Introduction
This study reviews the article by Paul et al. (2021) entitled: “supply chain recovery challenges in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic”. The researchers affirm that during the COVID-19 outbreak, supply-chain executives have never confronted more complicated and shifting situations. COVID-19 lockdowns and the rapidity of economic growth have both had a negative influence on modern supply networks. Finding possible supply chain recovery obstacles and their impact on post-disaster recovery is critical during a significant epidemic to guarantee the design of suitable plans to address such concerns. In the wake of the pandemic, supply networks might reinvent their value chains by recognizing these obstacles. Effective supply chain recovery management solutions are needed to offset the effects of COVID-19 on provision networks. Government agencies and the private sector should work together to build a global trade system to survive future shocks.
The Facts
A vital point cited in the article is the necessity of developing recovery plans in the wake of catastrophic occurrences to resume normal or more robust operational conditions quickly. The economic crisis is projected to affect supply networks throughout the long run. Because of the long-term global financial crisis, customers will be less likely to buy non-essential clothing, luxury goods, and technology supplies. As a result, there will be a long-term decrease in demand for these items (Paul et al., 2021). Order withdrawal and payment holdups from business purchasers are common throughout the outbreak’s recovery phase, making it challenging to produce such items. Due to the pandemic, these supply chains will take a long time to recover.
The second fact is that supply chain recovery management methods are needed to offset the effects of COVID-19. Finding out what is going on in the supply chain is the first step in developing a recovery strategy. Developing supply chain recovery plans may be a daunting task for businesses. Large-scale interruptions to the supply chain have a ripple effect on the broader economy and the purchasing power of consumers (Paul et al., 2021). The third fact is that a flexible strategy should be devised to recover from the disruption that considers many situations and problems. Because the effects of supply chain interruptions might vary, this flexibility is essential. As a result, a variety of rehabilitation options must be examined.
Correlation of the Facts with Course Content
According to the article and the course content, a study by Siagian et al. (2021), the impact of COVID-19 has caused uncertainty in employment and reduced labor prospects throughout the world. The number of workers suspended for organizations’ survivability has also grown. The Jordanian manufacturing industry has had to cut back on its workforce and lower its wages because of the government’s strategy to stay afloat. Attributable to supply chain integration, organizations can make more flexible deliveries and enhance the number of items they provide. Quality and variation of the products may be provided to customers as needed through a flexible supply chain. The performance will increase because of the company’s capacity to manage its flexibility.
The article and course material establish that corporations must make decisions based on uncertainties during a pandemic. Companies that are more flexible in their supply and demand may respond more quickly to market shifts, improving their proactive flexibility in dealing with supply chain issues. Supply chain integration may help firms become more agile to better respond to client needs (Paul et al., 2021). Supply chain integration, which includes internal communication, supplier integration, and customer relationships, may improve manufacturing organizations’ competitiveness and business performance by fostering innovation. In the wake of COVID-19, enterprises require a responsive supply chain to boost their response. Due to a loss in the company’s ability to react quickly, the supply of raw materials will be affected.
Evaluation of Resources
The wide pool of studies used by Paul et al. (2021) encourages active reading, which supports deep thinking. Sufficient information has been critiqued and requires analysis. Having adequate information in a single source prompts readers to look up their origins and discover whether they are accurate. Moreover, they inspire the readers’ desire to produce high-quality work. Sharpening one’s authority on the subject matter results from all of these actions. One can verify the facts of an article directly from the initial sources. When this happens, the article becomes more trustworthy and packed with truth and facts, making it an appealing piece of writing.
Relevance of the Sources
The article’s readers may tell that the authors are up-to-date on the subject because most of the sources utilized are current. Current sources represent the most recent discoveries, theories, methods, or best practices. Publications in the last two years provide an excellent benchmark for rapidly evolving disciplines like the COVID-19 pandemic. It is still not up to date, though, with some of its sources going back as far as 1982. Older sources may indeed be helpful in research, particularly since the researcher is trying to establish the historical background. However, there is a preference for the most recent material in most writing settings. The most recent sources handle the issue adequately.
Strengths /Weaknesses/Discussion of the Profession
A major aspect of the article is that it explains the reaction against managed care and its impact on business professionals while providing ideas for corrective action. It has also offered updated study sources for scholars to increase subsequent investigation. Even though there are countless current studies, many of the sources included in this article are more than 15 years old. Researching historical data on the internet may be difficult since many sources may be out-of-date, and there is an almost infinite supply of new information available.
There is also no guarantee that the information found in old sources is of a high academic standard and, thus, worthy of inclusion in academic work. However, it is difficult to establish if the author’s old sources are genuine, dependable, or outmoded from the article’s tone and style. A researcher may need to rely on additional sources to get a complete picture of the subject matter from old sources. There is a need to search for different sources under the profession to gain further knowledge or opinions.
Bias or Faulty Reasoning
The article does not include any sort of bias or inaccuracy in its logic. Researchers can express a certain emotion or attitude by using a combination of facts, language, and the style and emotion of description. Its goal is to articulate a specific perspective or viewpoint on the topic matter. A biased researcher may not focus on all the evidence or develop a reasonable argument to defend their beliefs. When conducting their research, the authors prevented prejudice and incorrect thinking, which helped them stay focused on the study’s goals. In this way, readers may critically and independently study the published research and avoid practices that are substandard or possibly toxic.
Analysis and Review
The first step in building supply chain resilience is to identify potential risks and develop various countermeasures for those threats. For example, numerous chip vendors have reduced or shut down their plants in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, posing a disruption risk to the supply chain in the manufacture of various products, including Volkswagen automobiles. Outbreak-related supply chain problems influenced 938 out of Fortune’s top 1,000 firms, affecting raw materials and manufacturing. With COVID-19’s long-term disruption, traditional proactive or reactive techniques are ineffective. To minimize the impact of supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, innovative and adaptive recovery mechanisms must be developed that take into account product changes.
Others’ Information about the Topic
Chen et al. (2021) claim that many nations have implemented various embargo policies that have resulted in a significant decrease in the worldwide flow of raw materials. Due to a lack of raw materials, many manufacturing companies cannot keep up with demand and are forced to stop operations. When most or all providers are unable to stabilize in a short time, the manufacturer may consider switching the product characteristics. Manufacturers may also select new partners that deliver quality material for the transformed product to minimize the drop in revenue induced by this unique interruption of the supply chain.
Supporting Claims
The recovery difficulties, which include a long-term decline in demand, a decrease in sourcing alternatives, a rise in the cost of raw materials, and a long-term impact on the operations of end-users, are vital. The recovery process may be accelerated by establishing and maintaining strong working partnerships with suppliers, purchasers, and other business partners to guarantee timely delivery of raw materials. Only businesses that have seen a decline in demand due to the pandemic, such as garment manufacturing, can apply the study’s results and recommendations. However, other sectors, such as food and medical supplies, may be affected differently. Therefore, a survey was done using the Delphi approach to discover new recovery problems (Paul et al., 2021). A grey DEMATEL technique was then used to investigate the interlinkages between the recovery issues.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 outbreak has been unlike any other when it comes to supply-chain management. To build a global trade system that can survive future shocks, government entities and the private sector should work together. Creating recovery plans after catastrophic occurrences is essential for speedy recovery and survival. Because supply chain flexibility allows for brand reputation and product variety to be provided as needed, it may give customer satisfaction. In addition, performance will increase because of the company’s capacity to handle flexibility. When it comes to building supply chain resilience, the first step is to identify potential risks and develop various countermeasures for those threats.
References
Paul, S. K., Chowdhury, P., Moktadir, M. A., & Lau, K. H. (2021). Supply chain recovery challenges in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business Research, 136, 316-329. Web.
Siagian, H., Tarigan, Z. J. H., & Jie, F. (2021). Supply chain integration enables resilience, flexibility, and innovation to improve business performance in COVID-19 era. Sustainability, 13(9), 1-19. Web.
Chen, J., Wang, H., & Zhong, R. Y. (2021). A supply chain disruption recovery strategy considering product change under COVID-19. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 60, 920-927. Web.