Supply chain resilience in the Colombian defense sector before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative study

What is it about?

Unforeseen events can significantly affect the supply chains of organizations and disrupt their continuous flow. Therefore, organizations need to develop a response capability that allows them to minimize the negative effects of such events and quickly recover from them; this is known as resilience. This research provides a comparative analysis of the influence that risk, vulnerability, and adaptability have had on the resilience capability of the supply chains of organizations in the Colombian defense sector before and during the Coronavirus outbreak. The aim of organizations in the private sector is to maximize the total supply chain efficiency and operational effectiveness. Consequently, an adequate supply chain management (SCM) helps to compete for a higher market share and profit, and, therefore, a sustainable competitive advantage. Governmental organizations, on the other hand, are looking for the effective provision of benefits to the community, which does not necessarily include maximizing profit. In a national defense context, the ultimate goal is to maximize the defense capability and provide material and resources readiness with an acceptable level of risk while minimizing the overall costs of the supply chain.

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Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Why is it important?

An organization gains competitive advantage through its supply chain when it is agile, reacting quickly to sudden changes in demand or supply when it adapts over time as market structures and strategies evolve, and when it aligns the interests of all companies in the supply chain network, optimizing the performance and maximizing their interests. Results suggest that identifying and managing risks positively impact reducing vulnerability and increasing adaptability. Moreover, by decreasing exposure and improving adaptability, the organization positively influences supply chain resilience capability. This research provides relevant information for the Colombian government on developing public policies and mechanisms of service and support for defense sector organizations to strengthen their resilience capability. Likewise, the study offers valuable information to those organizations interested in improving their resilience capability and that of the sector in which they are involved.

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