Supply chain interruptions due to natural catastrophes, wars, and trade disputes were historically an important issue for enterprises. The COVID-19 pandemic’s extra issues in 2020 have grown extreme since they differ from supply chain risk in that they affect not just individual enterprises but whole communities. The study “Supply chain management for extreme conditions: research opportunities” by Sodhi & Tang (2021) aims to rethink supply chain management in terms of research and practice. This re-evaluation should be done to cope with such situations in the future, whether it will be a result of pandemics, conflicts, or climate change. The authors of the research focused on supply chain management potential in harsh conditions. This potential is tied to stores’ survival in the face of very successful e-commerce behemoths and the mixed usage of robots and humans (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). There are additional chances to pool distribution supply chain resources and compete for medically essential goods (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). The government’s increased engagement in assisting businesses, including the formation of industrial communities, creates new opportunities for study. Overall, this work presents an intriguing case study of supply chain management in harsh conditions, which is potentially achievable in the near future. It can be argued that the topic is incredibly relevant, and despite the authors’ assumptions being essentially theoretical, the presented arguments are valid.
In response to the article, it should be mentioned that the literature on supply chain management has been greatly neglected, only studying the consequences of pandemics in relatively narrow scenarios. It focused mostly on the resistance to shocks and disruptions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic, research on supply chain resilience concluded that this restricted viewpoint was completely inadequate (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). The need to meet the breadth and extent of the pandemic’s issues for supply chains, particularly international supply chains, led the authors to theorize on various scenarios of the situation’s development. These developments necessitate much more in-depth research on supply chain sustainability from a larger, global viewpoint in order to comprehend both the supply chain’s demands and how to address the difficulties that have surfaced.
The COVID-19 pandemic essentially showed that many companies do not fully understand the vulnerability of their supply chain relationships to global shocks. Authors suggest that the elimination of reserves and flexibility to deal with disruptions has resulted from decades of focusing on optimizing the supply chain to minimize costs and reduce inventory (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). New supply chain technologies are emerging to considerably increase the visibility of the whole end-to-end supply chain and boost firms’ capacity to endure such shocks (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). The old linear supply chain paradigm is being replaced by digital supply networks, which provide flexibility and optimization. This is essentially done by connecting enterprises to their entire supply chain.
However, the most pressing concern is the COVID-19 pandemic’s long-term impact, as well as what the pandemic means for supply chain resilience. The study examined the pandemic’s most visible effects on supply chain resilience, including social, environmental, and economic repercussions (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative influence on sustainability and increased the risk of long-term sustainability projects failing. In response, it can be said that negative effects on economic performance might occur throughout entire supply networks, not simply enterprises. As a result, it seriously impacts the business world and company directors in particular. There is a growing need for a monitoring system to track the long-term consequences of systemic shocks on the supply chain’s environmental and social sustainability and its financial performance.
The study shows that combining supply chain resilience and systemic risk is a key issue for businesses in the future. Authors point out that recovery may not always be the best option in a world where failures are becoming more common (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). In general, adapting to new scenarios will probably become a major challenge in terms of viability.
The COVID-19 pandemic has expedited a global supply chain management dilemma that has never been seen before, underscoring the significance of the study on the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence on supply chain management. The study found that worldwide supply systems, even those of huge corporations, are far more vulnerable than previously thought in a global pandemic (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). This shows that, while supply networks were built to manage individual hazards, they were not designed to effectively address systemic concerns. Consequently, supply chains have become very sensitive to events such as lockouts, labor shortages, and supplier and logistics company disruptions (Sodhi & Tang, 2021). The study reviewed presents several valid points but can not fill all the gaps in the study of the issue.
In conclusion, it can be seen that the risk of a pandemic is not merely an isolated concern, as previously thought. According to an examination of a study on supply chain management in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of a pandemic and everything it implies is a systemic flaw. In response, this issue must be addressed at the systemic level. In the pandemic settings, it was seen that the supply chains are vulnerable.
Reference
Sodhi, M. S., & Tang, C. S. (2021). Supply chain management for extreme conditions: research opportunities. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 57(1), 7-16.