The impact of COVID-19 and the importance of supply chain resilience building : Case study of Swedish firms using offshoring for finished goods

Sammanfattning: Purpose: This study aims to look deeper at how Swedish firms using offshoring have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic regarding their supply chains and make them more resilient. Design/methodology/approach: This study is a case study that examines two Swedish companies that have outsourced their production processes to other countries. The study's main focus is on the impact of COVID-19 on global supply chains and how it has affected the operations of these companies. The objective of the study is to investigate the challenges faced by these firms and the strategies they have employed to mitigate the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Additionally, the study aims to emphasize the importance of strengthening supply chain resilience. To achieve this, a literature review of previous research on the topic of supply chain risk management and supply chain resilience is presented. Findings: The study used thematic analysis to categorize findings for answering two research questions. RQ1 identified four categories showing how external and internal factors affected operations, including a lack of internal decision support for supply chain resilience. RQ2 explored the supply chain resilience aspect and found the supply chains to be especially agile and flexible in capabilities, with supply chains reacting more than proactively due to a lack of resilience-focused decision support. Technology's positive impact on the supply chain was noted in the literature. Additionally, nearshoring gained attention for improving SCR in response to logistical challenges. Research limitations/implications: The thesis studies supply chain resilience and proposes ways to enhance it using different enablers. It examines businesses' management of COVID-19 disruption within their supply chains and supplements existing literature on the topic. The research has limitations due to time constraints and lack of accessibility to interesting cases, affecting the generalizability and validity of the findings. Practical implications: In supply chain management, supply chain resilience plays a vital role in improving performance. The thesis stresses the importance of factors that boost supply chain resilience, which in turn enhances overall efficiency. This knowledge equips practitioners with the tools to better equip their supply chains against disturbances and thus improve their resilience.