Capabilities for enhancing supply chain resilience and responsiveness in the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring the role of improvisation, anticipation, and data analytics capabilities

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to identify critical capabilities to address unforeseen and novel disruptions, such as those instigated by COVID-19, and explore their role as essential enablers of supply chain resilience and responsiveness, leading to improved performance.Design/methodology/approachThe structural equation modeling technique was employed for analyzing the proposed associations using survey data from 206 manufacturers operating during the COVID-19 pandemic in a developing country, Pakistan.FindingsKey findings show how improvisation and anticipation act distinctly yet jointly to facilitate supply chain resilience and responsiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, data analytics capability positively affects anticipation and improvisation, which mediate the effect of data analytics on supply chain resilience and responsiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings contribute to the theoretical and empirical understanding of the existing literature, suggesting that a combination of improvisation, anticipation and data analytics capabilities is highly imperative for enhancing supply chain resilience and responsiveness in novel and unexpected disruptions.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the impact of data analytics on improvisation and anticipation and the latter as complementary capabilities to enhance supply chain resilience and responsiveness. The empirical investigation explores the interplay among data analytics, improvisation, and anticipation capabilities for enhancing supply chain resilience, responsiveness, and performance during the unforeseen and novel disruptions, such as brought to bear by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of supply chain digitalization on supply chain resilience and performance: A multi-mediation model

“…In this regard, what factors are effective in improving SCR and how SCR can help companies improve their performance levels are areas that need to be explored in depth. ( Munir et al, 2022 ; Queiroz et al, 2022 ; Ivanov and Das, 2020 ; Ali et al, 2017a ). Scholars have begun to use empirical research to explore the antecedents and outcomes of SCR capabilities.…”

Organizational agility enabled by big data analytics: information systems capabilities view

“…As described above, the skill-intensive industry represents manufacturing firms, supply chains, logistics, construction, textile, and retail. In these studies, the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the major reasons for imposing significant challenges in supply, logistics, and demand infrastructure (Munir et al, 2022). To tackle these challenges, data-driven insights should be shared and embedded in service systems to quickly adapt to emergency operations.…”

“…In 2021 and 2022 studies, supply chain agility and strategic emergency service agility are underscored as alternative solutions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic (Manikas et al. , 2022; Munir et al. , 2022; Rengarajan et al.…”

“…On the other hand, customer agility, market agility, and marketing agility are discussed in the context of new product development and innovation. In 2021 and 2022 studies, supply chain agility and strategic emergency service agility are underscored as alternative solutions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic (Manikas et al, 2022;Munir et al, 2022;Rengarajan et al, 2022;Stylos et al, 2021;Wong et al, 2022).…”

Guest Editorial: A purchasing and supply management view of supply resilience for better crisis response

“…It is noteworthy that although we scrutinized the SCR literature since COVID-19, we want to emphasize that this does not mean that SCM scholars have neglected SR in their research. Among these 1904 papers, only a few discuss resilience capabilities in organizations and supply chain networks in general, without referring to specific sub-dimensions of such capabilities and SR (recent examples include, but are not limited to, Dittfeld et al, 2022 ; Fayezi and Ghaderi, 2021 ; Gebhardt et al, 2022 ; Modgil et al, 2021 ; Munir et al, 2022 ; van den Adel et al, 2021 ). In contrast, several other papers mention SR as part of SCR.…”