Why Operational Context Matters: Realizing the Full Potential of Supply Chain Resilience Surveys

Abstract

At a time when massive shocks such as the COVID pandemic and semiconductor chip shortages continue to disrupt supply chains around the world, multiple market research and consulting surveys have been conducted to identify supply chain resilience strategies. However, it is difficult for managers to develop actionable strategies based on findings from such surveys, because of a lack of context of the reported decisions and because the results are aggregated over multiple levels. In this article, we analyze how such surveys can be adjusted to reveal more differentiated findings. Two recommendations have been identified: Using the supply chain as the unit of observation and adding questions to understand the operational context of the supply chain. We then illustrate the recommended methodology with three company examples.

Keywords: supply chain resilience, consulting surveys, supply chain archetypes, operational characteristics