A strategic approach to safeguard global supply chains against COVID‐19 disruptions

Abstract

The global system of supply chains has been dramatically disrupted over the last years due to the outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic. In these current challenging times, this paper proposes a methodological approach for managing dependence and uncertainty in dynamic industrial scenarios. A detailed study of epidemic effects is carried out according to an operational management‐based perspective. We proceed by analyzing connections among effects and risks potentially leading to significant supply chain disturbances through a multicriteria approach. Risks and effects are weighted by applying the Analytic Network Process (ANP). Weighted risks are then assumed as criteria for selecting the most suitable contingency strategy. To this aim, the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS) is able to rank a set of strategies by addressing and quantifying uncertainty. A case study on the sector of the automotive industry is implemented to validate the proposed methodological approach.