Resilient supply chain network design: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT

The modern global economy has developed interconnected and complex supply chains largely due to the benefits companies have found in sophisticated trends and strategies; however, these practices are not without risk. In the wake of disruptions caused by COVID-19, natural disasters, Brexit, and the US–China trade war, supply chain resilience has become more important than ever. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of recent literature on resilient supply chain network design (RSCND). The focus was on studies that used a quantitative approach. This study utilised a systematic literature review methodology to evaluate the body of literature on RSCND. The main contributions of this paper are as follows: (1) exploring and analysing existing literature on RSCND, particularly focusing on different types of resilience measures used from an analytical modelling perspective; (2) presenting a new way to classify the quantitative resilience measures used for RSCND and clarifying the implications of incorporating it in terms of costs and benefits; and (3) identifying the gaps and limitations of existing literature and proposing a list of potential issues for future research directions. An analysis of the literature shows that existing resilience measures mainly focus on the resilience of the nodes. The benefits of incorporating resilience measures in the RSCND are illustrated quantitatively in terms of monetary value, lost sales, and demand fulfilment. This study is the first attempt to combine studies on the RSCND using quantitative resilience measures. This study can serve as a starting point for understanding the different resilience measures discussed in the literature, how to incorporate them in designing new or redesigning existing supply chain networks, and the benefits associated with their implementation. Although only 21 studies were found in the analysis, we believe that this topic has a huge scope for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Resilient supply chain network design
• supply chain management
• resilience measures
• disruption
• quantifying resilience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).