Current challenges of global supply chains

Abstract

Recent environmental, social, and economic changes have drawn attention to the vulnerability of global supply chains. This is especially true in cases where external influencing factors are crisis-like, as crises, by their very nature, require new solutions for coping with them. The discipline of supply chain management is currently at a stage where these new solutions need to be explored, as previous practices may no longer be able to guarantee the smooth and predictable operation of supply chains in a changed environment.

In our study, we summarise the recent traumas that have had a direct or indirect impact on global supply chains. In this respect, we have focused not on the direct or indirect nature, but on the extent of the impact on supply chains of said traumas. In addition to accounting for global influences, we examine the logistical and supply chain organisational consequences of each phenomenon, which are likely to cause many companies to change their business models. In our study, we use scenario analysis methodology to formulate possible future dimensions of the transformation, bearing in mind their practical applicability as they seek to respond to challenges that companies will face in the near future in organising and managing their supply chains.