The Impact of Supply Chain Strategies on Logistics Performance: A Study in the Post Covid-19 Pandemic Period

Abstract

The whole world passed a pandemic that affected working conditions and so lead to uncertainities and disruptions in supply chains. Nowadays during the post pandemic period (2021-2022), some industries slowed down significantly, while some sectors moved up. In this period, logistics performance gains more importance and the implemented supply chain strategy plays a significant role for companies. Therefore, the study's objective is to determine the impact of supply chain strategies on logistics performance in production companies operating in Gaziantep industrial zone. The covid-19 pandemic brought a lot of uncertainties to all industries which caused supply chain disruptions. These disruptions could be controlled with lean supply chain (LSC) and agile supply chain (ASC) strategies which are also considered as independent variables of this study. Logistics performances that are expected to be affected by these two supply chain strategies are considered in four dimensions such as quality, flexibility, cost, and speed and reliability. Data were collected from 154 businesses by surveys and analyzes were made. The results of the analysis showed that an ASC strategy affects all logistics performance dimensions (quality, flexibility, cost, and speed and reliability). But the LSC strategy did not affect any of these dimensions. It has been concluded that manufacturers should adopt an ASC strategy, which aims to respond more quickly to environmental changes, instead of a LSC strategy, in order to achieve higher logistics performance during periods of intense supply chain disruptions and uncertainties, such as after the post Covid-19 pandemic.