Enhancing resilience while maintaining efficiency: planning and human decision-making for the unpredictable

Today's business environment is characterized by increased levels of connectivity: within companies through the application of lean and efficiency measures as well as between organizations due to an augmented level of supply chain integration. In such an interconnected world organizations recognize the potential risk of experiencing a supply chain disruption. To be able to manage the unforeseen, supply chains need to develop resilience. While the importance of being resilient to sustainable operations is without question, it remains unclear how supply chain resilience can be achieved and balanced with the need for efficiency.
This project explores the antecedents of resilience aiming to make the concept more tangible and implementable for organizations. The proposed research intends to identify and test what critical elements in relation to vertical, horizontal and diagonal coordination mechanisms should be taken into account and included into the design of highly optimized supply chains to make them more resilient based on the 4C approach. More specifically, we will conduct a number of exploratory case studies with our business partners, building on our current projects with, among others, ProRail/Dutch Railways. Insights from exploratory case studies will provide the basis for further experiments with decision-makers in both the laboratory and in the field. Furthermore, a management training tool will be developed to further acquire insights into supply chain resilience as well as help managers to better deal with uncertainty. Results will be valourized through annual workshops, lectures, involvement of students and the use by TNO of the training tool.