Supply chain risk mitigation strategies during COVID-19: exploratory cases of “make-to-order” handloom saree apparel industries

Abstract

PurposeThis study attempts to identify the supply chain risks (SCRs) induced during the COVID-19 disruption in an Indian handloom saree industry and determine suitable risk mitigation strategies (RMSs) to overcome the impact of the epidemic disruption.Design/methodology/approachThis work determined 11 SCRs through an extensive literature review in the context of the handloom apparel industry and validated through the experts. Further, a multiple case-based approach is used in this research. Within case and cross-case analyses of four relevant Indian handloom “make-to-order” saree manufacturing firms are conducted to determine the severity of the SCRs considering the pandemic situations to identify appropriate strategies to mitigate the shock of SCRs.FindingsThis study identified the critical SCRs in the context of the Indian handloom “make-to-order” saree industries that emerged during the COVID-19 and proposed a risk mitigation strategy matrix (RMSM) to address the SCRs based on their criticality and predictability dimensions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides a novel contribution to the body of knowledge on supply chain risk management (SCRM) in the form of the RMSM tool. Supply chain managers from the different sectors can extend the proposed RMSM to overcome the SCRs. Multiple case analyses facilitate supply chain professionals working in handloom apparel industries to benchmark and adopt the proposed RMSs in their firm.Originality/valueThis research is one of its kind that carried exploratory investigation of the handloom apparel industry cases to assess and determine the strategies for mitigating the SCRs caused during a pandemic outbreak.

Examining the barriers to operationalization of humanitarian supply chains: lessons learned from COVID-19 crisis

“…As the nature of disasters and their induced risk to supply chains is different, the nature of barriers posed by the different disasters can be different (Cozzolino, 2012 ; Dohale et al, 2021 ; Dohale, Ambilkar, et al, 2021 ; Dohale, Gunasekaran, et al, 2021 ; Dohale, Gunasekaran, et al, 2021 ; Dohale, Verma, et al, 2021 ; Dohale, Verma, et al, 2021 ). Pandemics are the unique kind of disasters that creates a negative impact on a massive multi-country or worldwide scale, which may or may not be observed during natural disaster (Dora & Kumar, 2020 ; Thompson & Anderson, 2021 ).…”

“…Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the supply chain network worldwide, resulting in substantial business and economic losses globally, and took away millions of lives (Dohale, Ambilkar, et al, 2021 ; Dohale, Gunasekaran, et al, 2021 ; Dohale, Verma, et al, 2021 ). As reported by World Bank, the global GDP could observe the contraction of 5.2% and stated it as the “deepest global recession in decades” (World Bank, 2020 ).…”

Responding to supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: A Black Swan event for omnichannel retailers

“…To date, only a limited number of studies have explored the ways in which organisations can mitigate the impact of SCDs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (Butt 2021;Dohale et al 2021;El Baz and Ruel 2021;Mahajan & Tomar 2021). Dohale et al (2021) and Mahajan and Tomar (2021) conducted extensive literature reviews to recontextualise previously identified SCDs within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…To date, only a limited number of studies have explored the ways in which organisations can mitigate the impact of SCDs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (Butt 2021;Dohale et al 2021;El Baz and Ruel 2021;Mahajan & Tomar 2021). Dohale et al (2021) and Mahajan and Tomar (2021) conducted extensive literature reviews to recontextualise previously identified SCDs within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Butt ( 2021) conducted a qualitative study to explore importing disruptions experience by manufacturing organisations, whilst El Baz and Ruel ( 2021) investigated the role of risk-mitigating strategies in French firms' responses to the pandemic.…”

“…In response, governments around the world enforced partial or total lockdowns (Ali, Rahman & Frederico 2021). Lockdowns bring health benefits for a society in that it aids with the containment of the spread of a virus; however, lockdowns can cause irrevocable damage to an economy (Dohale et al 2021). Worldwide lockdowns drastically altered people's lifestyles, livelihoods and how organisations traditionally operated (Schambach 2020).…”