The 4Rs supply chain resilience framework: A capability perspective

Abstract

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the demand and supply for many products fluctuated. Thus, many companies around the globe have repurposed their operations and reconfigured their supply chains (SCs) to switch production and produce new products. Literature provided various models and frameworks to explain the concepts of supply chain resilience. However, it remains unclear how companies could quickly and temporarily repurpose their SCs and what are the required capabilities during the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, this study investigates the role of developing dynamic capabilities such as manufacturing, logistics, production capacity and procurement in facilitating production changeover. Based on 36 semistructured interviews conducted with multinational corporations, the study findings demonstrate four specific capabilities known as the 4Rs: retooling, repurposing, recalibrating and reconfiguring. Hence, the study provides a conceptual framework of operational resilience to understand how production changeover could be achieved. In addition, this 4Rs framework helps decision-makers to improve SC resilience and capabilities when facing a crisis such as COVID-19.