The contribution of business continuity management (BCM) to supply chain resilience: a qualitative study on the response to COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates the relationships between the core elements of a BCM system and SCRES constituents, i.e. visibility, agility, flexibility, velocity and collaboration. An explorative multiple case studies methodology was adopted, consisting of organizations in the retail, manufacturing and humanitarian sectors that had to withstand the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (January to June 2020).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts an interpretative approach to understand organizational behavior through observations. The source of data comes from in-depth interviews as well as the scrutiny of available official documents for triangulation. The unit of analysis is the organizations internal supply chain with a specific focus on their BCM system and SCM arrangements.

Findings

This paper shows how core BCM practices have a direct impact on supply chain resilience constituents. Specifically practices such as establishing a crisis management committee and risk assessments boost constituents such as agility and flexibility. This advances the theoretical discussion on supply chain resilience, while providing practical examples for organizations to build a response to pandemic incidents.

Originality/value

This paper validates the contribution of business continuity management to supply chain resilience, a concept that has mainly been linked to practices such as risk management. In this regard, this paper enriches the discussion. Secondly, the analysis explains how specific BCM practices worked during the first wave of the pandemic and how they were implemented, providing a clear path for supply chain resilience.

Citation

Riglietti, G., Piraina, M. and Trucco, P. (2022), "The contribution of business continuity management (BCM) to supply chain resilience: a qualitative study on the response to COVID-19 outbreak", Continuity & Resilience Review, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 145-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/CRR-08-2021-0030