Deploying Big Data Enablers to Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience to Mitigate Sustainable Risks Based on Integrated HOQ-MCDM Framework

Abstract

In the face of global competition, competitive enterprises should pursue sustainable development, and strengthen their supply chain resilience to cope with risks at any time. In addition, big data analysis has been successfully applied in a variety of fields. However, the method has not been applied to improve supply chain resilience in order to reduce sustainable supply chain risks. An approach for enhancing the capabilities of big data analytics must be developed to enhance supply chain resilience, and mitigate sustainable supply chain risks. In this study, a decision framework that integrates two-stage House of Quality and multicriteria decision-making was constructed. By applying this framework, enterprise decision-makers can identify big data analytics that improve supply chain resilience, and resilience indicators that reduce sustainable supply chain risks. A case study of one of China’s largest relay manufacturers is presented to demonstrate the practicability of the framework. The results showed that the key sustainable supply chain risks are risks regarding the IT infrastructure and information system efficiency, customer supply disruptions, transport disruptions, natural disasters, and government instability. To reduce risk in sustainable supply chains, enterprises must improve the key resilience indicators ‘financial capability’, ‘flexibility’, ‘corporate culture’, ‘information sharing’, and ‘robustness’. Moreover, to increase supply chain resilience, the following most important big data analysis enablers should be considered: ‘capital investment’, ‘building big data sharing mechanism and visualisation’, and ‘strengthening big data infrastructures to support platforms and systems’. This decision framework helps companies prioritise big data analysis enablers to mitigate sustainable supply chain risks in manufacturing organisations by strengthening supply chain resilience. The identified priorities will benefit companies that are using big data strategies and pursuing supply chain resilience initiatives. In addition, the results of this study show the direction of creating a fruitful combination of big data technologies and supply chain resilience to effectively mitigate sustainable risks. Despite the limited enterprise resources, management decision-makers can determine where big data analysis enablers can be most cost-effectively improved to promote risk resilience of sustainable supply chains; this ensures the efficient implementation of effective big data strategies.