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Supply Chain Disruptions and Resilience – A Major Review and Future Research Agenda

Alexandra Blake
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Alexandra Blake
13 minutes read
Blog
Prosinec 16, 2025

Supply Chain Disruptions and Resilience: A Major Review and Future Research Agenda

Counteracting disruptions starts with a diversified supplier network and a real-time risk dashboard that highlights bottlenecks before they cascade. Structure procurement across regions, maintain transparent communication with key suppliers, and carry 2–4 týdny of critical inventory to minimalizovat downtime. This approach creates a clear level of preparedness and builds the first line of defense for manufacturing, logistics, and assembly lines.

covid19 exposed the fragility of single-source ties. In a cross‑sector strategiessurvey, lead times for critical inputs extended by 20–60 days, and the share of import from diversified sources rose as firms sought additional alternatives. Firms that diversified supplier bases reported a 10–25% reduction in disruption duration and steadier monthly output.

To apply these lessons now, take concrete steps: map suppliers by risk level, identify equipment components that stop production, and implement dual sourcing and nearshoring for high‑import inputs. Maintain additional safety stock, fragment orders to reduce disruption, and use level forecasts to guide procurement. The aim is optimal stock and odpovědnost sharing across teams.

Future research agenda includes: ideas such as expanding strategiessurvey style analyses to quantify resilience under disaster scenarios; testing additional data-sharing approaches; and developing policy frameworks that apply cross‑industry benchmarks to diversified networks. Studies should show how governance, information transparency, and supplier development drive recovery speed.

Organizations must assign clear odpovědnost for risk monitoring, supplier development, and contingency planning. Use supplier scorecards, regular audits, and counteracting drills to keep people focused on salvageable outcomes. A risk‑aware culture reduces the impact of shocks and supports minimalizovat downtime across the chain.

Tech-Driven Disruption Signals and 33 Risk Categories

Implement a real-time disruption signaling framework that maps tech signals to 33 risk categories and routes the insights to managers daily to minimize the costly impact of failures and rescheduling.

Run a lightweight analysis pipeline using a central algorithm that ingests data from suppliers, manufacturers, logistics nodes, and customers. Consequently, the network architecture supports distributed deployment so teams can act quickly and easily without bottlenecks, strengthening life resilience.

A Pettit-inspired approach examines antecedents, and concentration constitutes exposure. Consequently, the fourth-quarter implementation prioritizes mitigation steps and resource deployment for resilience life-cycle management.

Table below lists 33 risk categories, the tech signals that reveal them, and concrete mitigation guidance to deploy now and measure over time. This deployment helps managers examine risk exposure, identify where to reallocate resources, and keep life and operations running despite disruptions.

Risk Category Tech Signals Mitigation and Actions
1. Supplier concentration risk Signals: rising share of spend with top 2-3 suppliers; limited alternate sources; synchronized deliveries Diversify supplier base; qualify at least two alternates per critical item; establish flexible contracts and buffer stock
2. Single-source dependency Signals: abrupt supplier outage; long lead times from one source; lack of redundancy Develop dual sourcing; pre-qualify secondary partners; pre-arrange cross-shipment plans
3. Transportation capacity constraints Signals: capacity tightness on lanes; price spikes; late carrier booking Increase multimodal options; lock capacity影; implement cost-aware rerouting rules
4. Port and terminal congestion Signals: vessel queues; container dwell time increase; berth utilization spikes Schedule buffer windows; diversify “born-global” routes; use near-port storage where feasible
5. Demand forecast error Signals: forecast bias; rising forecast MAE; large forecast-to-actual gaps Blend models; incorporate external indicators; implement rolling updates and rapid replanning
6. Demand surge volatility Signals: sudden order spikes; seasonal shifts; promotions causing uptake jumps Dynamic safety stocks; agile production ramps; responsive allocation rules
7. Lead time variability Signals: wide lead time bands; frequent schedule shifts Build buffers; pre-stage critical items; adopt vendor-managed inventory where possible
8. Supplier insolvency risk Signals: credit downgrades; financing stress; delayed payments Financial screening; pre-approved alternates; rapid onboarding processes
9. Quality and compliance failures Signals: reject rates rising;CAPA backlogs; audit findings Increase incoming inspection; tighten supplier qualification; implement standardized specs
10. Cybersecurity threats Signals: anomalous login patterns; ransomware on vendor networks; data-access spikes Segment networks; require multi-factor authentication; conduct tabletop drills and vendor reviews
11. IT system downtime Signals: ERP latency; service interruptions; backup failures Redundant systems; scheduled failover tests; prioritize critical data backups
12. Energy price volatility Signals: wholesale price swings; grid disruption indicators Hedge where feasible; shift to energy-efficient processes; resilient supplier contracts
13. Currency exchange risk Signals: FX gaps; sudden pricing shifts in cross-border trades Natural hedges; dynamic pricing buffers; frequent currency risk reviews
14. Regulatory and policy shifts Signals: sudden tariff announcements; compliance alerts; new labeling rules Scenario planning; agile product specifications; maintain regulatory liaison
15. Geopolitical risk and sanctions Signals: import/export bans; supplier tailwinds in restricted regions Map alternate routes; diversify sourcing footprints; implement sanctions screening
16. Climate and extreme weather Signals: extreme event forecasts; flood/wind alerts near facilities Site-level contingency plans; relocate safety stock; adapt routing rules for weather
17. Labor unrest and shortages Signals: strikes; wage pressure; high turnover indicators Cross-train staff; maintain flexible shift plans; secure contingency workforce
18. Logistics network fragmentation Signals: multiple small carriers; fragmentation in last-mile options Partner with integrated logistics providers; standardize data exchange; monitor performance
19. Packaging and labeling shortages Signals: supplier stockouts; packaging lead time elongation Source multi-vendors; standardize packaging; pre-purchase critical SKUs
20. Inventory obsolescence Signals: slow-moving stock; aging SKU portfolio; rising obsolete rate Rotate through channels; dynamic obsolescence rules; frequent SKU reviews
21. Over-reliance on subcontractors Signals: subcontractor capacity limits; quality variance Audit sub-contractors; diversify downstream partners; require performance SLAs
22. Intellectual property risk Signals: counterfeit components; IP disputes; supplier copy risk Vet suppliers; track component provenance; implement tamper-evident packaging
23. Counterfeit components Signals: unusual price patterns; supplier inconsistencies Source from approved channels; use serial verification; implement QC checkpoints
24. Product safety recalls Signals: rising defect complaints; supplier QA gaps Pre-release testing; robust traceability; rapid recall playbooks
25. Sustainability and ESG compliance risk Signals: supplier ESG scores drop; carbon footprint shifts Integrate ESG criteria in sourcing; audit and report; align with standards
26. Warranty and after-sales risk Signals: rising warranty claims; service-part delays Improve product reliability data; stock critical service parts; optimize returns flow
27. Financial liquidity and credit risk Signals: delayed payments; credit default indicators Tiered supplier financing; monitor cash exposure; negotiate payment terms that protect continuity
28. Transportation mode mix risk Signals: mode price spikes; modal shift signals Balance mode mix; keep alternative lanes ready; dynamic routing policies
29. Third-party IT and data management risk Signals: vendor security gaps; data leakage alerts Third-party risk reviews; data encryption; cloud access controls
30. Rescheduling and capacity planning misalignment Signals: planned vs. actual capacity gaps; frequent reroutes Adopt rolling horizon planning; reserve flexible capacity; align production sequences
31. Data integrity and tampering Signals: anomalous data edits; inconsistent records Impose provenance checks; implement immutable logs; enforce access controls
32. Market entry and exit risk Signals: regulatory barriers; weak demand in new markets Pilot programs; exit plans with predefined triggers; local partnerships
33. Pandemic and health-related disruptions Signals: workforce illness rates; cross-border mobility limits Cross-train workforce; establish nearshoring options; maintain safety and contingency stock

Implementing these signals and actions in a structured deployment supports granular, actionable insight, enabling managers to act quickly and keep the supply network resilient across life cycles and markets.

Digital Twins and Real-Time Visibility for Contingency Planning

Implement a digital twin built for real-time visibility across 8–12 critical nodes, including factories, distribution centers, and key transport line segments. The twin ingests sensor streams, ERP/SCM feeds, and climate-related data, refreshing at 5-minute intervals to power agile decisions. This approach addresses risks addressed before they cascade. It combines deterministic planning with probability-based scenario exploration to minimize disruption, and it is cost-effective and scalable. This setup will include a modular data model adaptable across sectors, with cohen and durach analysis guiding the architecture to reflect the focal conditions across modes and lines, capturing the nature of disruptions and informing subject-matter teams to act quickly. By design, we quantify the probability of each disruption path and adjust responses accordingly.

Implementation steps

  1. Define focal nodes across sectors and modes, choosing 8–12 facilities and logistics lines as the initial scope.
  2. Develop backward-compatible data architecture that connects with ERP, WMS, and legacy planning tools to enable smooth rollout.
  3. Ingest and harmonize diverse data streams, including sensors, transportation telemetry, and climate feeds, ensuring data quality and timeliness.
  4. Construct a modular, infrastructural data model that captures line-level and sector-specific variations while remaining extensible for future additions.
  5. Build a climate-related contingency library and integrate probability-based scenario analysis to reflect different weather, trade, and demand conditions.
  6. Implement optimization routines for inventory, routing, and capacity that align with cost-effective objectives and minimize disruption durations.
  7. Establish an agile decision cockpit with dashboards, pre-approved playbooks, and automated alerts to accelerate response times.
  8. Run drills to calibrate the twin, track key metrics, and adjust the model based on observed outcomes and probability updates.
  9. Ensure backward compatibility and governance, defining data ownership, access rights, and subject-matter collaboration guidelines.
  10. Exploring literature, including fang, cohen analysis, and durach analysis, to refine the framework and identify cross-sector learning opportunities.

Key design considerations

Key design considerations

  • Maintain infrastructural readiness with scalable cloud-based pipelines and edge processing where needed to preserve power and responsiveness.
  • Center on the nature of disruptions by linking data to focal risk indicators and line-level consequences across sectors and modes.
  • Balance real-time visibility with data governance to keep costs minimized while preserving decision quality.
  • Ensure the model supports subject-matter experts from logistics, procurement, and manufacturing for rapid decision alignment.
  • Strengthen resilience through backward-compatible integrations and a modular architecture that can expand to climate-related and other hazard scenarios.

Cybersecurity and Data Integrity in Global Supply Networks

Adopt a zero-trust security model across the entire supply network and verify every access request. Treat every connection as untrusted until proven, and enforce continuous authentication for suppliers, carriers, and contractors across systems, platforms, and data exchanges.

Segment critical networks, enforce least-privilege access, and require multi-factor authentication for email gateways and supplier portals. Extend controls to edge devices, factory sites, and cloud services, ensuring credentials are never leaked and that revocation happens promptly when roles change or contracts end. This approach reduces the risk of down time caused by credential abuse or phishing, and it shortens incident dwell time across the bottom line of operations. The protection extends to each site.

Key practices for cybersecurity and data integrity

Establish tamper-evident logging, encryption in transit, and signed software updates. Maintain a software bill of materials (SBOM) and implement tracing to document data provenance from supplier data through to every product batch, providing governance mechanisms and giving clear ownership that help teams act quickly. Avoid relying solely on traditional controls. In this context, policies govern data retention, deletion, and version control across specifications, shipment records, and sensor logs. Contextual dashboards that combine weather, transport, and quality signals help operators spot anomalies before they cascade into disruptions.

Measurement, case studies, and investment decisions

In studying security exposure, notable analyses describe significant viable approaches that balance technical controls with governance. The research describes how data tracing and policy alignment reduce risk. Do not underestimate the value of a structured investment, because underestimating risk tends to yield longer remediation cycles. Teams should balance shorter planning horizons with longer horizons. When building risk models, watch for collinearity among correlated factors to avoid biased assessments. Case studies from automotive manufacturers illustrate how rigorous data tracing and policy alignment reduce impact, while nike and sloan research highlight the importance of supplier collaboration and data-sharing standards to accelerate recovery after a breach. Every site, from the bottom of the chain to the main distribution hub, benefits from clear email-based incident alerts and a well-documented contact protocol for rapid containment.

Supplier Risk Profiling, Redundancy, and Diversification Strategies

Recommendation: Build a prescriptive supplier risk profile using a 3-tier segmentation (core, strategic, transactional) supported by scds-driven analytics to guide targeted actions across sourcing, procurement, and fulfillment. The scds framework informs every decision. This approach reduces pressure on a single supplier and accelerates recovery when disruptions occur.

Structured profiling and redundancy plan

Recognizing that climate-related and epidemic shocks drive cascading failures, assign an omega-risk score per supplier: high if probability and impact exceed thresholds; calibrate with 12-month loss history, 24-month volatility, and actual financial health indicators. Maintain a live risk dashboard that flags changes within 24 hours and links each supplier to a remediation plan. For core suppliers, limit single-source exposure to under 30% of a material class. For strategic suppliers, require dual sourcing and regional diversification. For transactional suppliers, monitor lead times and payment terms to sustain fulfillment during stress.

Redundancy measures for critical components include at least two fully independent sources, a regional hub in each major market, and buffer stock equal to 60 days of average demand for top 20 SKUs; for highly volatile items, target three suppliers across two regions and rotate them quarterly to avoid correlated disruption. This approach reduces dependence on any single node and accelerates recovery when a supplier misses a shipment.

Diversification, sustainability, and governance

Diversification strategy allocates 40-60% of annual spend to tier-1 suppliers across three regions (Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific) and maintains a mix of OEMs, contract manufacturers, and distributors to dampen geographic and sector-specific shocks. Evaluate climate-related risk and sustainability credentials, and apply currency hedges where exposure exceeds 10% of spend. Use guided checks to ensure compliance with codes of conduct and data-sharing requirements; keep all actual performance data in a centralized scds-enabled repository and publish a monthly fulfillment scorecard. Applications across product lines help identify common vulnerabilities and align action plans with the agenda.

Following Saberi and Troise frameworks, implement a compact governance rhythm: 90-day action plans, a concise agenda for reviews, and a cash-reserve buffer to absorb supplier-cause liquidity gaps. The buffer should cover 1-2% of annual spend as a standing relief fund and be replenished from operational savings achieved through improved fulfillment and reduced expedited freight.

Policy, Governance, and Data Standards to Strengthen Resilience

Implement a unified cloud-based data governance framework that standardizes data definitions, quality rules, and cross-domain exchanges across suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. This framework ensures data quality, lineage, access controls, and versioning, enabling the tracking of events and volumes simultaneously across multi-stage processes. Assign a clear structure and a dedicated component of data stewardship to agentic teams that drive accountability across the network. These teams will assess disruptionssuch risks and test hypotheses against real-time signals, guiding rapid adjustments in orders, inventory, and cash flows. Within the fourth quarter and beyond, vanany scenario planning informs policy updates and resource allocation. The governance body assessed data-quality KPIs and risk exposure across the network, identifying problem hotspots and tracking mitigation progress. This isnt about slogans; it isnt about gimmicks. To tackling growing complexity, utilize appropriate standards and modular policy blocks that can be deployed at scale to support continuous development.

Data Standards and Interoperability

Develop a multi-layer data dictionary that covers product attributes, process steps, locations, and financial dimensions. Define common codes, units, and taxonomies to ensure interoperability across ERP, WMS, and cloud-based analytics functions. Require APIs with clearly versioned contracts and data quality checks, so teams can exchange information without creating duplicate records. Establish metadata lifecycles, validation rules, and access controls that protect sensitive information while supporting rapid decision-making. Build a testing ground for new standards with pilot suppliers and scale to the full network.

Policy Alignment, Incentives, and Risk Management

Align policy with tangible risk indicators, so procurement, manufacturing, and logistics leaders can respond within hours rather than days. Establish a multi-stage sequence of reviews that links incentives to measurable outcomes such as service levels, stock turns, and cash-flow resilience. Use a clear problem statement, backed by hypotheses, to guide mitigations such as alternate sourcing, safety stock adjustments, or changes in payment terms. Regularly reassess risk exposure and update the data standards accordingly, ensuring the cloud-based data platform remains current. Involve suppliers and carriers as active partners, reinforcing shared accountability without creating victim pressure in fragile segments of the network.