Supply Chain Resilience during Pandemic Disruption: Evidence from Healthcare

Barbara Scala, Claire Frances Lindsay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

102 Citations (Scopus)
2796 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how resilience is evident in healthcare supply chains in the public sector when faced with pandemic disruption and to identify any learnings to inform recovery and future-readiness phases.

Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory case study was conducted, consisting of seven semi-structured interviews with public sector supply chain actors in the healthcare personal protective equipment supply chain. The data included document analysis.

Findings: Key findings show how specific resilience strategies such as agility, collaboration, flexibility and redundancy, contributed to supply chain resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Collaboration is identified as a key mechanism for resilience with public sector networks viewed as facilitating this. Established collaborative relationships with suppliers pre-pandemic did not support increased visibility of tiers within the supply chain.

Originality/value: This is one of the first papers to provide in-depth resilience insights through an example of healthcare supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)672-688
Number of pages17
JournalSupply Chain Management
Volume26
Issue number6
Early online date21 May 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 Sept 2021

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Disruption
  • Healthcare
  • Healthcare service
  • Public sector
  • Resilience

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Business,Management and Accounting

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