply chains have grown in size and complexity. In this environment, unforeseen events (ruptures) in the flow of goods, services or information can occur unexpectedly, having increasingly significant impacts on companies. Resilience is defined as the ability to prepare, adapt and react to ruptures, thus maintaining operations connected and having control over the structure and functions. Considering this, the activities carried out by inbound logistics may influence creating resilience in the supply chain, mainly by including the flow of materials and supplying the company, which are activities directly affected during the ruptures. However, little is known about how the inbound logistics contribute to creating resilience. Taking this into account, the aim of this study is to identify which resilience enablers there are and how inbound logistics use them to create supply chain resilience. A systematic literature review of resilience and inbound logistics, followed by content analysis defined what the activities of inbound logistics are, which resilience enablers there are in the supply chain and also defined how the activities make use of the enablers. In the next step of the research, a multiple case study of 2 Brazilian dairies was performed. Interviews were transcribed and content analysis was conducted using the QDA Miner software. Case-by-case and cross-case analyses were carried out, observing how different types of rupture can influence the enablers used. Thus, the resilience enablers present in cases were highlighted, and the activities that use them were defined, localized facilitators were, reacting speed, collaboration, communication, supply chain structure, flexibility, risk management, product innovation, contingency planning, redundancy, company's financial health, security technology, cross-functional groups, knowledge management, visibility and supplier quality. Knowledge about the relationship between them enables the companies studied to manage their resources more profitably and extend these practices to their suppliers. It should also be mentioned that the companies studied operate with low inventory levels, therefore other companies in the same situation can use the knowledge gained from this research to administer facilitators in order to recover from ruptures. / Nos dias atuais, as cadeias de suprimento têm crescido em tamanho e complexidade. Nesse ambiente, eventos inesperados (rupturas) no fluxo de bens, nos serviços ou nas informações podem ocorrer de forma repentina, tendo impactos cada vez mais significativos às empresas. A resiliência é definida como a capacidade de preparação, adaptação e reação a rupturas, mantendo assim as operações conectadas e o controle sobre a estrutura e as funções. Nesse sentido, as atividades realizadas pela logística inbound podem influenciar a geração de resiliência na cadeia de suprimentos, principalmente por englobarem o fluxo de materiais e o abastecimento da empresa, atividades diretamente afetadas durante as rupturas. Entretanto, pouco se sabe a respeito de como a logística inbound contribui com a geração de resiliência. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho é identificar quais são os facilitadores à resiliência e como a Logística inbound utiliza-os para a criação de resiliência na cadeia de suprimentos. Uma revisão sistemática da literatura a respeito de resiliência e de logística inbound, seguida de uma análise de conteúdo, definiu as atividades da logística inbound, os facilitadores à resiliência na cadeia de suprimentos e as atividades que fazem uso dos facilitadores. Em uma etapa seguinte do trabalho, realizou-se, um estudo multicaso considerando dois laticínios brasileiros. Para isso, foram realizadas entrevistas que posteriormente foram transcritas e submetidas a uma análise de conteúdo com auxílio do software QDA miner e foram feitas análises caso a caso e intercasos, observando como os diferentes tipos de rupturas podem influenciar os facilitadores utilizados. Desse modo, os facilitadores à resiliência presentes nos casos foram destacados, bem como definiram-se as atividades que os utilizam, os facilitadores localizados foram agilidade de reação às rupturas, colaboração, comunicação, estrutura da cadeia de suprimentos, flexibilidade, gestão de riscos, inovação do produto, plano de contingência, redundância, saúde financeira da empresa, tecnologia de segurança, grupos interfuncionais, gestão do conhecimento, visibilidade e qualidade do fornecedor. O conhecimento de como as atividades da logística inbound utilizam os facilitadores, possibilita que as empresas estudadas gerenciem seus recursos de forma mais profícua e estendam essas práticas a seus fornecedores. Destaca-se ainda que as empresas estudadas operam com níveis de estoque baixos, portanto outras empresas com a mesma condição podem utilizar-se dos conhecimentos aqui desenvolvidos para administrar os facilitadores, de forma a se recuperar das rupturas.

With a purpose to provide insights on how to reduce the impact of future disruptive events on the supply chain and to raise awareness of the potential applications of disruptive technologies (DTs), this thesis will analyze the use of 3-Dimensional Printing (3DP), Big Data (BD), and Internet of Things (IoT) in Supply Chain Management (SCM). The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for greater Supply Chain Resilience (SCR), as disruptions can have a domino effect and damage co-dependent supply chain actors. Just-In-Time (JIT) and standardized supply chain practices have been blamed for operational failings, leading to calls for better strategies and solutions to prepare against future disruptions. The thesis bridges the gap in knowledge between supply chain strengthening and the potential of disruptive technologies, and what solutions are viable for supply chain managers to create more resilient SCM. The study contributes to industrial manufacturing firms managing consequences of COVID-19, and how they are implementing precautionary measures to keep their supply chain resilient for future threats. This research aims to contribute to both scholars, practitioners, and the supply chain management field.

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.

evaluate disruption risks in the supply chain of petroleum production. This methodology is developed to formalise and facilitate the systematic integration and implementation of various models; such as analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) and various statistical tests. The methodology is validated with the case of Nigeria’s oil industry. The study revealed the need to provide a responsive approach to managing the influence of geopolitical risk factors affecting supply chain in the petroleum production industry. However, the exploration and production risk, and geopolitical risk were identified as concomitant risk factors that impact performance in Nigeria’s oil industry. The research findings show that behavioural-based mechanisms successfully predict the ability of the petroleum industry to manage supply chain risks. The significant implication for this study is that the current theoretical debate on the supply chain risk management creates the understanding of agency theory as a governing mechanism for supply chain risk in the Nigerian oil industry. The systematic approach results provide an insight and objective information for decisions-making in resolving disruption risk to the petroleum supply chain in Nigeria. Furthermore, this study highlights to stakeholders on how to develop supply chain risk management strategies for mitigating and building resilience in the supply chain in the Nigerian oil industry. The developed systematic method is associated with supply chain risk management and performance measure. The approach facilitates an effective way for the stakeholders to plan according to their risk mitigation strategies. This will consistently help the stakeholders to evaluate supply chain risk and respond to disruptions in supply chain. This capability will allow for efficient management of supply chain and provide the organization with quicker response to customer needs, continuity of supply, lower costs of operations and improve return on investment in the Nigeria oil industry. Therefore, the methodology applied provide a new way for implementing good practice for managing disruption risk in supply chain. Further, the systematic approach provides a simplistic modelling process for disruption risk evaluation for researchers and oil industry professionals. This approach would develop a holistic procedure for monitoring and controlling disruption risk in supply chains practices in Nigeria.

Abstract  Date: 2023-05-30 Level: Master thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr  Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University  Authors: Ramak Amyari Khamneh (84/01/29), Aymen Safi (00/03/27) Title: Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Supply Chain Resilience: A Qualitative Study Comparing Scania and Volvo in the Construction Equipment Industry Supervisor: Emre Yildiz Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Supply Chain Resilience, Construction Equipment Industry, Disruptions, Agility, Redundancy Research question: How do Scania and Volvo interpret and implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance supply chain resilience and mitigate disruptions in the construction equipment industry? Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate how Scania and Volvo interpret and implement AI technologies to enhance supply chain resilience and mitigate disruptions in the construction equipment industry. Method: Qualitative Conclusion: The conclusion of the master thesis is that Scania and Volvo have successfully implemented AI technologies to enhance supply chain resilience in the construction equipment industry, despite challenges, and see AI as a critical component for future supply chain strategies.