How to enhance supply chain resilience: a logistics approach

Research on the impact of smart logistics on the the manufacturing industry chain resilience

The development history of smart logistics and smart manufacturing in China demonstrates a high degree of synergy. This study aims to analyze the impact, mechanisms, and heterogeneous performance of smart logistics on the manufacturing industry chain resilience. The analysis is based on panel data collected from 30 provinces in China, covering the period from 2012 to 2023. The empirical findings suggest a significant positive impact of smart logistics on the manufacturing industry chain resilience, and the research findings are relatively robust. This impact can be primarily attributed to the reduction of transaction costs and improvements in logistics efficiency. In a comparison of the impact relationships between the three different economic regions of the East, Center and West, it was found that the Eastern region had a stronger facilitating effect, the Central region had a less pronounced facilitating effect, and the Western region had a weaker facilitating effect relative to the Eastern region. Moreover, Intelligent logistics has a greater role in promoting the resistance and renewal of the manufacturing industry chain, and a relatively weaker role in promoting the recovery of the manufacturing industry chain. Futhermore, threshold test shows that, in terms of long-term dynamics, there is a threshold effect of smart logistics development on the enhancement of manufacturing industry chain toughness; at the same time, higher level of advanced industrial structure and innovation environment, smart logistics is conducive to the enhancement of manufacturing industry chain toughness level.

Key determinants to supply chain resilience to face pandemic disruption: An interpretive triple helix framework

Today, supply chain (SC) networks are facing more disruptions compared to the past. While disruptions are rare, they can have catastrophic long-term economic or societal repercussions, and the recovery processes can be lengthy. These can tremendously affect the SC and make it vulnerable, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The identification of these concerns has prompted the demand for improved disruption management by developing resilient, agile, and adaptive SC. The aim of this study is to introduce an assessment framework for prioritizing and evaluating the determinants to supply chain resilience (SCR). To analyze the empirical data, fuzzy criteria importance through intercriteria correlation (fuzzy CRITIC) and fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (fuzzy TOPSIS) have been incorporated. Fuzzy CRITIC method was used to identify the critical determinants and fuzzy TOPSIS method was applied for determining relative ranking of some real-world companies. Finally, by developing propositions an interpretive triple helix framework was proposed to achieve SCR. This research stands out for its originality in both methodology and implications. By introducing the novel combination of Fuzzy CRITIC and Fuzzy TOPSIS in the assessment of determinants to SCR and applying these determinants with the help of interpretive triple helix framework to establish a resilient SC, this study offers a unique and valuable contribution to the field of SCR. The key findings suggest that 'Responsiveness' followed by 'Managerial coordination and information integration' are the most significant determinant to achieve SCR. The outcome of this work can assist the managers to achieve SCR with improved agility and adaptivity.

Enterprise resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of business environment

Enterprise resilience captures enterprises' ability to survive and develop under uncertainties and shocks. Taking the shock of COVID-19 as an example, this paper employs a unique firm-level national survey dataset collected from a sample of nearly 40,000 Chinese private enterprises in 2020 to systematically explore the relation between local business environment and enterprise resilience. Our estimation results using ordered probit model indicate that favorable business environment can significantly enhance enterprise resilience and mitigate the shock of COVID-19 on firm performance. Mechanism analysis further shows that enterprises under better business environment generally have greater resilience as the result of timely and effective government support, reliable supply of production factors and logistics service, and lower levels of financial constraints. Our study deepens the understanding of the economic consequences of business environment and also sheds a new light on enterprise resilience enhancement.