Sustainability of supply chains in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2) pandemic: lessons and trends

Ana Beatriz Lopes De Sousa Jabbour,Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour,Eliseo Luis Vilalta-Perdomo,Gary Ramsden,David Twigg,Martin Hingley

doi:10.1108/mscra-05-2020-0011

Ana Beatriz Lopes De Sousa Jabbour, Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1108/mscra-05-2020-0011

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Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to address the prioritisation and focus of supply chain managers subsequent to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)/severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the great lockdown of 2020.Design/methodology/approachIn this article, concepts and trends on resilient and sustainable supply chains are systematized. Main trends in sustainability of supply chains in the wake of COVID-19 are presented.FindingsGuidelines on building smarter and more resilient supply chains are provided and future tendencies, which includes the increase of a sustainable consumption perspective, are highlighted.Originality/valueThis is a conceptual article blended with a practical approach aiming to propose guidelines for managers and scholars on how to address supply chain management challenges after the coronavirus pandemic.

Highlights

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought to light the fact that supply chains function as the veins of our economy and society (Ivanov, 2020)
This article addresses what managers may consider keeping supply chain alive due to COVID-19. This is a conceptual article blended with a practical approach aiming to propose guidelines for managers and scholars on how to address supply chain management challenges after the coronavirus pandemic
Integration and collaboration between key members of a supply chain would be crucial in order to establish a common target and to share both losses and future gains to restore the foundations of the businesses

Summary

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought to light the fact that supply chains function as the veins of our economy and society (Ivanov, 2020). Mapping the structure of a supply chain, covering all of its members, including first and second tier suppliers, channels of distribution and final consumers, is important in order to identify likely bottlenecks that may restrict the flow, capacity and visibility of production. Processes or suppliers that may compromise the delivery of products and services to customers constitute potential bottlenecks; the use of critical path and risk register tools can help managers to perform the required map assessment of a supply chain. A decoupling point is a compatible strategy to avoid keeping additional points of inventory throughout a supply chain. In this context, the inclusion of merge-in-transit practices could increase the flexibility of supply chains, without falling into excessive inventory costs

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