Strategies for building Supply Chain Resilience: A Comprehensive Review with Insights from the Freight Forwarding Industry

Abstract

This report examines freight forwarders' strategies to strengthen the resilience of their supply chains during global disruptions. In recent years, supply chain disruptions have increased, emphasizing the importance of resilience in managing these challenges. The concept of supply chain resilience has evolved to focus more on proactive threat identification and rapid recovery, utilizing advanced technologies and fostering collaboration and flexibility. By using a combined methodology of a literature review, a modeling approach and conducting two interviews, the report explores and analyzes how companies can manage and minimize the impact of supply chain disruptions. The literature review provided an in-depth understanding of the concept of supply chain resilience and the varying definitions that exist in the field. A developed model called T-IRRA, which focuses on five phases named transparency, identify, respond, recover, and advance, is set as a framework to systematically analyze and improve supply chain resilience. The interviews, with experts from both practical and theoretical perspectives, were used to validate the model and integrate practical insights into our analysis. The results show that transparent communication and active involvement of all stakeholders are crucial to effectively manage disruptions. Furthermore, the integration of advanced technologies such as IoT and AI is critical but requires significant investment and data protection measures. Continuous learning and development is essential, with post-disruption assessment and knowledge management strengthening resilience. This report provides practical guidance for freight forwarders striving to strengthen their supply chain resilience in a complex industry.