Operational challenges during a pandemic: an investigation in the electronics industry

Paul, SK; Chowdhury, P; Chowdhury, MT; Chakrabortty, RK; Moktadir, MA

Operational challenges during a pandemic: an investigation in the electronics industry

Paul, SK Chowdhury, P Chowdhury, MT Chakrabortty, RK Moktadir, MA

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Publisher:: Emerald
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: The International Journal of Logistics Management, 2022, ahead-of-print, (ahead-of-print)
Issue Date:: 2022-09

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Paul, SK
dc.contributor.author	Chowdhury, P
dc.contributor.author	Chowdhury, MT
dc.contributor.author	Chakrabortty, RK
dc.contributor.author	Moktadir, MA
dc.date.accessioned	2022-11-14T01:11:23Z
dc.date.available	2022-11-14T01:11:23Z
dc.date.issued	2022-09
dc.identifier.citation	The International Journal of Logistics Management, 2022, ahead-of-print, (ahead-of-print)
dc.identifier.issn	0957-4093
dc.identifier.issn	1758-6550
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163426
dc.description.abstract	<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title><jats:p>The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses numerous challenges to supply chains. This pandemic is quite unique when compared to previous epidemic disruptions and has had a severe impact on supply chains. As a result, the operational challenges (OCs) caused by COVID-19 are still unknown among practitioners and academics. It is critical to comprehensively document current OCs so that firms can plan and implement strategies to overcome them. Consequently, this study systematically identifies and ranks COVID-19-related OCs.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title><jats:p>This study uses an integrated methodology combining expert interviews and the best-worst method (BWM) to analyze the results. The data have been collected from the electronics industry of Bangladesh, an emerging economy. This study also conducts a sensitivity analysis to check the robustness of the results.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title><jats:p>The results reveal 23 COVID-19-related OCs under five categories: sourcing, production and inventory management, demand management and distribution, return management and after-sales service, and supply chain-wide challenges. The quantitative investigation reveals that overstock in finished goods inventory, low end-customer demands, order cancellations from dealers and retailers, high inventory holding costs and lack of transportation are the top five OCs.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Practical implications</jats:title><jats:p>The findings will help practitioners to understand the OCs and allow them to prepare for future major disruptions and formulate long-term strategies for operations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title><jats:p>This study contributes to the literature on supply chain complexity and challenges by considering a major pandemic outbreak. Moreover, the study also contributes to the knowledge on emerging economies, which have been largely neglected in the current literature.</jats:p></jats:sec>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Emerald
dc.relation.ispartof	The International Journal of Logistics Management
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1108/ijlm-05-2021-0307
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	08 Information and Computing Sciences, 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
dc.title	Operational challenges during a pandemic: an investigation in the electronics industry
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	ahead-of-print
utslib.for	08 Information and Computing Sciences
utslib.for	15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Management Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2022-11-14T01:11:22Z
pubs.issue	ahead-of-print
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	ahead-of-print
utslib.citation.issue	ahead-of-print

Abstract:

PurposeThe recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses numerous challenges to supply chains. This pandemic is quite unique when compared to previous epidemic disruptions and has had a severe impact on supply chains. As a result, the operational challenges (OCs) caused by COVID-19 are still unknown among practitioners and academics. It is critical to comprehensively document current OCs so that firms can plan and implement strategies to overcome them. Consequently, this study systematically identifies and ranks COVID-19-related OCs.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses an integrated methodology combining expert interviews and the best-worst method (BWM) to analyze the results. The data have been collected from the electronics industry of Bangladesh, an emerging economy. This study also conducts a sensitivity analysis to check the robustness of the results.FindingsThe results reveal 23 COVID-19-related OCs under five categories: sourcing, production and inventory management, demand management and distribution, return management and after-sales service, and supply chain-wide challenges. The quantitative investigation reveals that overstock in finished goods inventory, low end-customer demands, order cancellations from dealers and retailers, high inventory holding costs and lack of transportation are the top five OCs.Practical implicationsThe findings will help practitioners to understand the OCs and allow them to prepare for future major disruptions and formulate long-term strategies for operations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on supply chain complexity and challenges by considering a major pandemic outbreak. Moreover, the study also contributes to the knowledge on emerging economies, which have been largely neglected in the current literature.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163426