Barriers to supply chain performance measurement during disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

PurposeAmid the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), supply chains have faltered. This has influenced operational and financial performance and lead to uncertainty in supply and distribution. Therefore, systems measuring supply chain risk and disruption management performance have gained interest. This study explores barriers to supply chain performance measurement during disruptions such as COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachBased on a survey and literature review, the authors formalise the barriers and rank them using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) fuzzy Višekriterijumsko kompromisno rangiranje (VIKOR) methodology. A total of 14 experts in 11 countries were surveyed. Performance measurement is based on a balanced scorecard.FindingsFifteen barriers are identified. Based on DEMATEL analysis, the cause–effect relationships among the four scorecard aspects are explored. The customer axis is revealed as the cause, while the financial, internal business and learning/development are identified as the effect of the supply chain performance measurement. Fuzzy VIKOR calculations show that uncertainty of investment, disrupted cash flows and the bullwhip effect are the most critical barriers to measure supply chain performance during outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe study identifies and ranks general barriers; additional research is required to differentiate barriers in specific industrial sectors.Practical implicationsThe findings may help develop proactive, resilient supply chain performance strategies to overcome disruptions.Social implicationsPolicy-makers and decision-makers in industrial and service firms can explore these findings to inform strategies for robust supply chains that can resist disruption in risky environments.Originality/valueThis research addresses a knowledge gap in barriers to measure supply chain performance in post-pandemic areas. It is unclear how far firms will measure supply chain performance in terms of learning from disruption patterns, managing financial and customer demand processes in light of COVID-19. This study contributes by explaining the influences among the barriers and exploring them, offering insights from multiple stakeholders.

Accelerating Digital Supply Chain Management Practices, Customer Development, and Firm Performance: Organizational Culture Matters

“…However, the use of supply chain management practices requires mutual adaption and consideration of the global context, and the requirements of the digital revolution (Khan, 2019;Mukherjee et al, 2023). The disruptive change experiences have highlighted the innovation in supply chain management practices, which require these issues to be addressed from a theoretical and a practical perspective (Altay & Pal, 2023;Fares et al, 2023;Gligor et al, 2018;Zinn & Goldsby, 2017). Supply chains play a pivotal part in the daily activities of enterprises and in global development (Garay-Rondero et al, 2020;Min et al, 2019) .…”

Factors affecting omnichannel buying online and return in store: evidence from fast-fashion retail

“…The fuzzy VIKOR, also known as the compromised ranking method, is used to find a compromised solution to the fuzzy multi-criteria problem. Existing studies have shown that combining these approaches provides more accurate ranking results (Opricovic, 2011; Solangi et al ., 2019; Fares and Lloret, 2023).…”

Unveiling the Influence: Exploring the Impact of Interrelationships among E-Commerce Supply Chain Members on Supply Chain Sustainability

“…While research on supply chain sustainability has made significant progress, there is a specific gap concerning the impact of interrelationships among e-commerce supply chain members [25][26][27]. Existing studies have predominantly focused on external factors, such as environmental regulations and supplier selection [26,28,29], overlooking the intricate dynamics and relationships within the supply chain.…”

“…While research on supply chain sustainability has made significant progress, there is a specific gap concerning the impact of interrelationships among e-commerce supply chain members [25][26][27]. Existing studies have predominantly focused on external factors, such as environmental regulations and supplier selection [26,28,29], overlooking the intricate dynamics and relationships within the supply chain. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring the influence of interrelationships, including collaboration, communication, trust, and coordination, on the sustainability outcomes of e-commerce supply chains.…”